0°C | Thursday November 13, 2025 
16 June 2025
By James Mullan
A great weekend for sport on the North Shore saw five out of six top teams in the area secure wins. The Bears and Shoremen both had thrillers at North Sydney Oval, while the Bombers also defended home turf against UNSW.
North Sydney Bears
It was raining points, and then it was just raining. On an idyllic Sunday afternoon, the Bears hosted the Canberra Raiders, looking to avenge their loss against them earlier this season.
The Raiders bagged the first try of the afternoon but were quickly equalised after a Matt Stimson try in the 8th minute. Just 10 minutes later, Jake Toby weaved through several defenders to score and put the Bears up 10-6. Canberra responded with a try in the 28th, only to be matched again two minutes later when Bears’ winger Siulagi Pio scored in the corner. Just before half-time, a heroic run from Toby led to a Jesse Marschke try, making it 20-12 at the break.
Fans were definitely getting their money’s worth, with both sides playing free-flowing footy. Canberra were first to score in the second half, crossing for three unanswered tries before the 50th minute to leap to a 20-28 lead. Compton Fuatimau got the Bears back on track with a strong run that led to a try in the 54th minute. The tension was high heading into the final 20 minutes of the game when Norths took the lead in the 64th minute thanks to a lucky try from Trey Brown, who grabbed a Canberra drop ball and snuck over the line. With the successful conversion, the home side was up 32-28. A Trey Brown penalty made it 34-28, putting the icing on the cake and helping the Bears back into the winner’s circle.
Next week will be a classic match-up with Newtown coming to Bear Park on Sunday.
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North Shore Bombers
It’s always a great day of footy when UNSW comes to Gore Hill Oval. The Bombers’ boys wasted no time asserting themselves, bagging 5 goals in the first quarter to jump to a 33-7 lead. In the second quarter, UNSW woke up and matched the Bombers with three goals a side, a trend that was replicated in the third. In the final quarter, the Bombers put it beyond doubt, building on their lead to end the game with a convincing 15.17.107 to 9.6.60 win. Max Yeoland led goals, booting 4, while Max Buskariol, Cooper Donald, and Fraser Thurlow all booted doubles. Alongside the goal scorers, Felix Rogers, Lachlan Carmichael, and Pierce Roseby all received best-on-ground votes. A key win for the home side as they not only shored up their place at second on the ladder but kept UNSW away in fourth place.
The women’s side were also in the zone, dominating UNSW. From the get-go, they started with a 37-point lead in the first quarter, extending that to a 50-point lead by half-time. Not only were they scoring, but defensively, they only conceded two behinds up until the fourth quarter. In the end, it wasn’t even close, winning 10.5.65 to 1.5.11. Young gun Heidi de Save and Adrienne Keefe continued their sensational season, both scoring two goals each. Ella Daniel, Kiera Yerbury, Lucy Yates, and Charlotte Tidemann were also included in best on ground. With this win, the Bombers’ women also sit second on the Premier Division ladder.
Both sides will head west next round, with the men set to take on South West Sydney and the women facing Parramatta.
Norths Rugby
Back in action after the weekend off, Norths were looking to get back to winning ways as they hosted Western Sydney Two Blues. Things got off to a perfect start with Marshall Le Maitre scoring the first try of the game just 5 minutes after kick-off, followed by another try from a maul that helped James Margan cross 12 minutes into the game. The Two Blues would respond in the 30th minute, only to concede just 3 minutes later when Norths’ Baden Godfrey broke through easily for a try.
At half-time, the home side was up 19-7 but would concede soon after the commencement of the second half to make it 19-14. Western Sydney would then take the lead after a converted try in the 61st minute. Not long after, the Shoremen tied it up after a penalty goal, setting up a thrilling finish. With just 6 minutes remaining in the game, Norths had a line-out just metres out from the line, which eventually set up Tom Bacon after several phases and a penalty advantage. Despite a penalty goal from the Two Blues late, it wasn’t enough to catch Norths, who won 29-24.
A much-needed win for the Shoremen before they head to Woollahra next week to face top-of-the-table Easts.
Norths Basketball
The 5-hour 45-minute drive to Albury is easily the farthest away game for any North Shore team in any competition. This weekend, the Bears made the mammoth trip down to the border to face the Bandits.
Both the Bandits and Bears women’s sides are considered two of the best in the competition. The game did not start well for Norths, who looked sluggish in the first quarter. They did shake off their travel weariness in the second quarter, putting up 21 points. Both sides were almost equal in the second half, but the Bandits managed to outlast Norths for a 70-63 win. The Bears really struggled to score, with Ruby Perkins and Caitlyn Martin the only two players to crack double digits. This was only their second loss of the season, and next week they will face top-of-the-table Newcastle, looking for revenge.
The men had managed to parlay a little momentum as the season has gone on, beating Maitland last round in front of a tough away crowd. They would continue this fortitude, coming out from the tip-off firing to win the first half and third quarter. The Bandits rallied in the final quarter, but Norths valiantly held on for a 75-80 victory. It was a real team effort on the scoresheet, with Hunter Goodrick leading the way with 16 points, 11 rebounds, while Austin Patterson chipped in 15 points. This was a key win for the men’s side, keeping them in the mix for the finals, tied for sixth place with four other teams. They will also face Newcastle next week, looking to flip the script from their loss earlier this year.