I have been lucky to be present to see some wonderful and historic moments in Shoalhaven sport – Shoalhaven Rugby Club’s first ever top grade premiership, a historic Shoalhaven Cricket first grade grand final tie between Bomaderry and Berry-Shoalhaven Heads, State League Basketball victories and numerous thrilling Shoalhaven Football grand finals to name just a few.
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And Sunday’s win by the Jets has to rank right up among them.
Not many people gave the Jets a chance against the Warilla-Lake South Gorillas, who had only lost one game all year.
But under coach Ben Wellington and vice-captain Geoff Johnson, with the backing of a hard-working and determined committee, the Jets did the unthinkable and claimed an initial first grade title.
The Jets’ 30-20 win was a history making event and a coming of age for the combined merger.
For years the Nowra Warriors and Bomaderry Swamp Rats were bitter arch rivals, divided only by the Shoalhaven River.
It was one team on one side of the river, and one team on the other.
You were either a Warrior or a Swamp Rat. There was no middle ground.
But in the end, after a few dismal seasons for both teams, the rising costs of running a club and more and more rival sports drawing on both players and sponsorship dollars, something had to happen.
After much consternation, and a decision that brought many die-hard fans to tears, it was decided to join the once bitter enemies in to one in late 2007 for the coming 2008 Group 7 season.
At first they came together as the Shoalhaven Jets and later the Nowra Bomaderry Jets.
Over the years the club has been competitive at times, and struggled at others.
Behind the scenes there has been lots of work, and at times peoples from both sides struggled with the idea of a combined club.
There was still the Bomo and Nowra factions, the “them and us”.
The last time either of the previous clubs won a premiership was 1996 (the then Nowra Warriors beat Shellharbour). For Bomaderry it was in 1976. However they did meet in a grand final showdown at the Nowra Showground in 1993, the centenary year of the Nowra Warriors Football Club.
Having covered sport in the Shoalhaven for many years, it was great to see the town’s local league team back to full strength.
It is often said for Group 7 to be strong you need a Shoalhaven team to be strong.
Mind you after five rounds, sitting dead last you would have been excused for thinking the fairytale was even impossible.
The turning point came in round 11 on June 15 at the Bomaderry Sporting Complex with a 30-all draw against powerhouse Warilla.
The Jets turned their season around, became an almost unstoppable force, powering into the finals, achieving wins over Gerringong and then Shellharbour to book a grand final spot.
And what a grand final it was.
He might be considered the “old man of the team” and at 41 he deserves that tag, but full credit to Mick Blattner, who was an inspiration up front and continually outshone his often much younger opponents. His efforts off the field also can’t be dismissed.
But you couldn’t fault any of the Jets’ line-up they were all magnificent, as one described “a band of brothers”.
There were plenty of cheers and the odd tear at the fulltime siren on Sunday.
It was fitting after the presentation the gates at Collegians Sports Complex were thrown open to allow Jets’ supporters to celebrate with their players – this was a victory that was bigger than football, it was a win for the local community.
Even a compound fracture of a finger couldn’t keep captain Ben Wellington away from the celebrations, although he was booked in for surgery in Wollongong early Monday morning.
Wellington and his team deserve all the platitudes that come their way, they have restored pride in local rugby league circles.
While the club song Boom Chicka Boom was belted out many times on Sunday evening and will probably be continued for the next few days, there will certainly be a place in local history for Benny and the Jets.
