GRIPPING LEAGUE GRAND FINAL FOR COOLUM COLTS A GRADE

By Des Deighton 

IN FRONT of a big crowd at Sunshine Coast Stadium, including three coach loads of Coolum supporters, the stage was set for a great Rugby League Grand Final between the Coolum Colts and Beerwah Bulldogs. 

Both teams had a home win over the other during the season.  

Beerwah were the defending Premiers and were always going to be difficult. 

At full time however, Beerwah ran out winners over the Colts 20 – 16, however, it was a great effort from the Colts who threw everything at the Bulldogs.  

Coach Matt Smith said it was the pinnacle of the season to make the Grand Final and the boys deserved to be there. 

“The guys put in a lot of hard effort this year… we’re  fitter and we’re faster!” 

The Colts secured the Grand Final spot in only their second year in the A Grade.  

“Obviously being our second year we couldn’t rely just on junior boys, so we secured a couple of key players,” Coach Matt Smith said.  

The first 15 minutes were a tense affair with play going from end to end before Beerwah finally broke through with a try. 

It only took five minutes for Coolum to hit back when a kick from Jakson Shearer, which Beerwah didn’t tidy up, saw Samual Elara pounce and score. The conversion from out wide was successful from Seaton Reid. A few minutes later, after a great backline movement, Sam Bernstrom shot through a gap in the Beerwah defence and scored. 

Both teams were reduced to 12 men for the final part of the first half after sin bins. 

In the 36th minute, Beerwah scored again, and the halftime score saw Coolum ahead 10 -8. 

Early penalties to Beerwah in the second half enabled them to take good field positions and they scored in the 49th minute with a  converted try to go ahead 14 – 10. 

Coolum’s backs took the ball up several times to take the pressure off the forwards as the next 15 minutes was a tense and tough battle. 

Unfortunately for Coolum, Beerwah was next to score with a converted try in the 61st minute, after Coolum lost the ball, to go ahead 20 – 10. 

The mighty Colts never gave up and continued to test the Beerwah defence and after a great backline movement, Nate Saumalu scored in the 77th minute. Seaton Reid converted to bring the score back to a 4-point difference. 

The final three minutes were engrossing. The Bulldogs lost the ball, and Coolum had the scrum feed 30 metres out from Beerwah’s line giving Coolum one last chance at victory. In a dramatic final minute, the Beerwah defence proved too good, and Coolum was held up over the line with just 30 seconds remaining.  

The full-time score saw the Bulldogs 20 and the Colts 16. 

It was a tough, hard-fought Grand Final and the Coolum players can hold their head high after making the Grand Final in only their second year in the A Grade competition. Let’s go one better in 2025!