A desperate tackle in the final moments denied the Illawarra Steelers back-to-back SG Ball premierships on Saturday.
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Trailing 18-14, the Steelers' player of the series Junior Amone surged forward from a scrum and threatened to break clear. But he was stopped by Canberra's Connor Williams in the final seconds, as the Raiders held on.
The Steelers had won the SG Ball title in 2019, before Covid-19 restrictions led to last year's competition to be cancelled.
Raiders coach Ashley Barnes paid tribute to Raiders and former Dragons official Peter Mulholland, who's in hospital following chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in his ongoing battle against blood cancer.
"The boys really put in a good effort for Pete. We wish he could've been here, but he's someone who's put a lot of time and effort into these young men and he can take a lot of credit for the result," Barnes said.
Meanwhile, St George defeated the Indigenous Academy 30-4 in the Tarsha Gale Cup final.