The Kempsey Cannonballs Under-16s claimed a 17-12 grand final victory over the Port Macquarie Pirates on the back of a dominant first half performance.
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The Cannons raced out of the blocks to score two quick tries and they held a 14-0 advantage at the break.
Brady Hollis opened the scoring after racing 60m to score after the Cannonballs forced a turnover and immediately began a counter attack.
The Cannonballs matched the Pirates' large forward pack and were able to sustain pressure on their goal line.
Their patience was rewarded when Harry Howden scored out wide.
Flyhalf Darby Lancaster, who was awarded man of the match, slotted the conversion from the sideline.
The Pirates regrouped at half-time and hit back early in the second half to reduce the deficit to 14-7.
However, Port Macquarie's downfall was their discipline as they had three players receive yellow cards in the contest and Lancaster slotted a penalty goal to extend their lead to 17-7.
The Pirates bagged another try to move within striking distance and applied pressure to the Cannonballs in the final minutes, but Kempsey's desperate defence proved superior as they held on for victory.
Co-coach Matt Shannon, who leads the team alongside Jason Mainey and Mark Saunders, said the Cannonballs were almost perfect.
"Our boys really turned up and did everything we asked of them," Shannon told the Argus.
"They were disciplined, our forwards were superior, despite being much smaller, and our backs were clinical, composed and played a structured game."
Shannon was impressed with his side's resilience when the Pirates were firing late shots at them.
"There were some nervous moments late in the match," he said.
"The game went down to the wire and both sides were out on their feet and giving it their all.
"It was a bit surreal when the final whistle was blown. There was a lot of relief.
"The boys deserved the win. They had worked hard all year and to achieve a grand final victory is incredible for them.
"It's also the first time the Cannonballs' name will be on the Under-16s shield, so that's another great achievement for them."
Shannon said quite a few players will move into the Under-18s division next year but he still believes they will field a competitive Under-16s team in 2020.
"We were lucky to have such great depth this year and with so much talent, we are still looking good for next year," he said.
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