It leaves the Canaries undefeated this season and while an unbeaten year was not the goal at the beginning of the season, with just next week’s clash with Corrimal to come before the finals, it is now.

“I don’t see any reason why [we can’t], we go into every game to win,” Henderson said. 

“We’ve been pretty consistent all year and it’s pleasing the get the minor premiership. It’s obviously not the end goal but it’s an achievement in itself. 

“The boys attitude and commitment to each other has been outstanding all year and they deserve it.

“We’ve had some bigger scores in our favour of late but today we had to overcome some adversity and it was a tight arm-wrestle.

“The first 30 minutes in particular we didn’t get too much ball and we didn’t have much field position either. We weren’t playing bad it was just the way the game went, we didn’t have the run of play and they did.

“They came out with plenty of intent which is what we expected, they’re a good side. We absorbed a lot of it and to only be down 4-0 [at halftime]...I was quite happy with that. 

“In the end we stayed composed and we got the job done and that was a real test. We’re going to have to be like that in the semis because that’s a different ball game.” 

A week after a depleted Tigers side went down 70-16 to Wests, Ryan Powell’s men showed that they’ll also be thereabouts come finals time leading at halftime and asking plenty of questions of competition leaders.

They led 4-0 at the break on the back of a try to Tom Carr who pulled down well-placed Mitch McCrae kick for the only four-pointer of the first half. 

Carr and McCrae combined for the Tigers second try and an 8-0 lead after the resumption before Dapto finally hit back through Rob Buesereu midway through the second half.

The hosts took the lead through Matt Jonhnstone with 20 minutes to play before a clever individual try to Jesse Morris gave the hosts a 10-point buffer with 15 minutes to play.

Ben Ryan and Hayden McCrae both went desperately close to scoring but the Tigers couldn’t put a dent in the margin.

“Last week [against Wests] was all about looking at the young guys but this week we were back to full strength and we competed really well,” Powell said. 

“We started well and I thought we were wearing them down, we kept the pressure on them up their end and and they kept holding which is what you expect, they’re a good side. 

“We just gave them a couple of loose balls there which probably didn’t need to be done and that hurts you.

“Overall I thought it was a really good game of footy there were probably two really key [moments] there that changed the game and that’s something we’ll look at.”