MATCH REPORT: Silverdale Premier 1 vs North Shore: 16-15

We’re back at home this weekend for the final round of the competition leading into finals weeks. We are up against stiff competition leaders North Shore who have only lost one game this season. It’s a bit wet but the local fan base has turned up in support.

North Shore kick off to us into the wind, we gather and kick from the first breakdown. This continues each way between teams, the North Shore run a couple of phases. They knock on but we have previously infringed so they kick to touch. Winning their lineout they drive strongly towards our line, pass wide and we knock on in the breakdown inside our 22. The first scrum is won by Shore after a reset, they go wide, then back again and find a gap to cross our try line and score. Its converted, 7-0 to Shore.

We kick off long and Shore kick back to us after a couple of phases to give us the ball midfield and we run multiple phases back into their half. We end up knocking the ball on wide, Shore scrum well and then we get caught off side. We each trade kicks and we get the best gain overall as they touch the ball over the sideline. We run off our lineout and go well until a small knock on gets called in the ruck. Our scrum holds them so they go wide and we turn it over in the breakdown. We make our way into their half and kick the ball to touch. Shores’ throw in isn’t straight and we get a free kick. We quickly throw many phases at them until they infringe, so we kick to touch 5m out. We drive off the lineout and go wide, then back again until the ball goes loose and both teams trade kicks for Shore to make a territory gain getting the ball out. We win our lineout, kick short, Shore gathers and they kick long which bounces awkwardly and we find ourselves in front of our posts. We hold their scrum up so they pass out quickly and pick * go from this 6 times at our line until Mosese Fosita gets his hands on the ball to get the turnover. We kick to touch, then run strong into their half. Shore make a high tackle so we kick for goal and get our first points. Its 7-3 to Shore.

Shore kick long and we return it, they break our defensive line to gain territory into our 0m line. They continue to advance wide and we miss a tackle for them to make one more pass to score in the corner. Its unconverted. 12-3 to Shore.

We kick off to Shore and we gather the ball and work toward their line. Our forwards pods make good territory, we go wide but get caught, then back the other way. Our phase play continues for a long period until Shore are penalised for a head-on-head tackle in front of the posts. Their hooker is sin-binned and we kick for touch. We lose our lineout this time and Shore kick deep. We run it back into their half but get caught holding on in the ruck. Shore kick to touch, then run it out wide. They are met with strong defence, make no ground and kick back to touch to get a huge territory gain. Shore run off their lineout then make a kicking error to give us a lineout inside their 22. We maul to their line and they stop us. They run it wide off the scrum and Matt Renall gets a touch of the ball for an intercept which is knocked on and earns him a yellow card. We win their lineout and run wide. After several phases Shore are caught offside. Our kick to touch is knocked back infield and Shore kick the ball out. We maul off the lineout to get into their 22, but they turn the ball over. A couple of phases later we do the same and shortly after get awarded a penalty. We kick for goal but it’s wide. Shore kick out from their 22 and we run it at them. Some loose defence sees Caleb Falloon break a tackle, then step 2 more defenders and he gets across the try line. Its converted by Taylor and its now 12-10 to Shore.

Shore kick deep and we make an error kicking the ball out on the full outside our 22. Shore drive from their lineout, but our forwards get the better of them and we turn the ball over in the ruck. We run it out of our 22, kick deep and defend strongly what Shore are running back at us. We make good carries from multiple phases and work towards Shores try line. A knock on ends it all for the half.

We kick off to start the 2nd half and Shore run it back at us. Then they kick deep and pin us in our half. We infringe in the ruck and Shore receive a penalty. They kick it out around 10m out from our line. They drive from the lineout toward our line and we get caught in the ruck again. This time the lineout is on our 5m line but Shore knock on at the lineout. This relieves the pressure as we run it out from the scrum and kick down to halfway into touch. This time Shore run phases toward our line but they are met with great Dale defence and are held up on the line. We then work our way down field and have the better of Shore in the backline. We get a penalty inside their half and attempt a penalty goal kick which is missed. Shore kick it back to us and we take it to them through the forwards. Shore manage to turn the ball over and get out of their half. They run phases at us down midfield and make good territory gain until they knock the ball on. Shore scrum strong but they get caught coming through the middle and we get a penalty and head back down field into their half. We work our way towards their line with multiple phases, but end up knocking the ball on and get caught infringing in the ruck. Shore throw a crooked lineout and we get possession back. We work back down into their half and receive a penalty at their 22m line. Taylor Norwood steps up to kick and nails it. 13-12 to Dale. Finally we are in front after all the hard work, a great reward.

We win their kick off and win a penalty after a high ball collision. We fail to kick the ball out and Shore come back at us, but they kick again and we get possession back. We are soon in their half and working towards their posts until they infringe & Taylor gets another penalty goal kick opportunity. Unfortunately it falls just short and Shore kick back deep and we start our pressure again. We keep applying the pressure but Shore eventually get the ball back and work their way into our half and receive a in front of the posts. They get it and go ahead 15-13.

Shortly after the kick off we get the opportunity to do the same, but the goal kick is just wide and Shore make the restart from their 22. We stay strong and run it back through the forwards into their half. Soon after Shore get the same opportunity and come into our half. They infringe and we get the ball back. We work our way don midfield and well into their 22. While being positioned midfield in front of the posts Taylor Norwood sets himself deep behind the forwards maul and nails a drop goal. The local fans erupt. We are ahead again 16-15.

Shore come strongly back and get all the way to our line but we hold them out. A crucial Shore lineout is made by Caleb Smythe to secure possession for us in the dying seconds of the game. We receive a penalty and tap and kick it out to draw the final whistle. This is a huge result from everyone in the team and broken some long standing records which Shore holds. It was hard to single out someone for Player of the Day which went to the highest points scorer on the day, Taylor Norwood. Next weekend is a Bye for us, followed by our final game the Plate Final on 12th July at home. See you there.

Article added: Wednesday 02 July 2025