As the grey skies loomed large all afternoon, the rain pummeled down, the field was soaked and the benches were cold under bottom, but that didn’t stop our round 22 match against the Newcastle Knights from going ahead. Our Bears team pulled on their special edition jerseys that commemorate the mighty red & black calling North Sydney Oval home for over 115 years and ran out at 3pm last Sunday, hand in hand with some of our Junior Bear Members, ready to battle. Dedicated Bears members and fans turned up wearing the Bear, happy to watch their beloved team play, in even in the worst of conditions.

Although the Knights took the first points of the game, the Bears swiftly responded and maintained a consistent flow of points for the next seventy minutes. Marion Seve, Melbourne Storm contracted player who was sporting some very cool action hero looking sports goggles due to a severe eye injury sustained earlier this season, got the Bears on the board just before the ten-minute market. Kieran Hayman misses the wide conversion and the score eqaulises at 4 all. Six minutes later and Jesse Marschke weaves his way, breaking the defensive line and grounding the ball under the posts. Hayman easily converts from in front, 10 – 4. Now 25 minutes gone in the first half, the Knights find the red & black line in disarray and slide across in front of the O’Riordan Stand. Conversion is missed and Bears hold their lead 10 – 8. Less than five minutes late, the Bears are on the attack with Matt Stimson spinning his way across to nab the 4 points. Hayman converts and extend our lead to 16 – 8.  Under five minutes remaining in the half, Hayman puts up a bomb that is collected by Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown, offloaded to Stimson who finds Seve that takes it over the line, bagging his double for the game so far. The side line conversion is waved away and the Bears head to the change rooms up 20 – 8.

The second half started with our captain, Marschke, being sin-binned for a professional foul and the team playing down a man for ten minutes. Remaining stalwart in defence, the team kept the Knights out during this time and went on to extend our lead. Moments after Marschke leaves the field, Stimson makes a break and again working with Seve puts him through for his hattrick of the game. Hayman converts and the Bears lead 26 – 8. Near on ten minutes later Knights are in but again the conversion is waved away and just add the 4 points to the board, 26 – 12.   Sixteen minutes of strong defensive play during some heavy rain periods plays out until it is the Knights that find the break and cross the line, 26 – 18. Bears just need to hold on for five more minutes. In the final minutes, the win was secured as big Aitasi James barged across the line, Hayman converted, and the home team pocketed the points. A win for our loyal Members at home!