Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Three weeks of rugby withdrawal symptoms came to a end last Saturday, when Sideline Sid got to catch the Sunshine Coast premier preliminary rugby union final, with a berth to the winner in next weekends title decider at stake.

Last weekends Sunny Coast rugby encounter, was a far cry from this rugby writers last Western Bay matches on Baywide Finals day.

Baywide Finals at Blake Park and Judea's Maharaia Winiata Park saw the spectators rugged up in warm jackets and woolly hats, with gum boots the order of the day at Judea HQ.

Three weeks later Sid was dressed in summer attire of tee-shirt and shorts, as the Caloundra Lighthouses took on Maroochydore, for the right to meet Noosa in next weekends grand final in Noosa.

While Noosa have led throughout the 2016 Sunshine Coast Rugby Union season, with a unbeaten record, Caloundra finished in a solid second place in the regular season. On a field that could only be described in thoroughbred racing terms as "hard and fast", the two preliminary finals combatants, squared off under a clear blue sky and 25 degrees.

The Caloundra second team set the the scene for their premier counterparts, reaching the second division title decider, with a hard fought victory over Nambour in the days early attraction. In the main encounter, in front of a crowd of around five to six hundred, the Lighthouses thrilled their fans scoring a try in the opening minute of play.

In a game that was played at a genuine pace on the on a lightning quick field, Caloundra totally dominated the match, leading 20-3 at halftime before kicking on to a big 41-3 win.

While the seven try to nil win against Maroochydore was an emphatic statement, the Caloundra first fifteen are well aware of the huge challenge they face next weekend, to hand Noosa their first defeat of the season and win the Sunshine Coast title for the first time.

All over the Sunshine Coast there is a big presence of kiwi ex-pats,with Caloundra Rugby, no exception. There are nine or ten New Zealand born players in the Lighthouse premier ranks, with a strong presence in the off-field troops as well.

Former well known Mount Maunganui surfer and now Sunshine Coast businessman Tony Green, is the club president and leads his admin team, by rolling up his sleeves and getting on with the job in true kiwi fashion. In tandem with other club volunteers he was behind the bar during the match, as faithful home fans queued up, on a day where downing a drink kept thirst at bay on a extremely warm afternoon.

Keeping up with Sunlive, again revealed heartbreak for the Bay of Plenty Steamers, as they went down by a solitary point to Otago at the Tauranga Domain. Following the Steamers is like following the New Zealand Warriors in the NRL with a full roller coaster ride of emotions during each season.

Thank goodness for the All Blacks, as the charge to another Rugby Championship title and keep the Bledisloe Cup on the right side of the Tasman for another twelve months.