Pat Conroy (Charlton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate the mighty Macquarie Scorpions on the excellent season they had in the real NRL, the Newcastle Rugby League. They lost narrowly in the grand final to Lakes United by 24-18 after leading 18-4 at halftime. I pay tribute to the players who battled through injuries. They have a very young squad, which bodes well for next year. They did a great job getting to the grand final. They were massive underdogs, and to lead for 55 minutes was a tremendous achievement. I also know the eventually successful team, Lakes United, who played the full 80 minutes, and it was great to see the first Lake Macquarie-only grand final in the NRL since 1994.

More important than the work on the field is the work of the Macquarie Scorpions off the field. The team is full of white-ribbon ambassadors, and the leadership of the Macquarie Scorpions has instituted a Let's Tackle Domestic Violence round of the real NRL. They really are champions at confronting domestic violence in the Newcastle region and they are leading from the front. So I want to thank them for their great efforts in championing this very important cause as well as playing some great footy on the field.

I want to thank their major sponsors, Toronto Workers Club and Centennial Coal, a very important local employer. I want to wish them the very best of luck for next year. I am sure they will go well and, hopefully, the old saying that you have to lose one to win one comes true. I will finish by saying, 'Go, Scorps!'