Litchfield Bears beat Northern Sharks in NRL NT 2024 season opener
The Litchfield men and women got just the start to the 2024 NRL NT season they were hoping for in what was a fiery opening weekend. Catch up on all the action.
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Litchfield men got a small taste of revenge as they beat the reigning premiers Northern Sharks in the 2024 NRL NT Men’s Premiership opening round.
The Bears were up and about for the grand final rematch with the pains of 2023 still on the mind, and it was a hat trick for new recruit Jacob Rainger that helped achieve the 36-12 winning score.
The much-changed Sharks took some time to adapt to the new season with a host of different players from their dominant premiership-winning team of 2023.
The usual suspects such as Jacob McCarthy, the 2023 grand final best on ground winner, and newly-made captain David Munro turned up for the Sharks, but they struggled to convert near the line.
Instead it was the Bears, feeding off the memories of their 40-4 grand final defeat, which were the more clinical side on attack.
Litchfield stacked on the pressure once they got their time on the ball with the likes of Julius Appo and David Jacobson pushing the Sharks defence to the limit.
It was former Palmerston Raider Rainger, best on ground in the 2022 grand final, who found the line first, charging through for a try.
The Bears pressure set the Sharks on the back foot, and even when the premiers broke free they struggled to make a truly decisive foray into their opposition’s half.
David Jacobson extended the score pouncing to intercept a deep pass from Simaika Salaa and racing the 60 metres left to touch down.
Captain Trent Wedding was influential in calling the shots across the park, and another try for Rainger and one for Appo gave the side a healthy lead ahead of the half.
But Sharks didn’t go in empty handed as they brought the physicality and McCarthy proved himself a real running threat charging through at least five defenders to score.
After half time it was a run from Luke Hitchcock, crashing through defenders that resulted in a sin bin for Litchfield’s Billy Burn, and eventually a try for McCarthy prompting the idea of a comeback.
Litchfield had their own big men such as Callum Dubbeld, who punched a hole in Sharks defence to open room for dummy half Jack Flanaghan to score.
Despite the best efforts of the likes of Samuel Pearson, Munro and McCarthy the deficit didn’t come down, instead Rainger completed his hat trick and Appo scored his second on the death.
“These boys came in carrying that hunger to beat Sharks after last year, and coming into the side I really bought into that,” Rainger said.
“Sharks have a big pack so we knew if we a bit more mobile and worked their big boys we could create some space for ourselves, and the wings and centres got some meat pies as a result.
“I just wanted to do my bit, I wasn’t really worried about attack so much as defence being against Pearson, who’s a freak of a player, I was happy doing my job on him and three tries was a bonus.
“My really close mate Billy is at Bears and we’ve talked a lot about wanting to win a premiership together, we’ve got one in union, and this year was the year to try to get one in league.”
Meanwhile, the Darwin Brothers showed their stuff beating South Darwin 46-4 with Isaac Seden-Kurnoth and the returning Leon Rotumah both scoring braces.
And Palmerston beat Nightcliff 20-10 in a match that will probably be remembered more for the end of game send-offs than anything prior.
There was just a minute and a half left on the clock when a brawl broke out between the players, and as a result five players were sent from the field.
Palmerston’s Brad Hansen, Shane Smith and David Russell were all given their marching orders, as were Emori Diqoniqere and Sitiveni Loko from Nightcliff.
The game was then called off ahead of time in a match that included sin bins for Nasoni Rokobiau of Raiders and Dragons’ Roberto Spice.
Litchfield women also manage perfect start
The Litchfield women started their season on a winning note grinding out a strong win against a competitive Northern Sharks outfit.
The Bears dominated possession early in the piece, but some rustiness for their first encounter and a hearty Sharks defence made matters difficult.
However, as the game wore on the Bears grew into the game and as the ball went through the hands it was Emma Forsyth, who went over for the first try in their 28-8 win.
The first score gave Sharks their first real time on the ball, 15 minutes into the encounter, and it was Jamie Clissold and Grace Bailey who made an impression crashing through their opposition defence.
Their hard running as well as a dropped kick by Bears’ fullback Lavinia Morris gave Sharks a platform to level the scoring through Tokerau Munro.
But Litchfield kept grinding using the likes of Chloe Molross and the evasive running of Forsyth to make it up the ground for playing-coach Shari Togo to finish off the side’s second try.
They further cemented their lead off the back of some strong interplay from Norris and Togo, which narrowed the Sharks’ defence and allowed Luzena Chevalier-Roberts to score.
Sophie Blake, returning to the side, proved she would have a big year ahead hitting hard and holding strong against a cluster of defenders long enough to find the line.
Sharks never let up with the likes of Ayesha Kay and Davianne Gunn proving their talent, while there was plenty of heavy hitters in defence.
And the side empowered themselves late in the piece dashing through the Bears’ defence and unleashing Rekeisha Humes who never stopped running on her way to the line.
It was a move that got the side on their feet hinting they would grow into the season, but still Bears came through Teka Voysey and Forsyth to give Meg Clohesy a try to cap off the match.
“The girls worked so hard in the preseason for this match because we knew the Sharks would be a strong and competitive side, and we’re ecstatic to get this one up on them,” Togo said.
“We had new girls coming in, under-17s players stepping up and we all gelled and bonded really quickly, and that comes down to our really strong women’s culture at the club.
“And it’s Round 1 so there’s a bit of rustiness, but it’s about getting the one percenters right, we’re still ironing out and getting to know each other, and we’ve got a whole season to figure it out.”
The Bears are down to play the reigning premiers in Round 2, while Sharks will take on Palmerston at Goodline Park.
More Coverage
Originally published as Litchfield Bears beat Northern Sharks in NRL NT 2024 season opener
Water trigger review angers Territory business figures
Territory business figures are seething at the Commonwealth’s Beetaloo water trigger plan. Read why it was introduced.
Man who allegedly attacked bus driver could face more charges
A young man in the grips of a psychotic episode allegedly attacked a driver and caused a Top End bus to come to a screeching halt on the highway, a court has heard.