The GPS season could hardly have found a more fitting ending. 

Riverview have been crowned joint premiers with Newington after producing a remarkable 50-47 victory at Stanmore in a match that had just about everything. 

Joeys completed a remarkable comeback against Scots, overturning a 28-0 deficit to win 34-33, while Kings edged Shore 41-38 in another high scoring thriller.

Newington 47 – 50 Riverview 

Riverview came flying out of the blocks, scoring twice inside six minutes. Taj Scarr was given too much space out wide, while Sebastian Conna followed with a trademark tap-and-go charge to make it 14-0.

Newington immediately hit back, first through a pick-and-go before Isaiah Sheck finally got his hands on the ball five metres out. Five metres out, there are few in the competition capable of stopping him.

Conna then produced almost exactly the same trick he did just before, burrowing his way over for his second.

Newington’s rolling maul eventually brought another, but Riverview responded through Ned Atrill, who slipped a tackle and raced 50 metres for a superb turnover try. Jack Plamondon then added another, riding contact and slipping a tackle to stretch the lead to 31-21.

The score stayed there at half-time, with Riverview’s pace causing Newington plenty of problems, particularly when forwards were caught defending in wide channels.

After the break, two Newington rolling maul tries in quick succession flipped the score to 33-31 before Timoci Nagusa barged over from close range to take a strong lead. 

Riverview needed something, and Billy Bowen provided it with a kick to touch that sent them deep into Newington territory. It only took two phases to create just enough room for Scarr to score his second.

Newington went straight back to their maul and produced another five-metre monster to establish their biggest lead of the day, 47-36, with only five minutes remaining.

With the game slipping away, Bowen produced one of the strangest passages of the season. After an attacking Newington kick landed in-goal, he grounded it, bounced back up, executed a tiny drop-kick grubber to himself and took off. Riverview surged into the redzone from this moment and looked certain to score. 

Jaryd King appeared to save Newington with a knock-on-forcing tackle, only to then receive a yellow card for striking a Riverview player off the ball.

Two phases after the reversed penalty, Archer Mason was in the corner.

Then came Plamondon. The star fullback received the ball, slipped one tackle, stepped around the final defender and raced over in a try so good it genuinely looked scripted.

With the clock running out, Newington forced one more twist: a pilfer penalty within kicking range.

Cooper Moore stepped up knowing a successful kick would make Newington outright premiers.

For Moore it wasn’t meant to be as the ball stayed right all the way, and the full-time whistle confirmed what had seemed impossible five minutes earlier: Riverview had stolen a 50-47 victory and with it a share of the GPS Shield.

After a season-long race between the two, perhaps it was only fitting that neither side could quite separate themselves in the end.

Scots 33 – 34 Joeys

Scots came out flying in the battle for the wooden spoon, scoring four tries in the opening 13 minutes to race to a scarcely believable 28-0 lead. Anthony Mailangi burst through before finding Sonny Patane, skipper Oscar Tremlett then scored twice, including a cheeky effort over the top of a ruck, before Scots added an audacious chip-and-chase.

Joeys looked stunned, but eventually slowed the game down and found their more direct style. A cross-field kick put Jack Short over, before Henry Gardiner and another Joeys forward try reduced the margin to 28-17.

Short then scored his second from a Thomas Bayada cut-out pass, leaving Scots just six points ahead at half-time.

Whatever was said in both dressing rooms worked, because the second half became a defensive arm wrestle.

Joeys eventually hit the lead through Henry Campbell before another try gave them six unanswered tries and a 34-28 advantage.

Mailangi responded with a brilliant solo effort, stepping through defenders to make it a one-point game.

Scots had one final chance, but a knock-on inches from the line ended their hopes.

Joeys completed comebacks, winning 34-33 and finishing the year with plenty to be proud of.

Kings 41 – 38 Shore

Kings and Shore delivered another shootout, with the home side eventually holding on for a 41-38 victory.

Kings dominated the opening territory and struck first through Thomas Aroyan, who finished a cross-field kick in the corner. Shore responded through Sterling Strachan, but Kings quickly restored their advantage with a rolling maul.

An outrageous cut-out pass from No.8 Isaac Kasprowicz put Jeremy Bremner over for Shore, before the sides traded rolling maul tries to leave Shore ahead 19-15 at half-time.

The second half continued the theme, with tries seemingly arriving whenever one side had the ball. Nick Platis finished after a Will Taylor break and offload, before Bremner grabbed another from a slick cut-out pass.

Shore’s Luke Maclennan was excellent throughout, with his kicking and game management, while Kings occasionally looked guilty of trying to do too much in attack.

A pick-and-go brought Shore back into it before Kings winger Anwar-El-Kurdi finished in the corner to make it 31-29. 

Oli Smith then broke the cycle for Kings, pouncing after Shore failed to deal with a kick in the backfield, only for Tim Leahy to restore Shore’s lead with a determined pick-and-go.

With the game still anyone’s, Kings found the decisive moment. Another line break and offload put scrumhalf Charlie O’Loughlin through to score the winner.

Shore threw everything at the final three minutes, but Kings forced one last mistake to seal a 41-38 win in a wildly entertaining finish.