Sharks beat all comers to claim 2025 Shellharbour Shootout crown

Tallon Smith

The Shellharbour Sharks have won their own pre-season tournament, taking out the seven-team Shellharbour Sharks Shootout with a 12-4 victory over Windsor Wolves in the final at Ron Costello Oval late on Saturday afternoon.

In a tense and dramatic final match, last year’s winners Windsor opened the scoring to lead 4-0, before Ryan James hit back for the home side, with Isaac Morris converting for a 6-4 lead at the break.

The Sharks then went two scores ahead out of the break when Jye Brooker crossed, with Morris again adding the extras for a 12-4 lead, which remained the final scoreline.

The win gives the Sharks momentum heading into the 2025 South Coast Group 7 season, after falling short in successive Grand Finals to the Gerringong Lions over the past two years.

After having a bye through to the second round of the competition following the withdrawal of Corrimal, Windsor qualified for the final courtesy of a 12-8 semi final win over Nowra-Bomaderry.

However the highlight of the match was a scintillating try to Nowra winger Keagan Solberg, who dodged multiple blockers on a 30 metre kick chase to leap above his Windsor opponent and plant the ball down in the corner.

Nowra-Bomaderry winger Keagan Solberg on races down the touchline before scoring a try

Meanwhile, Shellharbour qualified for the final with a comfortable 14-0 win over Collegians in the first Semi Final on their way to taking out the crown.

Going back to the first round, Collegians opened the day with a 6-4 win over fellow Illawarra League rivals Dapto Canaries.

The Canaries matched it with the Collie Dogs and had many chances in a close-fought, defensive game, but were ultimately let down by their execution in key moments.

Following that match, the Sharks opened their campaign with a 14-6 win over the La Perouse Panthers.

Centre Jayme McElhone opened the scoring with a blistering 50 metre run down from the base of a centre field scrum, and the Sharks never relinquished the lead from there to secure a comfortable win.

La Perouse were let down by poor handling at times, bit did manage to hit the scoreboard with a late consolation try.

Shellharbour centre Jayme McElhone breaks the La Perouse line on his way to scoring a try

Finally, Nowra-Bomaderry opened their campaign with a 10-0 win over Canberra side Tuggeranong Bushrangers.

The standout performer again for the Jets was 17-year-old Solberg, who scored his first for the club’s First Grade side before even greater heroics in the Semi Finals.

All clubs will now return to training before the beginning of their respective seasons, with local Group 7 clubs set to kick off their campaigns on April 5 after the release of the draw late last month.