THE Laurieton Stingrays took ownership of the Rob Ramsey Shield with a convincing win over the Lake Cathie Raiders on Saturday 25 May.

The Rob Ramsey Shield is an annual event held in honour of its namesake’s memory.

Rob was a local supporter of both the Laurieton Stingrays and Lake Cathie Raiders rugby league clubs.

All three of his sons played for both clubs, starting with the Raiders before joining the Stingrays once the club was launched.

In only the third year of the Shield, a big turnout on Saturday confirmed it as a clear crowd favourite.

Rob’s son Justin told News Of The Area (NOTA) it was a special occasion for the family.

“This day means a lot to myself and my brothers, Ben and Mick,” Justin said.

“Unfortunately, we have all stepped away from competition footy this year due to our work commitments but we all made sure that we would be here today to watch the game and celebrate Dad.”

The Stingrays welcomed three new players to their line up for the local derby match up: Dean Mills (No 21), Jack Formica (No 15) and Lachlan Pensini (No 17).

In a debut to remember, Pensini crossed the line twice for two tries.

The opening exchanges were even, with both sides going try for try at the beginning of the battle.

The Stingrays’ pack proved to be too dominant however, and took ownership of the clash midway through the first half.

At times, the Raiders looked dangerous, capitalising on the pace of their younger players, however errors in their own half proved costly.

The match ended 54-22 in the Stingrays’ favour.

“It was a good all-round effort and a fantastic start to the season,” the Stingrays’ Nick ‘Buckets’ McCabe said at full time.

“Our upcoming game against South West Rocks next week will be a great benchmark for the team.”

“We have a number of new and young players onboard and we are looking forward to watching their development and progression throughout the season,” McCabe told NOTA.

The Stingrays’ Jake Wheeler also thanked all the mums, wives, partners, sisters and female supporters of the club who came to the game to celebrate Laurieton Ladies Day and cheer on the side.

“Without your support and encouragement we don’t have our game – you make the difference for our club,” he said.

“And you all look absolutely gorgeous today!”

On the weekend, the Stingrays travelled to South West Rocks to do battle with the Marlins.

In difficult wet conditions, the visitors came away with a hard fought 40-12 win.

“It’s always a hard game up there,” a Stingrays spokesperson said after the match.

“Both teams gave the crowd an entertaining game to watch with some big hits and cracking tries.

“Playing in very wet conditions, the boys stuck to the game plan and came away with the win.”

Laurieton sit third on the Hastings League ladder after nine rounds.

By Kim AMBROSE