True Blue Josh Jackson celebrated his first year of coaching by leading the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to a nail-biting 14-12 win over Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in today’s Jersey Flegg Cup Grand Final at CommBank Stadium.
The former Bulldogs NRL captain confessed he was nervous before kick-off, and at halftime despite a 14-0 lead, and particularly in the final five minutes when the gap was reduced to just two points.
“I’m just incredibly proud of them. At the back of the game we were under the pump and the resilience they showed on the try-line there to keep turning them away was outstanding,” Jackson told nswrl.com.au
“We had no real strategies or structure in place for that frantic final passage there. It just came down to how much they cared about each other."
One of Jackson's hard workers, prop Jack Underhill, was named Player of the Match (pictured above, Photos: Bryden Sharp).
That is now back-to-back premierships for the Bulldogs after they beat the Sydney Roosters last year by the same margin (22-20).
The Sharks were trying to add to the Jersey Flegg title they secured in 2018. The Shire-based side had arrived in the grand final the hard way having to win their last six games of the regular season to snatch fifth spot. Then they won three sudden-death matches.
“It’s a bit hard today obviously. We didn’t come out the way we wanted to – gave them too much possession early. It was a credit to the Bulldogs the way they stuck at it,” said Sharks coach Andrew Dallalana.
“But I’m proud of our guys for holding tight until the 70th minute and keeping them scoreless all half. It came down to a couple of moments at the end there.”
The Bulldogs kept the Sharks pinned in their territory for most of the first half and it showed on the scoreboard.
The Sharks weren’t blameless in helping the Bulldogs score early, when fullback Siteni Taukamo was sin-binned in the ninth minute for a hit on Bulldogs winger Jonathan Sua. Two sets later and halfback Cassius Tia sent a cut-out pass that ended with centre William Afualo over in the northeast corner.
Tia was central again with a 40/20 in the 18th minute leading to a fine individual try, when he stepped off his right foot 10 metres out as the defence was sliding left. The conversion near the uprights had the Belmore club up 10-0.
Taukamo returned but Sua failed his head injury assessment (HIA) bringing his Grand Final to a premature end.
Nonetheless the Bulldogs scored a third time – this occasion down their left edge with winger Ratu Rinakama crossing for his 14th try of the season.
The second half started with Cronulla-Sutherland needing to be next to score, and they did through five-eighth Taj Ford. His 45-metre run, stepping No.1 Taye Cochrane in the process, gave Riley Pollard an easy conversion (14-6).
It was Ford again with yet another line-break in the 64th minute. He passed to his prop Felix Faatili who chewed up some more metres. It was Ford doubling around the back and kicking for his right-side winger Kristian Dixon, who received the perfect bounce. The gap had narrowed to just two points (14-12).
The Sharks were given three six-again sets on the Bulldogs’ line but the Canterbury-Bankstown boys stood tall.
Jackson had some further True Blue input with assistants Josh Reynolds and Mark O’Meley.
“We’re incredibely lucky to have a lot of old boys come down and give up their time to help out,” he said.
He wanted to mention the extended bench of Bulldogs players who didn’t get on the field today.
“Everyone has played a part in getting us to this point and helping us get this far. The energy they (reserves) bring on the sideline and before the game is incredible.”
The last time a club has gone back-to-back in Jersey Flegg Cup was the Penrith Panthers in 2006-07.
