The South West Rocks Marlins have claimed the John Elford Memorial Shield with a decisive 54-14 win over the Bowraville Tigers on Saturday, June 29, thanks to two hat-tricks.
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The annual event, held for the past decade, marked the first occasion since John "Snoozer" Elford's passing.
To honour Elford, players donned special black and white jerseys, paying tribute to the Western Suburbs Magpies, the team Elford represented in the 1960s and 70s.
Marlins players Mal Webster and Ant Cowan each showed flashes of their vintage selves by claiming dual hat-tricks. Rhys Owens got two tries and kicked nine goals, while Raymond Chapman added another try.
For the Tigers, Mundarra Caldwell, Leroy Buchanan, and Liam Munsie each scored a try, and Simon Walker kicked a goal.
Marlins co-coach Grant Schubert said he was "stoked" with the result.
"We've worked hard and haven't had some good results lately, so I was happy that our hard work paid off," he said.
He credited their success to the strong performance of their forwards, which led to their impressive tries.
"I think the tries were a result of the good work our forwards did; it was a real team effort," he said.
"I think the biggest difference that I saw in this game is that there was a bit more want and desire from the boys on the field. That was the most pleasing thing for me.
"We had a really good crowd there. It was a great way to celebrate the life of John Elford," he said.
