August 7, 2004 - Shark Park, PA. In what proved to be the fiercest AMNRL battle in recent memory, the Connecticut Wildcats outlasted a desperately determined Sharks squad in "The War to Settle the Score"; 44-30. Match Official Ryan McGough was assigned to sort this matter out, and nobody wanted to be him. The usual "feeling out" period lasted the full 80 minutes, as both sides refused to come in low in the tackle and tested the officiating crew all day, in every way.

The Sharks drew first blood early, off 2 wounds from the same strike. Cagy Halfback Adam Dunn put Derek Tully into a gap 20 meters from the Cats line, and a revamped Tully rudely introduced himself to Cats' fullback Nate "Seabiscuit" Smith just over the Wildcats' goal-line. Seabiscuit played the role of the nail and Tully the hammer in this one, as Seabiscuit was lost for the match and was overheard later asking Cats celebrity backer Mick "Robbo" Robinson if he cared to "ride with Batman…" (Conversion - Tully: Sharks 6-0)

The Cats bit back off Greg Stelluti, as he crashed maliciously through the home teams' goal-line defense for his first of 3 on the day. (Conversion - Mole: 6-6) Adam Dunn then breached the Cats' line and went himself to put the Sharks back in front. (Conversion - Tully: Sharks 12-6) Two more from the Cats would see them take an 18-12 lead into the dressing rooms at half-time: Stelluti and Ben "Hitman" Mathers each cracked open the Sharks' line to touch down from a short way out, with the Mole converting both.

The first half was not without controversy, however, as the Sharks had a game-leveling try called back for foul play, just before the whistle. Sharks' Skipper Zack Padget took a short ball off Greg Swinford and broke down the left-hand side. Swinny felt he was tackled late on the play and ran down the Cats' Brock Mathers from behind for a "King Hit". Mathers would not lie down though, and gave Swinny a lashing in front of his home crowd. After McGough convened with touchies Billy Horan and Robert Irwin, Swinny was binned for 10 minutes on the foul and a penalty was awarded to the Cats, who sat on the 6-point lead going into the break.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 12 in the first 15 minutes through determined individual efforts by Will Brazier and Greg Stelluti, each bouncing off a number of would-be Sharks' tacklers to find pay dirt. The Sharks "Salty" Thompson slipped in, between the 2 Cats' forwards to keep the home team in it (conversions: Mole 2/2: Tully - Cats 30-18)

As the Sharks kept pounding, the Cats kept scoring. Brock Mathers and the living legend Fred Bachus traded touch downs, but it was Sean Byrne who administered the emotional coup de grace for the 2003 AMNRL champs. Byrne, with his back to his own goal-line, stepped in front of an errant ball from Adam Dunn and hoofed the length of the of paddock under chase to seal the Cats 2nd Grand Final appearance in as many years. Dunny came back with a classy ball through the hands of Tully to Skipper Padget, who finally got his due, but the fat lady was already on her feet. (Conversion Mole 2/2: Tully Cats 44-30)

As for the strikers, both Tully and Mulvihill were perfect on the day, hitting 6 and 8 conversions respectively, with the Mole adding a long-range field goal for the Cats. The two look to have at it again in the 2004 AMNRL All-Star game, August 21st in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.

The Cats return to legendary Jack Pearson Stadium next Saturday night to defend their crown against perennial AMNRL powerhouse Glen Mills Bulls, who edged the Wildcats' brethren Northern Raiders in the other tightly contested semifinal.

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