Thirty-seven-year-old Thomas Harris has outshone a younger generation of Forster Tuncurry rugby union players to win his second Bruce Greensill Medal as the club’s best and fairest player at a presentation ceremony at the Tuncurry Beach Bowling Club.
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After his long and illustrious career of 207 games through 15 successive first grade winters, one assumed Harris is considering retirement when he appears to be awaiting the pre-season scents of sweat and liniment of the dressing room before deciding his future.
Harris and younger brother, Colin, 31, stole the show by claiming six awards in a demanding winter which ended with the Dolphins losing the Lower Mid North Coast grand final to a late penalty try to the defending champions, the Wallamba Bulls, 19-13.
The club lost its coach 10 days before the Kennards Hire premiership season began, obliging the players to coach themselves long weeks before six-times premiership-winning coach, Ron McCarthy, returned from Italy to take the reins again.
Outstanding flanker Tom Homer sustained a season-ending chainsaw accident, requiring Harris and team seniors, Matt Nuku, Ben Manning, Mark Hagarty, Gavin Maberly-Smith and Jonathan Paff, to lead the team through its hardest times since Bruce Greensill and Stephen Bromhead breathed new life into the club in 2004.
Harris’ triumph was a tribute to his spirit and dedication after tearing his hamstring muscle off the bone in a disastrous water skiing accident in 2016, costing him his blinding speed and compelling his move to flanker or halfback.
In the event, Harris became the team’s leading try-scorer, claimed the coach’s award and joined tight-head prop Manning in registering his 200th game for the Dolphins as well as decisively winning the Greensill Medal from place-getters Nuku, Tom Holman and Sean Hassett.
Greensill, an open-side flanker, was one of only two players to represent Auckland and Sydney after he and wife Lorraine were advised to come to Australia’s warmer climate for Lorraine’s health. Lorraine presented the trophy to Harris.
Harris’ brother, powerhouse forward Colin, contributed to the family spoils as the team’s most exciting player and its outstanding forward. Likewise, he reached the 150-game milestone.
In a significant development, a women’s seven-a-side team was formed last winter, Danielle Lewis being a decisive inaugural winner of the best and fairest player award from runners-up Stephanie Griffis, Chloe Coble and Jedda Marr with Savannah Clements another enjoying a fine season.
Bianca Rugari won the “most improved player” award with Emma Forde winning the Ruckers’ Mug.
Next season, a 10-a-side women’s competition will begin, requiring more players.
The Dolphins’ creative captain, Matt Nuku, was leading point-scorer; Shaun Jackson emerged in the play-offs to be “most improved player”; Tom Holman was named “best new player”; Troy Haines was the club’s “hard man”; and Gavin Maberly-Smith “best team player”.
Messrs Trevor Kable and Paul Norris, officials of St John’s Park Bowling Club in Sydney, presented trophies to the players along with Ms Cavill Robinson-Baxter, of the brewing company, Lion Nathan (Tooheys).
Welcome news from the club’s annual general meeting was Damian Daczko’s extension of his outstanding term as president for a ninth year as did the incomparable secretariat, Gerry and Ms Sue Hobbs. Paul Scott is the new treasurer.
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