Litchfield Bears beat Northern Sharks in 2025 NRL NT Round 2

Litchfield Bears completed a strong second half to see off one of their big opponents, while other sides showed their strengths. Catch up on all the NRL NT Round 2 action.

The Litchfield Bears ahead of the 2025 NRL NT season. Picture: Patch Clapp / NRL NT

The Litchfield Bears were enterprising in their defeat of one last year’s grand finalists, while Palmerston sit top of the table after winning its first home match of the NRL NT season.

The Bears broke free in the second half to see off a tough Northern Sharks outfit 28-14, and make it two from two in the opening matches of the season.

However they were made to work for it against a Sharks side that have been the benchmark team for the past four years and went into half time ahead.

Litchfield proved they meant business with improved pace and precision in attack, with the likes of Brock Priestley and Jake Flanagan particularly busy.

Their efforts alongside a brilliant pass from Harry Heath to Travis Peckham, who ran in the first try, catapulted the side into an early lead.

However, that lead would go back and forth throughout the first half with Sharks motivated by the experienced heads of Jacob Collie and Simaika Salaa.

A Cooper Field chip saw Terrance Gillett cross for his side’s first while the always active Salaa as well as Matthew Mallard would also get their time to score, while Priestly would score for the Bears.

Litchfield Bears captain Trent Wedding ahead of the 2025 NRL NT season. Picture: Patch Clapp / NRL NT

It wasn’t until the second half that the Bears were able to break free when Flanagan showed his smarts and pace by exposing a defensive gap and breaking a tackle on a 40m run to dot down.

Soon after Matthew Woolmington slipped his way through, while Priestly gave off a brilliant offload to send Nathan Dixon through on a brilliant line to confirm the win.

Meanwhile, the Palmerston Raiders sit top of the table on point difference after their second win of the year which came 48-20 against the Nightcliff Dragons.

Jarrad Lane starred with a hat-trick in the side’s first match on their home deck at Raiders Park.

Reigning premiers Darwin Brothers are also two from two beating South Darwin 34-6 in the inaugural Eddie Wosomo memorial game.

In the women’s competition the Sharks showed they will be a side to watch this year with a 10-6 victory over the Litchfield Bears.

Skye Cash was a match standout with some huge tackles to force mistakes from Litchfield while feeding off her side’s big runners to score the opening try.

Another Cash tackle forced a turnover and with one pass the ball went to Jaymee Park who burst through the Bear’s defence and pinned her ears back to run all the way for a try.

Litchfield were able to better retain their possession in the second with Erin Luchetti and Meg Clohesy looking for gaps.

Meighan Barker was the one to finally put Sharks on the back foot with a powerful run and off her effort it was Sarah O’Connor who got it down, but they weren’t able to create another scoring chance.

Elsewhere, Yasmin Isaac scored a hat-trick alongside a brace from Kagui Gimini to propel Palmerston to a 46-6 win against Nightcliff.

And the Brothers were unstoppable in their 86-0 defeat of South Darwin with 15 tries in total to their name as Kelam Nona and Natalia Grant both scoring thrice.

Originally published as Litchfield Bears beat Northern Sharks in 2025 NRL NT Round 2