We gave ’em a bloody good hiding,

We gave ’em a bloody good hiding,

And so say all of us.

The Steamers’ victory song reverberated across the Connolly Rugby Complex in Wagga on Saturday afternoon and every word rang true.

The blue and golds finished the year in the same ruthless manner that had become their trademark in the home-and-away season — a 41-7 demolition of Wagga Waratahs.

A blistering opening 15 minutes in the second half sealed the victory that had only been hinted at in an opening stanza that saw the Steamers ahead 13-0.

Flanker Liam Krautz was judged best on ground for his tireless performance with the ball in hand and in defence.

English hardman Dave Cooper-Dunn wasn’t far behind as was a rampaging pack that found its rhythm in the second 40 minutes.

The accolades for the unbeaten Steamers kept coming in the post-match celebrations with fly-half Richard Manion winning the Bill Castle medal for best player in the competition.

Waratahs announced their game plan from the opening whistle, their first two touches resulting in long kicks for territory.

But in a half that see-sawed between the two quarter-lines the Steamers were their own worst enemy — pushing passes and early plays that handed the ball back to the opposition.

It took until the final 10 minutes of the first half for the blue and golds to assert their authority.

Ahead 6-0 through two James Olds penalties, the Steamers began to control the football and a half break by Manion found support from Ash Lefevre — the big No. 5 putting the ball down next to the posts.

But a half-time “razz” from coach Dave Stuart saw the Steamers return to the controlled aggression and relentless running that has been part of their game plan from round 1.

The result was more space for Manion and his backline and the holes opened up across the park.

First the fly-half himself ran into a gap to score before Sandy Middleton bagged a double and retiring veteran Mick Alexander finished the job.

In between Lefevre was unlucky not to get a second, losing the ball on the tryline.

Waratahs scored in the 79th minute but the celebrations had already begun.

Stuart said he was a bit dark at half-time.

“We weren’t doing what we should have been doing keeping to the pattern, rolling around,” he said.

“So we spoke about it at half-time and the boys went back to the pattern, controlled the ball and it set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Stuart said he couldn’t split Krautz and Cooper-Dunn as their best.

“Everyone in the forward pack was excellent particularly in that second half,” he said.

Captain Nathan Bright said he was always confident despite the close margin at the break.

“It was a mirror image of the last game of the season when we led 12-0 at half-time and we knew we were on the verge of cracking them — it felt the same,” he said.

“But we got out there and did the business — we starved them of the ball, took our time and it opened up.”

Coaching director Steve Stone had lost his voice by the end of the 80 minutes but judged the victory as the best he had been involved in.

“I’ve won eight finals in the past, this is the ninth and I think it’s the best,” he said.

“We had the whole world against us up here and we have come up and not just won but made a statement.

“These boys deserve it — they have been on the road since last December and it showed out there today, they were too fit, too strong.”

French hooker Jean-Laurent Pozzobon was in the thick of the action.

“It was tough but we were able to dominate even in the first half,” he said.

“We treated it like a normal match and the score ended up like that.”

Cooper-Dunn, who returns to England this year, said it was a hell of a game.

“I’m really proud of the boys,” he said.

“We got out of the box a bit slow but in the end we put together the phases we wanted.

“It is what rugby is all about, you have to work for the whole 80 minutes to get the job done and I think anyone who watched that today knows that is exactly what we did — all of us.”