The Bungendore Tigers have retained the George Tooke Shield defeating the Harden Hawks in a replay of the 2024 Grand Final result.
Harden pushed the Tigers all the way with just a lone penalty goal with four minutes left sinking the Hawks for the second straight year.
It was a mighty effort by Harden who had been walking the tight rope for the last three weeks just to get to the big one.
The closeness of the George Tooke Shields this season demanded the grand final be a tight contest and it did not disappoint. The game was a stale mate for the first twenty minutes with both sides unable to breach the try line.
The battle for field position was intense and eventually the first try was scored when Harden winger Tom McIllhatton scored out wide from close range to give Harden a 4-0 lead.
The lead was short lived when Michael Gordon dived on a short kick through to score which Zach Smith converted for a 6-4 lead to the Tigers.
Bungendore were in again when Harry Buckley turned defence into attack and raced away to score just two minutes before halftime and make the score 10-4 the Tigers way at the break for oranges.
The second half started much like the first with the teams going toe to toe for field position. Eventually it was Harden Fullback Jack Nicolls who created something out of nothing and raced eighty metres to score and level it up at 10-10 with 20 minutes left.
Both sides were feeling the pressure, but it was the Tigers who snatched back the lead when Daniel Jacobs crossed for a converted try to make it 16-10.
However, the battle-weary Hawks refused to die, and it was Nicolls again who split the defence to score and lock the game up at 16-16. With just four minutes left, it appeared the game was going into extra time. However, a somewhat controversial penalty against the harden attacker interfering with the marker provided the Tigers with a shot at goal to win. Zach Smith made no mistake to put the Tigers back in front 18-16.
In the dying seconds, Harden threw one last dice with a kick through to the try line but the defence held firm escorting the ball over the dead ball line to the delight of the Bungendore crowd who started a long night of celebrations.
The Man of the Match went to Jack Nicolls, who although he was on the losing team, had an absolute blinder keeping Harden in the contest. There was very little between the Top five sides in the semis, but Bungendore did just enough to retain the George Tooke Shield and they now eye off a three-peat next year.
Bungendore 18, Micheal Gordon, Harry Buckley, Daniel Jacobs tries, Zach Smith 2 Goals defeated Harden 16 Jack Nicolls 2, Tom McIllhatton tries, Tom McIllhatton 2 Goals.
Meanwhile in the league tag, The Harden Hawkettes continued their domination of the competition over the last decade. They defeated the Crookwell She-Devils in a thriller by 20-18 but certainly had to work hard for the win. The game also marked the 150 games played by Harden’s Emma James which is a remarkable achievement.
And so, another season has come and gone but before we know it the 2026 season will be upon us.
The Rovers will officially sign off their season on Friday October 24th with their presentation night to be held at the Ex-Services Club. Stay tuned to the socials and the paper for further details. The support for Boorowa’s league teams, both seniors and juniors has been incredi-ble, and we will be back to do it all again next year.
– Sand Boy
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