OLD Bar co-captain-coach Mick Henry said Old Bar's strong first half laid the foundation for the 22-10 win over Port Sharks in the Group Three Rugby League grand final at Port Macquarie.
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"We had the wind behind us and we wanted to utilise it,'' he said.
"We scored a few tries early and that was crucial, because it was neck-and-neck in the second half.''
The Pirates led 18-4 at halftime and despite being under pressure in the second half, they came away strong and deserved winners.
Henry said the Pirates didn't panic when Port mounted a comeback in the second half.
"The resolve we've learnt in the last couple of years - if something doesn't go our way, we know we just have to defend our way out of it," he said.
He agreed "100 per cent" that his side's defence won the match.
"In that first half Port only looked dangerous off kicks and we knew if we defended our arses off in the second half that we would win,'' Henry said.
He aid the overseas contingent of Simon Wise, John Stanley, Shane Nigel and Emmanuel Soli out 'outstanding'.
"I hope they don't leave Old Bar for 10 years,'' he laughed.
"They're the best footballers I've ever played with. Simon has been our best player for the past six weeks and he deserves every accolade he gets.''
Old Bar enjoyed strong crowd support and the "Pirates...Pirates" chant broke out as fulltime neared.
"We're going to have a big week,'' Henry promised.
