VETERAN rugby league coach Tony Clifton made a pledge to the Forster-Tuncurry under-14 players at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
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"I made a comeback to coaching last year and we finished third last year,'' Clifton said at the conclusion of this year's under-15 grand final played at Wingham.
"I thought they had something special in them, so I told them if they were prepared to put the work in, I'd coach again. I told them we'll train three times a week and I'll bust their arses.''
Showing that hard work does pay off, the Hawks defeated Port Macquarie Sharks 20-12 in the grand final to claim their first premiership. The Hawks led for most of the game, however, a poor third quarter saw the Sharks fight their way back into the contest when they drew level at 12-12.
But Forster showed character in the last quarter, scoring tries to lock Tavis Felsch and prop Harrison Brennan to clinch the grand final.
Felsch was named player of the match following a hard working effort in both attack and defence. He was the star of the a committed team performance, while hooker Will Clifton - the coach's grandson - prop Brennan and centre Liam Eather were also outstanding.
Clifton and Liam Critchley opened the scoring while fullback Chase Nixon kicked a conversion to give the Hawks a 10-0 lead at quarter time. A penalty goal to Nixon increased this to a dozen before a try to Blake Steep just before the break broke Port's duck and it was 12-4 at the turnaround.
However, as is the case in quarter football, the Sharks had all the ball in the third quarter and dominated field position. The Hawks were guilty of coughing up possession with some unforced errors and the Sharks reduced the margin to 12-10. A penalty goal made it 12 apiece at three quarter time.
However, the three quarter break did the trick for the Hawks and it was their turn to dominate. Soon after the resumption Felsch slipped a tackle close to the line and forced his way over to break the deadlock. Brennan then sealed the result with a try just before fulltime.
Tony Clifton had been off the coaching scene since 1999 when he had charge of Forster Dragons in the Group Three first grade competition. He captain-coached Taree United to the Group Three premiership in 1985 and at various times coached at group and divisional levels. However, he said he didn't have any trouble adapting to the game's changes.
"I enjoy the changes, I think the game's getting close to where it should be,'' he said.
"And these kids are so respectful. They're very good young men and it's been a pleasure to coach them.''
However, Clifton isn't sure if he'll take the side through to under-18s in 2022.
"I have a lot of other grandkids I like to spend time with, so I'll see how things pan out,'' he explained.
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