THE Shellharbour Sharks secured the 2018 minor premiership on Sunday, when they defeated the Nowra-Bomaderry Jets 54-20.
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At Ron Costello Oval, the visitors opened the scoring when Ryan James pounced on a Tyson Simpson grubber kick in the second minute.
Zac Blattner converted for 6-nil.
An upset was brewing when the Jets had their second in the 12th minute, when Simpson plucked a Matt Carrooll pass out of the air and ran 50 metres to score.
Blattner converted and the Jets led by 12.
But the hosts responded the very next set, when Wayde Aitken reached over, after strong play from Jack Kavanagh.
Carroll missed the conversion, as the lead remained at eight.
But the two-try buffer for the Jets was restored when James scored his second in the 20th minute, making it 16-4.
But the hosts had too much to play for and hit back with two quick tries to Aitken and Sam Clune, making it 16-14.
They finally hit the front in the 36th minute when Sam Clune put Kaine Edwards over.
Carroll converted to make it 20-16 at half-time.
The Sharks continued their assault in the second half, when they scored in the first set of six – Clune sending winger Tamati Ulukita over to score.
Carroll converted for for 26-16.
The Sharks’ five-eighth then bagged two tries for himself, stepping his way through the line on both occasions – with halves partner Carroll converting both for 38-16.
Things were made worse for the visitors in the 60th minute when Chaise Sines was sent to the sin-bin.
In the 72nd minute, Clune was again involved for the Sharks, sending a barging Harold Snell on his way across the chalk.
Carroll converted to make it 44-16.
The hosts then scored through Kade Sampson before the Jets scored their fourth try of the afternoon, when dynamic fullback Jake Gould scooted over form close range.
The match was iced by prop Jack Kavanagh, who scored in the final minute, with Carroll converting to make it 54-20.