'Felt like a grand final': Warilla ends 708-day Group 7 first grade drought
Almost two years of heartache was washed away on Sunday afternoon when the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas ended a 708-day first grade win drought with a 12-8 victory over the Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs at Cec Glenholmes Oval.
The two sides headed to the break locked at 4-all following tries to Gorillas back rower Mitch Hickey and Bulldogs fullback Blake Jones, it was Milton-Ulladulla which took an 8-4 lead early in the second half through Koby Windshuttle.
That left Warilla needing to find the next points, and 20 minutes later it did, with Benjamin Askew grounding a grubber millimetres inside the dead ball line, with Ben Lever adding the extras and a late penalty goal as the home side held on its first victory since defeating Stingrays 24-18 in an elimination final on August 24, 2024.
Warilla President Anthony Cashman said it was a fantastic day for the club, which returned to the first grade competition this year after not fielding a side last season for the first time since joining Group 7 in 1969.
“It's a special day for the group of players that have stuck in this year, it's been a tough year for our boys and our girls,” he said.
“Coach Kayne Brennan played [and] broke his nose in the first tackle, but he led the boys to the win.
“It was a close game, it wasn't easy by any means.
“They came to play, Milton, but it meant everything to the club and the people that have stuck in there for the year.
“It was a well-deserved win.”
Despite being winless until the round 15 clash, the Warilla has been close on a number of occasions this year, pushing Berry-Shoalhaven Heads and Milton-Ulladulla in rounds five and six, before challenging Nowra-Bomaderry, Shellharbour Sharks and Kiama in the second half of the season.
With the breakthrough finally coming yesterday, Cashman said it was an “amazing” day for those who have endured a tough campaign, with the Gorillas’ supporters in full voice as the clock wound down for one of the more meaningful victories in the club’s 57-year history.
“To a lot of other clubs, I guess it doesn't mean much, but to us who have been through this year, and it hasn’t been easy, it felt like a grand final,” he said.
“Ben Lever, who stepped up from our third grade side to play first grade yesterday, kicked our goals and he's a great goal kicker and a great player.
“He'll play a lot of first grade for us in the future, he nailed both goals.
“Ben Askew, he's been our best player all year, he scored one of the tries [and] Mitch Hickey, who blew a boot, scored a try in the corner with one boot on.
“It was good scenes down there, our girls group was supporting like I've never heard before, it was amazing.”
In other results around Group 7 over the weekend, Gerringong ended Albion Park-Oak Flats’ unbeaten run with a 12-4 victory at Centenary Field, while Kiama downed Shellharbour Sharks 36-14, Shellharbour Stingrays beat Jamberoo 36-6 and Berry-Shoalhaven Heads picked up a second consecutive win 16-0 over Nowra-Bomaderry.
With two rounds remaining, the ladder is: Albion Park-Oak Flats (28 points), Gerringong (24), Kiama (19), Shellharbour Sharks (19), Shellharbour Stingrays (18), Berry-Shoalhaven-Heads (13), Nowra-Bomaderry (10), Jamberoo (10), Milton-Ulladulla (5), Warilla-Lake South (2).
You can read more of Tallon's coverage at battlersforbushfooty.com.
