Tallon Smith
Group 7’s inaugural Magic Round has been hailed a success after over 3000 spectators descended upon Artie Smith Oval for the festival of rugby league on Saturday afternoon.
Held in conjunction with the Beer, Footy and Food Festival, the event saw four consecutive first grade matches played back-to-back, including many key matchups between sides jostling for top five positions.
In the feature match at 3:30pm, the Shellharbour Sharks defeated the local side Nowra-Bomaderry 32-16 in a free-flowing game of footy.
Led by Country representative and Group 20 product Braxton Wallace, the Sharks warded off a challenge from Dylan Farrell’s men to secure an important victory in the context of the highly competitive First Grade season.
Speaking after the game, Wallace said that the hard-fought win was an important one in the battle for top five spots.
“It’s always a tough performance against Nowra, they love that tough type of footy, so I thought our boys really did well,” he said.
“It’s always hard at the start of the year when you want to get those wins up for grabs, every win is important.
“We’ve got a really good squad again, so we’ll be pushing for [the premiership] in October.”
Prior to the Sharks-Jets showdown, the Albion Park-Oak Flats Eagles banked an important two competition points with a strong 42-12 win over the in-form Jamberoo Superoos.
Billed as another crucial match in the context of the competition, the Eagles’ attack proved superior on the dry track in the afternoon sun.
Eagles captain Josh Sainsbury said that the Magic Round concept was well received by the players, and is something he hopes will continue long into the future.
“It’s a great initiative by the group, everyone is having a good time,” he said.
“Hopefully they keep on doing it and we will be back next year.”
Earlier, Milton-Ulladulla five-eighth Jayden Millard starred with four tries as the Bulldogs secured a 40-12 win over the Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies to open the day.
One familiar face among the crowd was that of NSWRL CEO David Trodden, who joined spectators in the grandstand to enjoy a great afternoon of football at one of the South Coast’s premier sporting facilities.
In the final match of the day, Stingrays of Shellharbour maintained their grip on top spot with a 10-6 win over last season’s premiers Gerringong.
Battlers For Bush Footy 