Fletcher Sharpe bagged a hat-trick and Ethan Ferguson scored 26 points as Newcastle's SG Ball side trounced North Sydney 62-12 in one of multiple NSW Rugby League competition openers on Saturday.
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The under-19s boys were the standout of Newcastle's teams playing at Kenthurst, which included the senior women, Harold Matthews and Tarsha Gale sides.
After falling a win short of the grand final last season, the SG Ball side dominated from start to finish against the Bears, piling on 36 points in the second half alone after leading 26-6 at halftime.
Fullback Sharpe, a Cessnock junior, had his third by the 55th minute while Ferguson, who played Australian Schoolboys last year, was a force to be reckoned with at left centre, scoring two tries and kicking nine from 11 with the boot.
After falling behind early, the senior women's side - led by NRLW prop Tayla Predebon - made a late comeback against the Bears but couldn't rein in the home side's lead, losing 30-20.
In the Harold Matthews Cup, the under-17 boys were equally as impressive as the grade above them, belting the Bears 42-4. In the Tarsha Gale Cup (under-18 girls), centre Ava Osland scored a double as the Knights claimed a 20-14 victory.
In the regional competitions, the Newcastle-Maitland Knights beat Northern Rivers Titans 46-12 in the Andrew Johns Cup (under-16 boys) while the Titans won 24-20 in the Laurie Daley Cup (under-18 boys).
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