LAST year’s Group 2 Premiers the Nambucca Roosters have done it again, defeating the Sawtell Panthers 14-2 in the 2025 First Grade Grand Final on Sunday.
Given their strong performance on and off the pitch in 2024, it was somewhat surprising that the Nambucca Heads-based club were slow out of the blocks in the 2025 season.
However, not unlike their Sydney namesake, the Roosters returned to form when it mattered most and now boast back-to-back Group 2 Premierships.
In front of a packed C.ex Coffs International Stadium and with everything to play for, the opening intensity of the game was no surprise, with a Panthers player leaving the field injured within the first two minutes.
The first 40 minutes was slogged out in arguably one of the toughest halves of football the Group had seen this season.
It was the Roosters who had the majority of possession and, for the most part, were able to keep their opponents in the danger zone.
The Panthers defensive game was superb however and thwarted every attempt by the Nambucca attack to cross the line and build points.
The first half ground down with both sides feeling the pinch by the final 10 minutes, with injuries and penalties slowing the pace.
A penalty in front of the posts, dispatched by Mikaere Beattie, gave Sawtell the opening points and a 2-0 lead, which they maintained until the half-time break.
The second half exploded with the same intensity as the first, with Nambucca’s Beau Langford finding a gap on the left edge after some slick interplay to give his side a 4-2 lead within the first two minutes.
Minutes later a stripping penalty against Sawtell in prime position allowed Nambucca talisman Tyronne Roberts-Davis to cross the tryline, extending his side’s lead to 8-2.
The Panthers soon regrouped and regained their defensive composure, however possession still favoured the Roosters.
Several line breaks got the Panthers faithful to their feet, however handling errors and desperate defence thwarted their efforts.
Sixteen minutes into the half, Nambucca’s Jay Melrose – covered in Sawtell defenders – was able to get the ball over the tryline once more, before Roberts-Davis kicked the conversion and the last points of the game.
The standard displayed by both teams on Sunday spoke volumes about the quality of football being played in Group 2.
Also highlighted was the rugby league excellence coming out of the Nambucca Valley, with all four of Sunday’s grand finals won by either the Macksville Sea Eagles or the Nambucca Roosters.
By Mick BIRTLES
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