After Northern's round twenty six victory over Central secured them second spot, celebrations on Sydney's north shore were low key, despite the fact it was the club's highest finish in many years. Similar celebrations were seen at Surfers Paradise HQ, despite the side's late 25-24 loss to Perth. The club had made its first finals' series in several years. Today's clash would be about nerves, and about which club could best control them.

Northern Cannons Surfers Paradise Punks
1 Mat Rogers 1 Manuel Contemponi
2 Brett Dallas 2 Jonah Lomu
3 Chev Walker 3 Josh Hannay
4 Michael De Vere 4 Matt King
5 Paul Wellens 5 Tyrone Pau
6 Jason Hooper 6 Iestyn Harris
7 Frederick Michalak © 7 Darren Lockyer
8 Edward Hoartshire 8 Danny Nutley
9 Brody Raines 9 Adam Perry
10 Mark O'Meley 10 Monty Betham
11 George Smith 11 Robbie Kearns ©
12 Evan Mears 12 Frank Miranda
13 David Lyons 13 Glenn Morrison
++Interchange
14 Borris Ahmed 14 Anton Oliver
15 Paul Wood 15 Corey Parker
16 Ashley Harrison 16 Brett Seymour
17 Awen Guttenbeil 17 Jason Priest

If either side was nervous, it really didn't show in the early clashes, with both sides flexing their defensive muscles with some big hits and great sliding defence. The offense was fast and the first try of the match didn't take long to eventuate, former Punk stalwart Jason Hooper getting across with the aid of some lazy defence close to the Punks' line. Brody Raines, the rookie rake, converted the try to make it 6-0 in favour of the Cannons. To their credit, the Punks didn't let this early try demoralise them, and steadied the boat with a penalty for their first points in the 8th minute- with Hannay knocking over a penalty for offside to make it 6-2.

The game soon swung the way of the visiting side, with Adam Perry making a clean break to put his side right on the attack in the 12th minute. Only twenty out, the set got the Punks close enough for Lockyer to heft a mid-field bomb, and after a scramble for the bouncing ball in the in goal, Iestyn Harris was able to ground the ball for his side's first try of the match. Hannay easily hit the goal, and it was 8-6 in favour of the underdogs.

The try wasn't the Cannons' only problem, however, with wing sensation Brett Dallas taken from the park with a badly sprained ankle. The injury came in attempting a tackle on Punks' hardman Monty Betham, who fell heavily on the former Queensland wingers' leg. The absence of Dallas threw a spanner into the Cannons' works, with only Borris Ahmed capable of moving onto the wing, and he's a man not noted for his speed.

The Punks were quick to take advantage of Ahmed's defensive deficiencies, and found easy metres through their quick men. Despite this, the last line of Northern's defence continually held, the big men forcing errors with some intimidating hits and niggling tactics. The need to come quickly off the line to snuff the attack soon went against the Cannons however, another penalty for offside gifting the Punks with two more points and a 10-6 lead. This became 12-6 not long after, but it wasn't the biggest of their problems, with Michael DeVere sin binned after repeated warnings from referee Steven Clark. The Cannons' stifling tactics had so far held their opposition tryless, but with a man in the bin, the Cannons would find it a tough ask to keep the Punks out.

It proved to be a bridge too far, with the Punks snaring their second try of the match only moments later. Borris Ahmed's nightmare game continued, with his cold drop of the pill giving the Punks the field position they needed to mount another attack. With Ahmed isolated by DeVere's absence, it was a clean break from Glenn Morrison down his flank that set the field afire, with Monty Betham scoring a simple try from a few short passes close to the line. Hannay converted, and it was 18-6 in favour of the visitors. The home side was being blown off the park, and the Brookvale faithful were giving the referee plenty for his part in it.

If the Cannons got any breaks in the first half, and it's a poor pun to say it, it came when Tyrone Pau- the man who had been showing up Ahmed, was stretchered from the field in shortly after the kick-off, with his left arm badly broken in two places. A heavy hit from veteran hardman Evan Mears did the damage, smashing the Cook Islands' import. To his credit the young winger held onto the pill, preventing his side from surrendering valuable field position.

