By DAVID BRISON

On an absolute cracker of a late winter’s day down at McKay Park in Batemans Bay, the Cooma Stallions under 18s and reserve grade teams both played the Tathra Sea Eagles in the elimination finals.

Under 18s

The team got off to a great start with Nate Stokes busting through out wide and offloading to Cruz d’Helin who scored near the posts. Stokes added the extras, 6-0. Unfortunately from then on in the first half the team kept dropping the ball, or giving away penalties in our Red Zone. Tathra scored to take a 6-6 score into the break. Again for the first 15 minutes of he second stanza the dropsy continued. Tathra ran in a try 6-12, then achieved a 49-20 and scored, 6-18, then another error and 6-22. Then Stokes broke through again and scored and converted. 12-22. In the next set we broke through and ran and ‘scored’, but the referee pulled the play back and awarded a penalty to Cooma, instead of playing advantage. And that was the game, even with about 10 minutes to go. Final score 12-22 to Tathra and so the Stallions bow out for 2026. Best players for Cooma, Nate Stokes, Joey Sullivan and Riley McKenzie.

Reserve grade

The team finally played to both their potential and also learnt to play a lot smarter than they have been playing in the last few games.

Fullback Declan Gregory scored early on. Tom King converted, 6-0. The Sea Eagles responded, 6-6.

Gregory went in again and King added the extras. 12-6. A penalty in front to the Stallions and King added two more points, 14-6. Just before half time, Tathra scored but didn’t convert. 14-10 at the break.

After lemons, Gregory put centre Jordan Willaims into a hole and he sped away and scored. 18-10. Tyrell Bartlett made a half break, slipped the ball to Sam Kimori-Edmonds who put winger Luke Fitzgerald in for a try. 22-10.

Winger, Malcolm Pota, saved a try, and then Bartlett put Edmonds in for a try, converted 28-10. A mix up and the Sea Eagles scored with about 10 minutes to go.

But, for a change, wise heads took charge and controlled the tempo of the game. In a late play, captain-coach Brendon Bamphlett made another of his trade mark bullocking runs and offloaded to winger Nathan Wren who was tackled into touch centimetres from the try line.

Nevertheless the Stallions won 28-14 to advance to the grand final, which will be against the Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs at Bega on Sunday 6 September at approximately 1pm.

Best for Cooma prop Ky Clare, centre, Jordan Williams, fullback, Declan Gregory, and lock, Tyrell Bartlett.