Valley beat Excelsior 26-23 on Saturday in the Citizens Shield final to complete the club’s first unbeaten season since 2005.
In a thrilling final, the Weston side snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying stages.
Trailing 23-19 with less than 10 minutes to play, Valley camped inside the Blues 22m and slowly but surely inched closer to the white line.
A penalty was won just 5m out and the Valley forwards fronted up for one final push.
A monster shunt up front allowed captain Cameron Rowland to score the game-winning try off the back of the scrum.
It was "a relief" to be able to lift the shield for the first time since 2020 at the end of the game, Rowland said.
"Blues obviously pushed us right to the wire there so it’s a relief to have her done."
It was a great feeling to have written another piece of history at the club with a first unbeaten season in almost two decades, Rowland said.
"We’re in those books now, history books. It’s a great day."
He said the team had plenty of celebrating to do now that the season had ended.
It was a back-and-forth final with neither side able to build a substantial lead.
Nursing a slender six-point advantage at halftime, Valley was held scoreless for almost the entire second half.
The Excelsior defence, led by tireless captain Mat Duff, was relentless.
When No 8 Samu Babiau crashed over then Josh Phipps knocked over a penalty not too long after, the Blues faithful would have thought they had one hand on the shield, which the club has not held since 1997.
But you can never count out a quality side like Valley, which was the form team the whole season and a deserved to be champion for 2023.
The whole Valley forward pack was immense throughout.
Prop Meli Kolinisau, in particular, put in a huge shift, while flanker Sam Sturgess and No 8 Rowland never stopped working.
Halfback Jake Matthews battled an early ankle injury to put in another solid shift and first five Isaac Clunie led the team around the park well.
Citizens Shield
The scores
Valley 26
Cameron Rowland 2, Jake Greenslade, Isaac Clunie tries; Clunie 3 con
Excelsior 23
Jim Tawaketini, Samu Babiau tries; Josh Phipps 2 con, 3 pen
Halftime: Valley 19-13.