The Punks looked to have closed out a perfect first half, but again found poor handling to be their worst enemy, with Iestyn Harris giving up possession only thirty out from his line. With fifteen seconds on the clock, the Cannons took the gutsy option and went for a try. Their bravery and confidence was rewarded, with Chev Walker crossing out wide right on the stroke of halftime. The talented English flyer was gifted with a try by a bullet Frederick Michalak pass, and Raines added salt to the Punks' wounds by converting from touch.

HALFTIME: Northern 12 trail Surfers Paradise 18

Fans cheered the return of Michael DeVere from the sin bin shortly after halftime, and with two sides of equal size on the park, the second half quickly became a real arm wrestle. Indeed, ten minutes passed without either side getting into their opposition twenty, before Brody Raines brought the margin back to four with a long range penalty goal for a lazy tackle from Robbie Kearns on Mat Rogers. Only minutes later the Cannons took the lead for the first time in a long time, Awen Guttenbiel crashing over after Paul Wellens had helped his side downfield with an exciting grubber behind the line. Raines kept his record clean with another conversion, and all of a sudden the Cannons were in firm control as 20-18 leaders.

In the 57th minute scores were equal again, Josh Hannay calmly knocking over a penalty goal. From the kick-off the Punks put themselves back in the lead, a scintillating break from Brett Seymour putting the Cannons in all kinds of trouble. Only two rucks after making the initial dangerous break, Seymour cut through the line again, shrugging off some weak attempted tackles to score adjacent to the left upright. Hannay converted to put his side ahead 26-20 with just under twenty minutes of play remaining.

The Punks were playing on adrenaline, with the Cannons' superior bench gradually wearing down the visitors, who would leave the 2004/2005 competition if they couldn't come up with a win. Darren Lockyer and Josh Hannay both attempted field goals in the lead up to the game's dying minutes, but both missed thanks mostly to great pressure from the Cannons' forwards. The scores were levelled in the 70th minute, Paul Wellens running onto a perfectly placed Jason Hooper grubber to score a marvellous try. Brody Raines continued to be a thorn in the Punks' side with another flawless conversion levelling things up at 26 all with just under ten minutes remaining.

A penalty in the ensuing set piggy-backed the Cannons downfield, where Frenchman Frederik Michalak put his side back in the lead with a copybook field goal from only ten out. The 'snap' kick was made despite plenty of pressure from an aggressive Punks' defensive line. Two minutes later the lead was extended again, with Jason Hooper matching his half partner's effort with a field goal of his own from twenty out. The Punks were clearly frustrated at 28-26 down, with a penalty in the 77th for fighting gifting the Cannons with a further two points. The second placed side were winning the game on kicking, and it would take a miracle for the Punks to win. As it was, they'd need a converted try.

The 78th minute provided the needed miracle, with an uncharacteristic error from Mat Rogers seeing a long kick sail out on the full and give the Punks excellent field position from which to mount an offensive. In a show of real determination and team spirit, though, the Cannons pushed and fought in the scrum, and managed to regain possession! This proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back, with the Cannons making plenty of metres in the follow up set before Jason Hooper again relied on his boot- the five eighth's second field goal of the day sealing the result at 31-26. The fulltime siren went before the kick off could be taken, and the Cannons had earned a week off. For the Punks, it would be an off season of what if's.

FULLTIME

Northern Cannons 31
Awen Guttenbiel
Chev Walker
Paul Wellens
Jason Hooper
Raines 6/6
Hooper 2 fg
Michalak 1 fg.

defeated

Surfers Paradise Punks 26
Iestyn Harris
Monty Betham
Brett Seymour
Hannay 7/7

[u]PoM Points[/b]
Iestyn Harris................3
Monty Betham..............2
Glenn Morrison.............1

Match Stats
Penalty Count
Northern Cannons- 5 : 8 -Surfers Paradise Punks

Possession (%)
Northern Cannons- 50 : 49 -Surfers Paradise Punks

Time in Opposition Half
Northern Cannons- 36 : 44 -Surfers Paradise Punks

Handling Errors
Northern Cannons- 13 : 9 -Surfers Paradise Punks

Completion Rate (%)
Northern Cannons- 62 : 71 -Surfers Paradise Punks

Tackles
Northern Cannons- 215 : 217 -Surfers Paradise Punks

Punks clearly the better team yet we still find a way to lose. good job pricks your all fuckin fired! :P