by Paul Cook –

Nine wins in a row had put the most improved team in the Intrust Super Shute Shield, Northern Suburbs, within touching distance of a Minor Premiership, let alone their first appearance in the finals since 2012. Another victory over Manly and suitable results elsewhere would see them top the ladder, but it was a place in the first three and the home qualifying final that came with it, that was the more likely – and no less laudable – holy grail for the Shoremen. Things were a lot simpler for the Marlins. Win and they could look forward to the finals series, lose, and they left themselves open for results elsewhere to consign them to an early exit.

It goes without saying then, that conceding a try directly from kick-off was not a part of Manly’s plans. But when Angus Sinclair’s opening bomb landed between two of the Marlins’ catching pods and deflected into the path of Norths’ Lochie Creagh, the winger reacted smartly to dissect a couple more static blue jerseys with a grubber off his knee, before scooping up the bounce and holding off the attentions of Matt Lucas to ground a dramatic first five-pointer.

Sinclair’s conversion inflicted further damage and it was perhaps no surprise that the Shoremen – dripping with confidence – settled into the game that much quicker. Their passes were sharp and sticking, their clean-outs were swift and clinical and their defensive linespeed frustrated a Manly side who were forced into an error on more than one occasion when trying to play too close to the gainline.

But for all their possession and ball retention, Norths couldn’t find another score until the start of the second quarter when hooker Sam Kitchen brushed aside his counterpart James Hilterbrand, before using a supporting role from team mate James Brown to drive over the ubiquitous Lucas and claim the second try.

A shell-shocked Manly were given a lifeline when Norths skipper Will Miller was pinged for not rolling away, and Sam Lane stepped up to get the visitors on the board. But that was immediately cancelled out when an over zealous Lucas illegally upended a rampaging Nick Palmer, sensibly just the penalty deemed necessary by referee James Leckie, and Angus Sinclair restored the two-score advantage at 17-3.

In need of something tangible before the break, Manly bypassed their next 3pt opportunity for a kick to touch and a lineout just inside their opponents’ 22. Within striking distance for the first time in the match, it was Lucas who asked the questions, manoeuvring his forwards towards the line before a crisp pass found his halves partner Lane, and the silky no.10 had the footwork to find a gap and stretch for the chalk.

With Manly having worked themselves back into contention from that early setback, Norths’ initial buoyancy was visibly wavering as the game became scrappy as half-time approached. Both sides seemed keen to play it at the other end for a while in the hope of an opposition error, but neither of their kicking games were in tune with the accuracy required to apply pressure, and there were more than a few unattractive ping-pong exchanges as a result.

A late hit on Angus Sinclair by Harry Bergelin after the siren could, and perhaps should, have brought a yellow card. But after consulting with his assistants, ref Leckie was happy to go with a penalty only. However, with Sinclair still locating all of his ribs, Irae Simone stepped up and pulled his kick wide of the uprights to leave a converted try between them at oranges.

The break served the home side well, their fluidity and belief returning after the restart and they were given an early leg-up when the forwards stepped up to earn a scrum penalty against their significantly heavier opposition eight. However, Angus Sinclair, maybe still feeling the effects of the earlier blow, couldn’t guide his kick through the uprights.

A double-team tackle from James Hilterbrand and Ed Gower thwarted a second of the afternoon for Lochie Creagh in the 46th minute, as the young winger blazed a trail down the left flank. And when a further scrum penalty – kudos to loosehead Ezra Luxton on this occasion – went unpunished by another miscalculation from Sinclair’s boot, the frustration amongst the red and black faithful in the North Sydney Oval grandstands was palpable.

26-10 would certainly have had a much rosier look to it than the seven point advantage Norths were left with, and you wondered if such profligacy would come back to haunt them, especially when the Marlins earned a shot at the posts from their next visit. However, the kicking yips were catching, Sam Lane’s long-range effort falling just shy of the posts.

But when the flyhalf was given another chance from in front a minute later after Richard Woolf was highlighted for holding on, the hoodoo was broken.

The hour mark passed with the visitors sensing a shift in momentum, Norths struggling to make much headway as Manly ramped up the aggression at the breakdown with Ed Gower and Hayden Thompson-Stringer leading the charge. But having found it hard to concoct many clear-cut openings themselves, the manner of Manly’s next score was simplicity personified.

Lucas fed Lane on the openside from a scrum 15 metres in on the left, and the flyhalf shifted the pill at just the right moment to give Dennis Pili-Gaitau the space to draw and pass for BJ Hartmann, who in turn fed Richard Hooper for the corner to complete a rare first-phase try.

Lane couldn’t add the extras from out wide but the Marlins were in front for the first time in the match at 18-17. With news filtering in from Coogee and Chatswood about bonus point wins for both Warringah and Eastwood, it was a position they absolutely had to maintain.

Their chances of doing so took a significant turn in their favour only a minute later, a disaster for the home side as a slow, clearing kick from Simone was charged down by Lane, and the ball ricocheted straight into the hands of centre Nicholas Holton, who gleefully ran home. However, Lane’s second missed conversion left the door open for Norths, and we were in for a grandstand finish.

The Shoremen duly camped themselves inside the Manly 22, forcing a succession of penalties and opting to go for the knockout blow, but unable to breach the resolute wall of blue jerseys. As the siren sounded they were offered one final shot at glory, Manly’s season hanging in the balance.

A penalty kicked to touch was mustered in by the red and black jumpers, before captain Miller shifted it infield. But eight or so phases later and Norths were back in virtually the same position, Manly’s desperation offering no hint of an opening.

To the audible horror of everyone rooting for the home side, Angus Sinclair then grubbered ahead, straight towards a cluster of Marlins defenders. But just as it looked like Nicholas Holton had garnered possession, the cavalry arrived in the shape of Simone and replacement Will Weeks to turn it back for Norths, who went again.

It was an incredible finale. Terrific ball retention from Norths and magnificent defence from Manly, who were now out on their feet. But after some three and a half minutes of drama, and somewhere in the region of 20 phases in total, flyhalf Sinclair redeemed himself with the vital play, stepping his way through from five metres to reach for the line, and leave a converted try to win the match.

Cramping up badly, he gingerly addressed the ball, took a deep breath…..and calmly dissected the posts.

Norths celebrated wildly – ten wins in a row and a home preliminary final makes them a genuine force to be reckoned with in the finals. Manly fell to their knees in disbelief. The 2015 Minor Premiers were gone.

Northern Suburbs 24 (Lochie Creagh, Sam Kitchen, Angus Sinclair tries; Angus Sinclair 3 cons, pen) defeated Manly 23 (Sam Lane, Richard Hooper, Nicholas Holton tries; Sam Lane con, 2 pens)