On Saturday afternoon at Leichhardt Oval, the North Sydney Bears’ 2026 season came to a heartbreaking end, going down 26–25 to the Jets in a tightly fought elimination final. With their season on the line, the Bears showed enormous courage to fight their way back into the contest after trailing 22–12 at half-time, ultimately falling agonisingly short in a one-point finish in the final minute of the match.

The Bears made a strong start, making their mark in the sixth minute through Tuipulotu Katoa, who showcased his speed and agility to slice through the inside of the Jets’ defence and cross for the first try of the match. Kieran Hayman converted the kick giving North Sydney an early 6–0 lead. Just six minutes later, Harradyn Wilson extended the Bears’ lead with an impressive display of acceleration before completing a full turn in contact to crash over the line and score. Despite the strong start, the Jets responded with four unanswered tries and built momentum as they wrestled back control of the contest. Their attacking pressure saw the Bears head into the sheds trailing 22–12 at half-time.

North Sydney came out firing after the break, with Matt Stimson producing a memorable moment on his 100th NSW Cup appearance. A perfectly weighted pass from Jake Toby sent the ball out wide, allowing Stimson to use his strength and finishing ability to score on the right hand side. The Bears continued to build momentum, producing another brilliant attacking play shortly after. A quick pass from Thomas Steadman found Stimson, who carried the ball before Ammaron Gudgeon collected a loose pass off the ground and found Abiarthur Toi Tuilaepa in support. Tuilaepa showed great composure to finish the play and bring the Bears within striking distance. Hayman continued his impressive form with the boot, as he has throughout the season, converting all four of the tries and adding valuable points to the scoreboard.

With the scores locked at 24–24 late in the match, the Bears refused to give in and knew they had to produce something special. Steadman stepped up under pressure, calmly slotting a field goal in the 73rd minute to put North Sydney in front. The Jets responded just three minutes later, finding a field goal of their own to even the scores once again. In the dying moments, the Jets were presented with one final field goal opportunity and made no mistake, extending their lead to 26–25. The late surge ultimately proved decisive, handing the Bears a heartbreaking one point defeat.

Statistically, North Sydney matched the Jets for possession with 49% of the ball, while running for 1,488 metres and recording 36 tackle breaks. The Bears also completed the afternoon with an impressive 88.86% effective tackle rate.

Despite the result, the Bears’ effort across the 80 minutes and throughout the 2026 season could not be questioned. They fought until the very final second, leaving everything on the field in an elimination final decided by the narrowest of margins. While the result brings a heartbreaking end, their dedication, fight and hard work throughout the season leaves plenty to be proud of. We can’t wait to see what the 2027 season has in store for the Bears.