After cruising to an 18-6 lead early in the second half, the Sharks seemingly went to sleep as the home team piled on a massive 20 unanswered points. 

Maybe it was the numbing cold, certainly it was by good Cooma play as much as poor Moruya skill errors.

It was 26-18 down and not looking good.

However, as they have done several times this season, the Sharks dug deep into their bag of tricks to pull the game out of the fire.

A piece of attacking genius from Aaron Brierley, who had spent most of the game on the bench after being injured in the opening plays of the game saw the try that swung the momentum back to the Sharks.

Then came a blockbusting run from Vin Marino which was brilliantly finished off by Dennis Green, who converted his try and the Sharks had lifted themselves off the canvas to stun the home team and silence their raucous fans.

A penalty goal as the siren blared and the scoreboard showed the Sharks had won 30-26.

Coach Tim Weyman was stunned by what he saw in the second half, but felt very proud of the boys.

With a weakened side and men playing with injuries, it has been a different back half of the season for his troops.

Needless to say he was proud of their resilience to come back from the brink of defeat. 

The win secured the Club Championship for Moruya for the first time in the memory of Sharks fans.

In the lower grades the Reserves finished second on the ladder, the Ladies League Tag fourth and the Under 18s third. 

The Reserves will play Bombala and Under 18s  Bega next Sunday in Bega in the progression finals, while the Sharkettes will return to Cooma next Saturday to play Merimbula in the elimination final.

First Grade gets a week’s rest and will play the winner of Bega and Merimbula in Moruya for the right to go straight to the grand final.

Reserves:

The Moruya Sharks reserve grade side had confirmed second spot prior to taking the long trip to Cooma on the weekend. The game was a matter of pride, and the two points on offer could mean the difference between the club claiming the  championship or not.

The Sharks hit the paddock with seven under 18’s backing up from their earlier game and faced a large and determined Cooma Stallion outfit.

Defence was the key as each side tried to gain the upper hand in the cold blustery conditions.

Cooma were first to post points in the 14th minute and it took until the 28th for Moruya to respond through a try to Mervyn Brierley. The Sharks took the lead on the stroke of half time when evergreen Charlie Nye, skirted the defence to plant the ball for a 4 pointer. The Sharks headed to the sheds with a 12-6 advantage at half time.

The second half had the home side skipping away with 2 quick tries after the break, taking the lead with a 16-12 advantage. The sharks responded through a try to Zach Ingram out wide, locking the scores up with 25 minutes left on the clock.

The next passage saw some brutal defence as both sides tried to gain an advantage. As fatigue set in, so did frustration and anger, with disputed calls and some high shots. Eventually the frustration spilled over into a scuffle, which resulted in 2 Cooma players being sent to the sin bin for striking.

With just 4 minutes left on the clock, they were to play no further part.

The sharks took advantage of this overlap, with a quick shift out wide seeing Jack Keating bursting through a gap in the defence to plant the ball for a 6 point win 22-16.

Coach Mick Cottington praising the efforts of his troops and thanking the under 18’s for backing up in the cool conditions. Hux Ngahoata was named players player for his strong performance, with Cottington reluctant to single out others in what was truly a good team performance.

The Reserves will face off against Bombala in the Preliminary Final in Bega next Sunday.

Moruya 20:  Tries: Merv Brierley, Charlie Nye, Zach Ingram, Jack Keating

                        Goals: Charlie Nye 3/4.

League-Tag:

The League Tag Girls fielded a strong team, despite the early start and the long drive up the mountain. Keen to show that they deserve their place in the semi finals, the Sharkettes started the game strongly against the inexperienced Cooma Fillies. The Sharkettes scored five unanswered tries in the first half, with Nicole Cowdroy scoring a double while Alisha Meek, Rosie Scott and Elka Pike also crossed over.

The girls hit the sheds at half time with a convincing 28-0 lead.

The second half saw the Fillies strengthen their resolve in defence, limiting the Sharkettes to just two tries scored by Hayley Johnston and Lana Badullovich.

Elka Pike capped off a great game with five conversions from seven attempts.

The final score was 38-0 to the Sharkettes, who now have to return to Cooma next Saturday to play in the elimination final against Merimbula-Pambula.

Coach, Shaun Pike, was pleased with the commitment and resolve of his charges and named Hayley Johnson as his best, with Maisie Place and Elka Pike receiving points for their fine performances.

Moruya 38: Tries: Nicole Cowdroy 2, Alisha Meek, Rosie Scott, Elka Pike, Hayley  

                     Johnston, Lana Badullovich

        Goals: Elka Pike 5/7     

Under 18’s:

The young Sharks were hitting the park after a four-week layoff due to byes and a forfeit from Bega in round 12.

Coach Dan Thurlow was able to muster 15 players to make the journey over the mountain.

While rusty from lack of game time, the Sharks settled into their work, showing plenty of commitment in defence and flair in attack. The young Sharks scored five unanswered tries in the first half to lead 26-0 at half time.

The side continued their momentum in the second stanza to run out comfortable 62-4 winners over the young stallions.

The Sharks welcomed back their country representative player Luc Hill, who had recently toured Western Australia with his representative commitments.  Hill as always impressing with his strong runs and solid defence.

Thurlow praised his young charges for their efforts in the cold conditions and named Byron Brunhuber as his best, with special mention to Cohen McGrath and Luc Hill for their strong games.

The young sharks finishing 3rd overall and facing off against Bega at Bega next Sunday in the preliminary Final.