Slavin Hat-Trick Leads Sharks to First Win

The Belconnen United Sharks have launched their 2025 campaign with a 34-24 win over the Gungahlin Bulls at NSWRL HQ.

In an early back-and-forth battle, the Bulls were let down by defensive lapses and handling errors, allowing the Sharks to build a commanding lead before Gungahlin clawed back late to add respectability to the scoreboard.

Sharks back rower Jay Slavin and Bulls centre Blake Newcombe were standouts, both crossing for hat-tricks for their respective teams. 

The Sharks opened the scoring in the sixth minute, with Carl Johnson threading a grubber that Slavin pounced on to score.

Gungahlin hit back quickly with a sharp right-edge shift that sent Tui Georgievski over untouched, but a missed conversion saw the Sharks maintain a narrow 6-4 lead.

Ill-discipline from the Bulls soon gifted Belconnen prime field position, and Owen Hromow made them pay, charging over from close range off the ruck.

Gungahlin answered again, this time through slick hands from prop Apenisa Driti, who put Newcombe into space for a try out wide. Another missed conversion kept the Sharks in front, 12-8.

Belconnen took control in the final 10 minutes of the first half, adding two more tries. Connor Massen finished off a classy cut-out ball from Tristan Eldridge before Dean Wilson burst through from a scrum to score under the posts, giving the Sharks a 22-8 halftime lead.

The hosts extended their advantage shortly after the break with a carbon-copy of their opening try - another Johnson grubber for Slavin to finish.

With the margin stretched to 20, the Bulls needed a response and got one through Jesse Croker, who finished a strong break from Ryan Grocott to bring it to 28-14.

But another penalty proved costly as the Sharks earned a fresh set and Slavin barged over for his third, extending the lead to 34-14.

Gungahlin didn’t go away, and Newcombe secured his hat-trick with two late tries in the 67th and 74th minutes to close the gap to 10, but the Sharks held firm to secure a 34-24 victory and a strong start to their season.