Duhaney Park Red Sharks won their sixth consecutive National Club Championship (NCC) Grand Finals, and eighth overall, following a pulsating 40-18 win over Washington Blvd. Bulls on Saturday at the UWI Mona Bowl.
The Bulls jumped to a 6-0 lead early but the Red Sharks responded well and held a narrow 16-12 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Red Sharks took control of the game, running in five tries whilst the Bulls could only muster one additional score.
Red Sharks were led by fullback Javian Bryan with eight points from four goals, Kenneth Walker and Jenson Morris each scored two tries whilst Miguel Facey, Joseph Shae, Chevaughn Bailey (MVP) and Andrew Simpson each scored a try.
For the Bulls, Lawrence Drummond led with six points from three goals and Shamoy Stewart, Oshane Edie and Daniel Morrison scored a try apiece.
“We were a bit scrappy, we had too many knock-ons, but to score 40 points we had to chance our arm a bit. In the first half, we moved from what works for us which is using three to four tackles to lay a platform, instead, we were going one in and looking to play off the second tackle,” said winning coach Roy Calvert.
“In the second half we went back to basics and scored 24 points. Hats off to the Bulls, they gave it to us, but my boys stood up and pulled it off and I am very proud of the team.”
Meanwhile, Bulls’ coach Derone Davis believed fatigue was a key factor in the loss.
“It was unbelievable being our first grand finals. We started well, we dominated the middle in the first 40 minutes, which was our game plan,” he said.
“Hakeem, Makaya and Kyle were especially damaging carrying the ball and tackling and that kept us in it. We started the second 40 positively but fatigue set in, our skills broke down and we lost the script. Congrats to the Red Sharks on a well-deserved win”
Earlier, Jamaica Defence Force Warriors were comfortable 16-0 winners over West Kingston Hyenas in the play-off for third place.
Courtney Davies, Demar Williams and Okeano Stephenson each scored tries while Nicolai Kennedy kicked two goals.
In the NCC U19 Grand Finals, Portmore Rugby League Club defeated Washington Blvd. Bulls 4-0 courtesy of a try from Rasheed Pencle.
Meanwhile, in the other U19 club game St Bess Rugby League Club defeated Liguanea Dragons 26-0 for third place.
JDF and UWI retain JaVA Men’s and Women’s Club League titles
The Jamaica Defence Force and UWI Volleyball are champions of the Jamaica Volleyball Association Club League which culminated at the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sports in St. Catherine over the weekend.
In the Women’s final, Master’s Volleyball Club were no match for the defending champion as UWI Volleyball Club won in straight sets 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-20).
The team was led by team captain and national representative Erica Harris.
In the Men’s final, The Jamaica Defence Force defeated MOSA Volleyball Club in straight sets 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-22).
JDF was led by 2023 RJR Sportsman of the Year for Volleyball and team captain, Ryck Webb.
GC Foster College (Women) and UWI A (Men) placed third after straight sets victories over MOSA Volleyball Club and UWI B respectively in the 3rd place playoffs.
Leeds twice blew a double-figure lead as Huddersfield hit back to claim a spectacular 30-24 Betfred Super League win at Headingley.
Adam Clune burst across the halfway line in the dying stages to put the seal on a dramatic win that piles the pressure on Leeds head coach Rohan Smith after the Rhinos’ fourth home loss in a row.
The hosts led 12-2 after a forgettable first half but spectacularly combusted after the break and handed the Giants the chance to build on last week’s brilliant Challenge Cup quarter-final win at Catalans Dragons.
Tries from Paul Momirovski and the returning David Fusitu’a had given the Rhinos a sizeable lead after a relatively serene first period in which Jake Connor kicked the Giants’ only points, and which offered no indication of the drama to follow.
It was a different story early in the second half as Leeds lost then duly retrieved their double-figure lead before the hour-mark.
Out of nowhere, Esan Marsters shrugged off three feeble challenges on the Leeds left to grab Huddersfield’s opener, then three minutes later, Adam Swift pummelled the same flank to set up a diving effort in the corner from Elliot Wallis to improbably haul Huddersfield level.
Only a poor night with the boot by Jake Connor – who would nail just one of his six conversions – prevented Huddersfield gaining a stranglehold and the Rhinos were quick to respond, Momirovski crossing for his second of night then Jarrod O’Connor charging through a flat-footed Giants rearguard to put them back in control.
Rhyse Martin’s fourth straight kick look Leeds 12 points clear but home hopes that they had learned their lesson were spectacularly disproved as more shocking defence allowed Swift to squirm over from dummy-half and keep his side in with a shout, eight adrift with 15 minutes remaining.
Incredibly within three minutes Huddersfield did it again as Swift was again allowed to make inroads before feeding Harvey Livett for his side’s fourth, cutting the Leeds lead to four.
Huddersfield were level in the 70th minute, Clune’s ball to the right was brilliantly touched on by Connor for Kevin Naiqama to surge over, but Connor’s problems with the boot continued as another missed kick left the game all-square at 24-24.
As Leeds collapsed, Miller was pushed almost 10 metres over his own try-line and his subsequent drop-out failed to go 10 metres, giving Connor the simplest of chances to send Huddersfield two points clear from in front of the posts.
Clune put the seal on a remarkable evening when Naiqama intercepted a pass from Cameron Smith and survived shouts for a knock-on as he juggled the ball out to his team-mate to finish the job.
Ashton Golding relishing his ‘Grand Final’ return to Headingley with Giants
Ashton Golding has vowed to put thoughts of overdue silverware aside as he prepares for a match that means more to him than any other when Huddersfield face Leeds in the Betfred Super League at Headingley on Friday.
For Leeds-born Golding it does not get any bigger than a return to face the Rhinos, his boyhood idols and the club for whom he made more than 50 appearances before making the difficult decision to leave to further his career in 2019.
“This is my personal Grand Final,” Golding told the PA news agency. “There’s no other game in the calendar that beats it. I live two minutes away from Headingley and I love Leeds, it’s my city, I was born there and I will probably die there.
“I’ll follow anyone that plays for any Leeds team. I’m fond of the Rhinos any day I’m not playing them, but as soon as it’s game day against the Rhinos, they’re my enemy and I’m a Giant.”
Having played at full-back for Leeds, Golding has proved a versatile interchange under Ian Watson as he looks to re-establish himself after two years battling a series of minor injuries.
The Giants too have shown signs of rebounding from a disappointing 2023 campaign and go to Headingley on the back of two straight Super League wins plus a stunning 34-6 success over Catalans Dragons in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
It was a result that raised plenty of eyebrows outside the Giants’ dressing room, but Golding added: “We know our own ability and we don’t need everyone else telling us how good or how bad we are.
“We understood that last year was not reflective of us and the work we had put in. We’ve got a group of good honest players who know they can all depend on each other, and we are excited to find out how far we are able to go.”
Huddersfield will face Warrington in the semi-finals next month as they look to book a second Wembley trip in two years. And victory would finally snag some silverware for Golding, who admits his experience at Leeds, when he was often benched for the biggest games, instilled him with plenty of hunger for more.
“I have absolutely fond memories of playing for the Rhinos, but it is also the experiences when I didn’t play that helped me overcome adversity in certain situations,” Golding said.
“Missing out on the Grand Final in 2017, 18th man in the World Club Challenge, it either makes you or breaks you and I felt like it gave me more. I think it was the best thing that I took away from Leeds and I can’t wait to go back there and play in that brilliant stadium again on Friday night.”
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