The victory was tarnished by violence on Saturday as play broke down in the headline Open clash between the Devils and the Bega Roosters.

Officials threatened to halt play if both teams didn’t calm down and said it was a disappointing finish to an otherwise spectacular opening season for the women’s game. 

When play did settle, Bega were able to cut some good lines to get points on the board, but Narooma were just too strong through the middle to open up space and score tries. 

Earlier, the Candelo-Bemboka ladies put their first win on the ledger, downing an understrength Tathra outfit 24-4. 

Jacqueline Scott starred on the left flank with a couple of tries to her name, while Kylie McDonald was able to land a four pointer early out of dummy half. 

Sharna Mitchell had some cracking runs with a strong fend, while Nikki Perry linked with Kiarna Mitchell out of dummy half. 

Alana Holdsworth was a standout for the Sea Eagles with some stellar defensive tries and good runs with support from Elouise Russell. 

Despite the loss, Russell said “It has been so much fun trying something new and we hope the competition grows”. 

Alliera Bower-Scott echoed the sentiment in praising the competition. 

“Although it was short and sweet, it was a great way to promote the game that so many women and young girls love and never had the opportunity to play,” Bower-Scott said. 

“It was so good to see how many girls from other sports and codes and even girls who have never played came to have a run and help teams out.”

Both Tathra players are confident the competition will return and have even more to show in 2019. 

“It’s looking pretty promising for the future of the game in Group 16. The future definitely looks bright, even moreso for the younger girls coming through.”

Narooma had mimicked the result in the earlier under 14s final, defeating the Bega Roosters in a close contest. 

Meanwhile, the inaugural under 17s crown went to Cooma in a close match with Bombala. 

Team captains from the two squads praised each others’ efforts and said it had been a quality contest. They also thanked their respective coaches. 

The Bulldogs went down to Cooma in the first under 14s game, while the Devils downed Bega in the second 17s clash. 

The competition is likely to return following the regular 2019 season next year.