Hunter Rugby Union: Lionhearted lock Nick Davidson joins Blacks legends on premiership wall

Better than two Anderson Medals.

Better than anything he has achieved on a rugby field.

Nick Davidson - after a lifetime spent at Marcellin Park, three trips to a grand final and goodness knows how much blood sweat and tears - has a first-grade premiership,.

Finally Davidson's picture can join the legends from the 1999 premiership side - players he idolised growing up - who adorn the walls at the Maitland Blacks clubhouse.

"It's better than Lego. It's better than anything I can describe," Davidson said with his son Lincoln under his arm.

And what a way to do it

Davidson produced a typically lionhearted performance in the grand final. Every time a Merewether forward looked up, the power-packed lock was charging at them like a runaway coal truck.

Without the ball he was equally destructive.

Davidson was rewarded with the John Hipwell Medal for player of the match.

The true reward was hearing referee Jarryd Logan blow full-time.

Seeing his teammates celebrate. Seeing thousands of Maitland supporters storm the field. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the Blacks juniors.

Knowing that his late step-father, Ian 'Dr Mac' Macdonald would be looking down, beaming with pride.

"We haven't had a premiership for 24 years, now we have got one," said he 34-year-old affectionately known as Davo said.

"it gives the juniors something to aspire too.

"I explained to the boys before the game - we will never get this experience again. We will never have these group of blokes in the room, and we will never have the same vibe. This moment is what you play for. All the training sessions, all the effort, all the sacrifice. It's all for this."

Maitland coach Luke Cunningham summed it up best.

"Davo lives and breathes this club. For him to do that today is really special."

Sam Callow ran out of superlatives to describe Davidson

"He is a machine," the skipper said. "He never stops. He bleeds black."

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