Ballina Seagulls advance to 2024 NRRRL Grand Final after gritty win

THE Ballina Seagulls are the first team through, and will host, the 2024 NRRRL Grand Final.

A fantastic team and defensive effort saw the Seagulls overcome a physical Cudgen Hornets in a see-sawing affair.

Ballina opened the scoring with some nice passing to find Rhys Riches on the left flank before 2 tries in a row to Cudgen through Joel Hare, Ethan Shultz on Cudgen’s left edge saw the Hornets take the lead 10-6.

Jess Perry and Liam Green took advantage of some tiring Cudgen defence with Hamish McClintock finding young William Bates to barge over and see Ballina back in front after 30 minutes.

A Caleb Ziebell chip and chase led to Alec Williams strolling over to take back the lead at 14-12 just before the break.

Ballina overcame the narrow half-time deficit with some brilliant kicking from Hamish McClintock and swarming defence to keep Cudgen scoreless and come away with a two-point victory despite scoring less tries than the Hornets 16-14. Coach Greg Barnes would be proud of the effort and fact they have a week off to recover from any bumps and bruises.

The elimination final saw the Bilambil Jets shoot down the Evans Head Bombers’ hopes of continuing in the 2024 final series.

Bilambil had all the answers in the first, scoring three tries through Alex Fitzhugh, Caleb Nicholls and Kalani Hensby before another try to Chanse Perham saw the Jets up 20 points to nil just one minute into the second half.

It proved too much of a deficit for the Bombers to overcome with late tries to Matthew Toole and Brandon Anderson closing the gap but never looking like threatening the Jets, who move on to their third consecutive Preliminary Final.

Sunday will see the Cudgen Hornets host the Jets for the right to play Ballina in the Grand Final.

Can the Hornets bounce back from a physical encounter against Ballina or will the Jets’ good form continue?

Last time these two teams met, Cudgen came away with a narrow victory off the back of outstanding performances from Caleb Ziebell and Jett Forbes, Bilambil look like a different team over the past few games and will be tough to beat.

Grand final day will see five clubs represented with a possibility of another four at Kingsford Smith Park on September 8.

League Tag – Marist Bros will take on the winner of Seagulls v Cudgen.

Ladies tackle – Nothern United will play the winner of Bilambil v Evans Head.

Under 18’s – Byron Bay await the winners of Tweed Coast Raiders v Bilambil.

Reserve Grade – Tweed Seagulls scrape through a physical encounter and will face the winners of Byron Bay v Bilambil.