Full strength on the park

HALLAM Senior College secured another top-tier championship victory after its senior rugby league team defeated Victoria University Secondary College 40-18.
Hallam earned the right to play in the Melbourne Storm Cup grand final on AAMI Park as a curtain raiser to the NRL elimination final between Melbourne Storm and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs last weekend.
Hallam Senior College played their arch rivals Victoria University Secondary College again in this final, after last year’s grand final went to extra time.
Coach Jamie Fardell used the Melbourne Storm Cup round matches to blood many of the players not selected to play in the GIO trophy matches in NSW.
Hallam and Victoria University got the opportunity to play on AAMI Park for the third year in a row because Melbourne Storm’s Holden Cup team didn’t get through to the finals. Ben Halfpenny led the Hallam team and played his first game for the school this year. Unfortunately due to Ben’s selection in the Melbourne Storm Holden Cup 20’s this year, he never played for Hallam.
Both teams were near full strength with a number of Melbourne Storm 20’s and Victorian Rugby League state 18 representatives on show in both teams.
Hallam started well scoring three tries, with two from Ikapote Tupai and Tokorima Metua setting up the third, to race out to a 16-0 lead. Vic Uni fought back with two tries, but a try just before half-time through Eddy Tuilotolava gave Hallam a handy 20-12 at the break.
In the second half, Hallam showed their class and the reason why they progressed to the semi-finals of the NSW GIO Trophy in 2014, running in four more tries to take the Melbourne Storm Cup by 22 points.
The player of the final was awarded to Hallam’s Tupai for his outstanding two-try performance.