Round 1 of the 2026 Harrigan Cup had it all: a dramatic grand final rematch upset, a thrilling finish at Dapto, and a composed Thirroul road win that spoiled the debut for the competition’s newest side.
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Grand Final rematch goes the way of Collies
Collegians have fired the first shot of the season, knocking off defending premiers Wests 14-4 in a gritty grand final replay.
The hosts wasted no time asserting control, striking inside five minutes when backrower Karps Karaitiana chased through a perfectly weighted Blair Grant grubber on the last tackle. Grant converted for a 6-0 lead and an ideal start.
Wests responded just before halftime through winger Lachlan Hurst, finishing off a slick backline shift in the corner to narrow the margin to 6-4 at the break.
What followed was a tense 20-minute arm wrestle before Collegians broke the deadlock. Josh Dowel powered over to give the home side breathing room, with Grant again adding the extras to stretch the lead to 12-4.
Grant’s flawless afternoon with the boot was sealed late, calmly slotting a penalty goal to ice the result and cap a statement Round 1 victory for Collies.
Pieper the hero in Dapto thriller
Dapto have survived a heart-stopper at Dapto Showground, edging out Corrimal 20-18.
In a tight opening half, Corrimal struck first with a Kamren Cryer penalty goal in the 25th minute. Dapto responded soon after, Jayden Foye crashing over beside the posts to take a 6-2 lead.
The Cougars hit back just before the break with an individual effort from five-eighth Tom Carr to level the scores heading into halftime.
The second half delivered end-to-end action, with both sides trading converted tries, Braxton Wallace for the Canaries and Axel Antony for the Cougars, to lock things up at 12-all with 30 minutes remaining.
Corrimal briefly took control, shifting the ball neatly to send their winger Turoa Williams over for a 16-12 lead, before extending it further to 18-12 with another Cryer penalty goal on the hour mark.
But Dapto weren’t done. In a stunning response, the Canaries produced a length-of-the-field effort, finished off by Wallace, just minutes later to level the contest.
With the game in the balance, Troy Pieper stepped up, slotting a clutch penalty goal inside the final 10 minutes — ultimately proving the difference in a pulsating finish.
Butchers spoil Pirates’ debut with clinical display
Thirroul have spoiled the Sutherland-Loftus Pirates’ Harrigan Cup debut, running out convincing 30-16 winners at Sutherland Oval.
The Butchers laid the foundation early, dominating the opening half with three unanswered tries to take a commanding 18-0 lead into the break.
The Pirates showed resilience after halftime, crossing for back-to-back tries from centre Joe Nadenic within five minutes to claw their way back into the contest at 18-10.
However, Thirroul quickly shut the door, responding with consecutive tries of their own to extend the margin to 30-10 and regain full control.
To their credit, the Pirates never stopped competing, adding a converted try in the 63rd minute. But the damage had been done, with Thirroul calmly closing out a strong opening-round performance on the road.
Images: Denis Ivaneza