THE Final Bay Bomboras have achieved a club first – winning a Newcastle and Hunter Rugby League premiership.
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After 19 years of searching for the big win, the Bomboras took out the NHRL B-grade premiership on Saturday when it defeated the West Wallsend Magpies 28-24.
The premiership slipped from the Bomboras’ fingers in the preliminary final last year, which set them up for the sweetest of wins this season.
Especially as West Wallsend was tipped to take out the division.
Coach John Gutherson, who has been part of the club for 19 years, said he, like everyone else, is “stoked” by the win.
Gutherson and Dean Carney took on the coaching role in 2015.
“We knew we could do it this year,” Gutherson said.
“We really grew together as a team. There were a couple of injuries, but we stuck together.”
Gutherson said the side, kicking into the wind, struggled in the first half of Saturday’s game.
The Bomboras trailed the Magpies 24-6 going into the break.
But, showing strength and determination, the Bomboras came back strong in the second half and quickly gained momentum to score four tries and take the score to 28-24.
Bo Earl helped the Bay gain momentum in the second half with some clever back line raids.
Earl was named the league’s man of the match at the end of the game.
Winger Dean Sulkowski scored two tries with a final, at the 75 minute mark, coming from Jarrod Diemar off Dean Morrison.
Gutherson also named Denam Glasson and Todd Dorro as standouts, though added “you couldn’t have picked a bad player; everyone had a great game”.
The Magpies threw everything at the Bomboras in the final five minutes.
However, the Bomboras held on to the ball for the remainder of the game, giving the Magpies no opportunity to answer any of the 22 points Fingal Bay scored in the second half.
Emotional scenes followed the sounding of the final siren, especially when the comeback kings lifted the trophy.
“To come back that much… It has to be the best comeback in history,” Gutherson said.
“They dominated the first half, but every game has two halves. If they could do it in the first, we knew we could do it in the second.”
The premiership win is expected to elevate Fingal Bay from B-grade to A-grade next season.
Gutherson paid tribute to the legion of fans that turned out to Harker Oval on Saturday to cheer on the Bomboras.
He also thanked the club’s sponsors and the community who has supported the side this season.
The Bomboras will hold its presentation on October 15.
Were you at the grand-final game on Saturday? Send us your photos. Email your grand-final shots to ewatts@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
