SOUTHS DO IT FOR SLUGGER
SOUTH Darwin retained the Slugger Cup with a patient 33-14 win over the Palmerston Crocs, while also celebrating the 200th Agrade game for club stalwart Evan Needham.
Needham has been a part of the Souths A-grade unit since 2003, joining at the age of 28, and now at 45 he is still eager as ever to pull on the Bunnies jersey.
The milestone game was made even more significant for the fullback in winning the Slugger Cup, in memory of Adrian ‘Slugger’ Graham.
Graham and Needham played alongside each other most significantly when
South Darwin won the grand final in 2008.
Souths brought intensity from the start with Jesse Kirkman and Hayden Summers scoring first-half tries on the back of forward pressure and their hardrunning backs.
Palmerston had their opportunities to score early in the second stanza, but Souths weathered the pressure, scoring on the opposite end of the field through Sebastian Hoskins.
The Crocs weren’t going down without a fight, surging late with Nathan Dixon and Joel Turaga both making line breaks and taking a try each.
But for each score Palmerston managed Souths would return with one of their own through another from Hoskins and one for captain Vincent Mehn securing the game.
“It’s jubilation to win. That was a hard gritty win for Souths, one which our teams of old may have thrown away,” Needham told the Sunday Territorian.
“To win the Slugger Cup is massively important.”
And Casuarina enjoyed a significant 42-17 win over Darwin, Zach Phillips kicking all of his conversions.
Simaika Salaa, Alani Malupo, Dakota Marsh, Cooper Segeyaro, Aidan Singleton and Matthew Travers all crossed the line for the Cougars.