Sharks go down late at Willagee

Willagee Bears 34 Rockingham Sharks 14 

By PETER ROWE 
The Bears growled their way to victory in the NRLWA Fuel to Go and Play Premiership late on Saturday after a first-half battle with the Sharks saw the home side hold a slender 12-4 lead at the break.

Skipper Kainoa Gudgeon opened the scoring early on a windswept day before Sean Scott found the whitewash for the Sharks.

But when young halfback Crockett Henry was forced off with a head knock Sharks coach Pete Worth admitted his pre-game plan was disrupted. 

“We lost Crockett and then Josh Bachelor and when you lose a half and a winger, you know it’s going to be a tough day,” Worth said.

“We hung in there but they (Bears)  took their opportunities when they arose and used the conditions better than us.

“We just didn’t capitalise in possession in good positions as well as they did.

“Rihare (Te Rauna) probably had his best game for us, Dave Quinlin was also up there, as was Matiu (Rangiuia) and Siddo (Chris Siddons) was as usual, awesome.”

Bears coach Nelson Davis wasn’t happy with the first-half performance and made changes at the break after Gudgeon and forward Michael Fortu had scored.

“We were too lateral and the Sharks to their credit, adjusted, so I had to change it up and be more straightforward,” Davis said.

Two quick back-to-back tries from Shai Wiperi and Tamaho Tierney put some daylight between the sides and Fortu added his second before the Sharks scored through Quinlin and Bachelor.

“They never gave up,” Davis said of Rockingham. “They made us fight for the win for sure.”

For the Bears, who will host Fremantle on Saturday, Fortu and Kelvin Coleman were best on field, closely followed by backrow forwards Nela Vi and Tonga Mahuta.

Fullback Manfred Kelly picked up a slight hamstring injury, but should be OK for Round 16 and the Roosters.