Jake Waterhouse, Matt Carter along and Jai Whelan help to end Port City Bowling Club's state title drought

The unlikely combination of a builder and two oyster farmers proved that sometimes all you need is a good attitude to be successful.

And most impressively, Matt Carter, Jake Waterhouse and Jai Whelan did it without losing a match.

They were too good for Kurri Kurri in the semi-final and Narrandera in the final to book their berth at Broadbeach for the Australian titles in mid-October.

"A lot of those teams down there are paid to play ... that's their job - to play lawn bowls," Whelan said.

"We had a crack at it last year so to get to the final 16 in NSW as three young blokes - me being the oldest at 27 - was a pretty big deal.

"To go down there as a rat-pack crew and not really expect to go all the way, we were keen to have a really good crack and to come away with the biscuits was pretty good."

It was Port City's first state open triples title for nearly three decades.

"We were ecstatic," Whelan said.

"We had a three-and-a-half hour drive back from Ettalong on the night, but as soon as we got back a lot of the Port City people were waiting at the club to have a drink and celebrate with us.

"We were over the moon."

Whelan said the average age of competitive lawn bowlers was getting younger and there was more money involved in the sport than in the past.

"Your big powerhouse clubs like Cabramatta, Engadine and Warilla are playing blokes from all over the country to come and play for them," he said.

"The money in bowls is becoming quite a big thing and it's attracting a lot of young people."

The little-known Port Macquarie team will now represent New South Wales on the national stage and they weren't ruling out another surprise effort.

"We'll be going there with a head full of steam and a heap of practice and we'll give it our best shot," Whelan said.

"We're not going there to lose anyway, no-one goes out there to lose."

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