It took Shellharbour Sharks 56 minutes to finally break through the Kiama defence in the Group 7 Grand Final at Centenary Park over the weekend - but by then, the Knights had already laid the foundations for a famous win.

Coming into the game, both sides were evenly matched. Kiama had beaten Shellharbour just two weeks earlier to qualify for the grand final, while the Sharks entered as minor premiers, playing in their third straight decider.

Not much could separate the two teams in the opening 20 minutes, with both being held up over the line in a tense, physical start.

A turning point came in the 15th minute when Shellharbour were awarded a penalty - and five-eighth Sam Hooper got into a scuffle with Sharks captain Jayden Morgan. 

Both were sent to the sin bin, and from there, Shellharbour began to assert dominance. The Sharks earned five consecutive repeat sets on Kiama’s line, but the Knights’ scramble defence continued to hold firm.

There always seemed to be another red-and-white jersey to save the day.

Both sin-binned players returned as Kiama worked their way back into the game. In the 28th minute, a towering bomb from halfback Cameron Vazzoler was dropped by Shellharbour fullback Jacob Seabrook and pounced on by second-rower Tom Angel, who scored the opening try of the day.

The score remained 6-0 at halftime.

Rain began to fall early in the second half, and play became scrappy, with both teams guilty of handling errors. 

In the 55th minute, Kiama winger Callan Thistlewaite dropped the ball coming off his own line, giving Shellharbour another golden opportunity.

Two plays later, the Sharks finally cracked the line, with a floating cut-out pass from halfback Braxton Wallace finding winger Jye Brooker, who dived over in the corner. Wallace missed the conversion, leaving Kiama clinging to a two-point lead.

Shellharbour looked to be building momentum, but a brilliant 40/20 from fullback Brad Kilmore flipped the script. 

Moments later, Angel crossed for his second try, off a perfect short ball from Vazzoler. Kiama extended their lead to six with just over 15 minutes remaining.

The next 10 minutes were pure desperation, with the Knights making three errors in a row coming out of their own end.

But once again, their defence stood tall, repelling wave after wave of Shellharbour attack.

Their resilience was rewarded in the 72nd minute. Under pressure, the Sharks ran the ball on the last tackle and began throwing it around. 

A wild sequence saw the ball travel 10 metres backwards, then another 20 metres back again. Thistlewaite chased a loose grubber and grounded it, scoring Kiama’s third try to seal the game - and the Group 7 premiership.

Angel was awarded Player of the Match in a performance full of heart, though it could have gone to any number of Knights players.

Kilmore paid tribute to his teammates’ spirit:

“I don’t think we played as well as we could have. We made way too many errors, but our response to those mistakes was what mattered. No matter who dropped the ball or gave away a penalty, we all stuck together, got around each other, and defended for our teammates.”

Kilmore said the team’s bond was the key to their premiership success.

“The club really went to another level this year thanks to the coaches, community members, and support staff. They’ve made the club a joy to be part of, and that creates the perfect environment for us to come together - not just as teammates, but as mates.”

Kiama couldn’t replicate the result in the reserve grade final, going down 22-16 to the Stingrays of Shellharbour.

Earlier in the day, Berry defeated the Gerringong Lions 34-12 in the Under 18s.