by Paul Cook - He's known for his savage hits and brutal work rate but Sam Ward became a try-scoring hero last nght as his hat-trick helped the North Harbour Rays overcome Perth Spirit, 32-29, in a thrilling encounter at Brookvale Oval. A positive start from the Rays saw an early Harry Bergelin try give them the lead but Perth had played their way in by the end of the first quarter and two tries of their own looked to have earned them a half-time advantage until Ward came to the party for his first of the evening. 16-all at the break, a second from Ward saw the home side hold sway until Spirit rallied once more, Dillyn Leyd's fifth try of the season putting them back out to a 29-24 lead and on the way to their third win of the season. However, Ward had other ideas and his hat-trick score just und