It was an auspicious win against worthy rivals, Sam Hartnett's fine team regrettably diminished by the loss of their two play-makers before the grand final, suspended goal-kicking fullback, Ricky Campbell, and captain-coach five-eighth, Mitch Carter, due to employment demands.

In a stunning curtain-raiser, Wauchope Thunder's women 10-a-side team crushed Wallamba, 55-0, their inspiration again four-try heroine, Ellie Johnston, organiser Naomi George and skipper Teleah Waitoa. (See break-out).

For Dolphins coach Ron McCarthy it was an occasion of much satisfaction, later lauding the team as the best balanced in his years at the club, a team containing several players of outstanding quality, for his seventh premiership win from the success of Mark Hudson's men in 2008.

The arrival this season of the two "islanders", No 8 Hau Honema'u, from off-shore Tonga, and lock Blake Polson from mainland Oxley Island, provided two big, bruising forwards who made tries with their charges and damaged other teams' morale in the process.

Two key forwards were the 200-gamer, tight-head, Ben Manning, and his propping partner, Gavin Maberly-Smith, with Nathan Johnson and Scott Walmsley as hookers.

Coach McCarthy, in fact, gambled heavily by beginning the 108kg Johnson at loose-head prop, opposing him against the 20kgs heavier tight-head, Bronson Rangi, a plan which worked so well Johnson's scrummaging nullified Rangi's threat, so damaging a week previously against Wallamba.

Coupled with his tackle-breaking run for a try, Johnson emerged as one of the outstanding players of the game.

"You have to keep a card up your sleeve for a grand final," old fox McCarthy remarked.

Beneficially, players have returned following absences: three-quarter Mark Quillan to establish a plumbing business after a decade; envaluable utility forward, Chris Simon; centre Jesse Logan after an injury-ridden year; fullback Kurt Forester finding time from hotel management; and lineout- winning backrower, Sean Hassett.

It was Hassett patrolling in midfield who raced through to reclaim the delicate placement by player- of-the-grand final and five-eighth wizard, Matt Nuku, for the best of the Dolphins' seven tries.

So swiftly did the Dolphins strike early on that moments into the game Zac Palmer streaked along the right wing for Mark Hagarty, the "silent assassin", to open the scoring.

Half Bayley Weaver attacked the blind side for the Ratz's first try and centre Bruwyn Tisdell was fearless in an outclassed back line to step his way through the Dolphins' defence for the second, but it was all too little, too late.

Inevitably, there will be retirements from this year's Dolphins squad, one the 40-year-old lineout- winning flanker, Rob Avard, to become co-coach of the women's team.

Not 38-year-old Tom Harris, playing on, not for honours, but for the joy of the game.....the best centre the club ever fielded until he triple-tore his hamstring from the bone in a water skiing accident, named on Saturday as Lower MNC player-of-the-year.

Also during the weekend.....

He is a freak of nature.

FORSTER TUNCURRY 47 (M Hagarty H. Honema'u B Polson N Johnson J Logan S Hassett L Brady tries; M Nuku 5 goals) beat MANNING RIVER 14 (B Weaver B Tisdell tries; Tisdell 2 goals).

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