A hat trick from winger Sam Stonestreet was not enough to see Newtown Jets win, as an Oryn Keeley double secured the NRL State Championship title for the Norths Devils.
Winning by two points, Keeley produced a magical 20 minutes of football in the second half to upset the favourites and leaders for the majority of the match, Newtown Jets.
Back-rower Jeremiah Simbiken opened the scoring four minutes into the contest for the Devils and theyย continued their onslaught in the opening period through Cooper Jenkins and Jordan Lipp but weren't able to convert it into any points despite good attacking opportunities.
One of the stars of the match, Lipp, had two try-scoring opportunities after breaking through the opponent's defensive line.
He seemed all but certain to score in the latter of these if it wasn't for a Scott Sattler-esque tackle from Jayden Berrell - he would eventually score in the 39th minute.
However, from then on, it was all Newtown until the match's final 15 minutes.
A Niwhai Puru 40/20 would see the Devils face pressure in defence, but a lovely timed tackle by Simbiken (released by The Dolphins in the middle of the season) on Jackson Ferris allowed them to keep the lead until the 15th minute.
Slowly taking control of the match, the Jets ran 100 metres to come back into the contest and level the scores, scoring one of the tries of the season in the process.
Beginning with Liam Ison and finishing with Samuel Stonestreet, the ball went through the hands of five different Newtown players before the winger crossed the line to score his 22nd in either reserve grade or in the NRL.
Stonestreet would end up with a double before the break and halfback Niwahi Puru crossed the line following a well-timed late pass from front-rower Braden Hamlin-Uele as they headed into the break with a four-point lead.
Entering the second 40 minutes, Newtown made quick work to extend their lead through Stonestreet, who is looking to push for a regular spot in the NRL first-grade team next season as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.
Behind on the scoreboard, the Devils failed to go away. In the absence of Tukimihia Simpkins (a late withdrawal due to a shoulder injury), former Newcastle Knights forward Oryn Keeley stepped up.
Contracted with The Dolphins until the end of the 2026 NRL season, the former U19s NSW Blues representative took the game into his own hands by making it a two-point game by crossing the line after setting up the previous try.
Continuing to look dangerous, Devils' centre Jacob Gagan had the opportunity to seize the match in favour of the Queensland side.
Still, it was held up over the line after a spectacular tackle from Niwhai Puru and Jayden Berrell - the former earned Player of the Match honours in the NSW Cup Grand Final.
However, they continued to apply pressure on their opponents, who looked exhausted and a massive fend from Keeley would see him cross for a four-pointer and secure the victory and title in the process.
