The MacKillop Saints Under-16 Boys have booked their place in next week’s NT Schools Rugby League Grand Final after producing a dominant 56-6 victory over Rosebery College at MacKillop Field.

Despite entering the semifinal without as many as nine players due to injury, work commitments and disciplinary issues, the Saints showed their depth and determination, crossing for ten tries in a commanding display against their local rivals.

With Grand Final positions up for grabs, the opportunity was clear for the players stepping into the side, and they responded emphatically.

Rosebery opened the match strongly, powering through their first set and marching their way to the 40-metre line. However, it was Saints who struck first when Zac Waters crashed over to the left of the posts. From there, the home side found another gear.

Xavier Geronimo, Timana Roe, Gabe Walsh, Zaiden Smith and Judd Boulton all crossed before halftime as Saints piled on the points. The highlight came on the stroke of the break when Bryce Anderson raced 50 metres down the right touchline to score a spectacular runaway try, giving Saints a commanding lead at the interval.

The victory came at a cost for Geronimo, who suffered a suspected ankle sprain while scoring his first try of the tournament. The injury is expected to sideline him for up to four weeks, ruling him out of next week’s Grand Final in a cruel twist after one of his strongest performances of the season.

To their credit, Rosebery showed plenty of resilience after the break. Their defensive line tightened considerably and they restricted Saints to just three second-half tries through Harry Liddle, Anderson and Roe.

The Saints nearly added another when Angus Pomroy burst through under the posts, only to be denied after narrowly losing control of a well-timed inside ball from Liddle.

Rosebery refused to leave empty-handed and were rewarded late in the contest. After earning back-to-back penalties, they shifted field position and launched an attacking kick on the final tackle. A breakdown in communication between Saints’ winger and fullback allowed the Rosebery chaser to pounce on the bouncing ball and score their lone try of the afternoon.

With the semi final hurdle cleared, attention now turns to next week’s Grand Final at TRL Stadium, where Saints will face familiar rivals Taminmin College for the title of Northern Territory Under-16 Schoolboys Champions.

Taminmin secured their place in the decider earlier in the day with a dramatic 22-20 comeback victory over Essington, setting up another chapter in one of the competition’s fiercest rivalries.

Saints coach Matthew Sharp said the performance highlighted the depth that has developed within the squad throughout the season.

“We have around 37 players who have been involved with this Under-16 group, but only 20 jerseys can be handed out on Grand Final day,”

Sharp said.

“The boys who stepped up this week gave themselves every chance. What yesterday showed is that we’ve built genuine depth across the squad. Selection won’t be easy, but whoever earns a jersey will represent the school with pride and give everything for their teammates.”

With several players expected to return from injury and other commitments, competition for places will intensify ahead of what promises to be a highly anticipated Grand Final showdown.