Hastings Valley Vikings vs Port Pirates – Grand Final

August 28, 2022

Premiers 2022! The Hastings Valley Vikings secured the UMNCRU First XV Major Premiership to join their Minor Premiership Shield in a game for the ages at Oxley Oval on Saturday 27^th August.

The Viking camp was rocked on the morning of the match to learn that their devastating No 8 Oscar Maleli would be out of the match, his wife delivering their newborn 8 weeks premature on the Friday night. Both parents and new bub were in Newcastle Hospital on Grand Final Day.

The loss of such a vital cog in the Viking forward pack took some mental adjusting and the Viking lads were certainly not switched on in the early stages of the match, the Pirates running in two early converted tries and leading 19-7 at the break.

The Viking team had a mountain to climb in the second stanza which they did successfully, clawing their way back to 19 all then abruptly fell off the other side letting the Pirates in for a brace of tries to go behind 31-19.

The last quarter of the match was a nail biting affair the Vikings fighting back to overcome the deficit and scoring late to convert in the 80^th minute and lead 33-31 for what the crowd thought was the final play of the match.

The referee, however, had other ideas and play resumed from halfway where the Vikings immediately gifted possession and invited the Pirates back into the match. They gladly accepted the opportunity and were quickly rewarded with a penalty, a successful attempt in minute 84 regaining them the lead.

The flags were raised and the Viking crowd silenced realizing they were behind 34-33 and time was up, but no one told the referee! Carefully looking at his watch he asked for the game to recommence from halfway and the Pirates were playing it out from their own area. They controlled possession waiting to hear that time was up but a great steal from Viking captain Lyndon Gale turned the tide and the Vikings were pushing towards the posts.

Pressure can be tough to handle and after kicking the ball wildly from the ruck the referee had no option but to penalise in front of the posts the errant Pirate forward.

Official records show that Snowy Kennedy kicked the Vikings to victory 36-34 in the 87^th minute of the match. The large Oxley crowd surged onto the field to celebrate a Viking victory and one of the best Grand Finals ever witnessed on the Mid North Coast.

Celebrations were long and went well into the night and the next day and so on. Two stalwarts of the Vikings Club, brothers Hamish and Adam McCormack both called time on their playing days in Viking colours after the match. Both have contributed enormously to the wonderful successes of the Viking Club in the past 10 years. They have earned their time away from the game with one more premiership to their name. How sweet it is!

The downside of a wonderful Grand Final Day was the plucky Viking Under 18 team going down 13-7 to the undefeated Kempsey team. The Viking boys let it go in the final stages of the game but can feel proud of their fine season in Club colours.