The final round of Newcastle Rugby League was made interesting for those teams fighting for final positions in the top five.
Cessnock, Wyong and Central Charlestown had confirmed their spots but Kurri and Western Suburbs were jostling for those two spots. West played and beat Nelson Bay but the Bulldogs needed every bit of their fighting spirit against South Newcastle.
Read Luke Hislop’s account of that match and click on for highlights of both encounters.
Kurri v South
A courageous second half performance by the Kurri Bulldogs has earned them victory over South Newcastle and secure an all important home semi-final berth.
The 36-28 win at Townsend Oval saw the visitors crawl back a sizeable half-time deficit, after trailing 22-6 at the break.
The game was only minutes in when South’s shifted the ball wide finding an unmarked Mack Fawcett, who combined with Simon Tuffi to score the first of his double.
But minutes later Kurri hit back, posting their first points of the match, courtesy of a try to Greg Sharpe.
Two further tries to South Newcastle prior to the break gave the home side a comfortable buffer, with Simon Tuffi and Adam Fairweather crossing respectively.
Down but by no means out, the Bulldogs hit back with an almighty bite. With an appetite for tries, the second half provided plenty for Kurri, with former Newcastle Knight Daniel Abraham rewarded for his solo efforts.
Both teams exchanged further points, but the turning point came when an ill-directed pass from South Newcastle went astray, ending up in the capable hands of Luke Mercer who combined with Jay Stevens, putting the game beyond doubt.
