Revenge of the Rats: Why this gut-wrenching try could lead to Shute Shield redemption

8 hours ago 2

It was an agonising end to a season of promise. But losing a Shute Shield semi-final in the final 10 seconds last year may have provided Warringah with the required motivation – and finishing lessons – to push on and win the title in 2025.

And the Hollywood twist? The side that broke the Rats’ hearts in that semi-final, and then went on to win the grand final a week later, is the same club they will face in Saturday’s decider at Leichhardt Oval: Eastern Suburbs.

“There’s no doubting they’ll be using this as a bit of a revenge for last year’s semi,” Easts coach Ben Batger said. “They’ll be extremely motivated and our job will be to be more motivated than them.

“But you can see the narrative: they’re out for revenge and we’re out for back-to-back. It’s two contrasting stories.”

The Shute Shield grand final is never short of romantic storylines and this year’s edition is no different.

Having established themselves at Sydney’s dominant club last year, Easts finished minor premiers again in first grade in 2025, with an impressive 16-2 season.

Batger’s Tricolours broke a 55-year title drought last year when they beat Norths to win the Shute Shield, and if they beat Warringah on Saturday, it would be the first consecutive premierships for the Beasties since 1946-47.

“It was Mad Monday last year when Jack Bowen first said let’s go back-to-back,” Easts coach Ben Batger said. “That was after 20 beers, of course. But the boys have been riding that since. It would be really satisfying. Winning one grand final is really, really good. But winning two would be exceptional.”

Easts winger Darby Lancaster celebrates his match-winning try in the 2024 semi-final.

The history-making feats by Easts last year swung on a thrilling semi-final at North Sydney Oval, which appeared lost for Batger’s men until the dying moments. With Warringah leading 34-31, Wallaby winger Darby Lancaster crashed over for Easts with nine seconds left on the clock.

It was a gut-wrenching end for Warringah, who had been strong all year but then went winless in the finals against Norths and Easts.

“Sitting in the presentation night, ‘Marrsy’ [captain Ben Marr] said, ‘We’ll be back, and next year we will go all the way’,” Rats coach Josh Holmes said.

“As coaches, when we sat down and had a look at last year, it was a successful season, but we came out and started really well, and at the back end we plateaued. We started to hang on to games, instead of finishing games.

Warringah’s Ben Marr and Eastern Suburbs Josh Bokser with the Premiership Shute Shield.

“The question for us as coaches was, how do we change that? How do we prepare our boys so that we’re coming good at the back end, and not hanging on?

“We learnt a lot. And as much as it sucks to go through, sport’s funny because it teaches you a lot of lessons. It makes your skin tougher, and I know those boys this weekend will remember that.”

The Rats won seven of their final nine games heading into the 2025 play-offs, where they downed Newcastle and then dispatched Norths to earn a spot in their ninth Shute Shield grand final.

Warringah claimed the Shute Shield in 2017.

Since the club’s formation in 1963 the Rats have only ever won one Shute Shield title. That came in 2017 when Holmes was part of an emotional premiership run, coached by Darren Coleman, that came after the death of popular clubman Lachie Ward.

Holmes, the former Waratahs halfback, has a chance to join an elite group of Sydney rugby figures who have won a premiership as a player and coach at the same club.

“You get way more proud as a coach,” Holmes said. “The coaching stuff came around pretty quick. A couple of years ago I was just starting out, and we won a premiership in ’23 with the first grade colts.

“Two years later I’m sitting here coaching a first grade team, so it’s been a fast journey but a really enjoyable one. I’m really proud of this club.”

After being overlooked last year, Batger was recognised as coach of the year in 2025, and it was arguably more deserved, with many of Easts’ stable of Waratahs stars missing this season. Bowen, Charlie Gamble and Jamie Adamson are set to miss the decider with injury.

“It is really satisfying, it’s because obviously everyone last year said, ‘You won because it was just a team of superstars’,” Batger said. “So to get back here, and we’re missing seven or eight guys from last year’s team here – that’s very satisfying.”

Holmes said he was pleased to see his team’s response to winning their semi-final at the weekend.

“You look at Rats and over the years we’ve probably been the team that hasn’t won many and for a long time probably the club that was never in the mix. We were not seen as a team to beat.

“I think we’ve sort of changed that mentality since 2017, and become a very good club. It was a good feeling on the weekend that we won, and the boys didn’t carry on what they want to do in the grand final.

“They shook hands and then straight away the change room talk was around ‘OK, let’s get ready’.”