NEW Earswick All Blacks ARLC player-boss Jack Stearman hailed a bright future for the team despite their Yorkshire Men's League campaign ending in disappointment.

All Blacks fell 33-18 to Norland Sharks in the division one play-off final, the Humbersiders sealing an otherwise tight game with two tries and a drop goal in the last five minutes as Stearman's men went for broke.

It meant the York outfit - who had switched to summer rugby from the winter Pennine League last year - missed out on a treble success in their first season in this league, having lifted the Forty-20 Cup earlier in the summer and topped the division one table, ahead of runners-up Norland.

Stearman wrote on social media: "After a day of reflection I could look back on Saturday's game and be disappointed that we didn't get the result we wanted - but I'm far from it. It was a bad day at the office and these things happen.

"But to lose only three games all year, win a cup and top the league, we can't really complain about the efforts from all players and coaches who've helped with our first-ever summer season.

"What a great bunch of lads they are and I firmly believe that our future is bright at the All Blacks."

All Blacks had gone ahead in the final - played at Featherstone Lions' ground - when left-winger Dean Smith crossed after six minutes.

Half-back Liam Gargan added a penalty on 14 minutes but Norland quickly hit back to level with a converted try.

A second Gargan penalty made it 8-6 but Norland were 10-6 ahead at the interval after bagging a second try on 28 minutes.

The Sharks went clear on the scoreboard in the opening 10 minutes after the interval thanks to two more tries, one of which was converted.

All Blacks got back in it just before the hour thanks to a try by right-winger Sam Cooper, converted by Gargan, but Norland quickly extended their lead again to 24-14 with another four-pointer.

It was game on again after 71 minutes when prop Stearman, for some reason left in possession on the last tackle, chipped forward and hacked on again, with Sean Malarkey, playing at loose-forward, winning the race to touch down a bizarre try.

Gargan's goal cut the gap to 24-20.

However, a 75th-minute Norland try, immediately followed by a drop-goal, sealed the Sharks' victory and they capped it with a last touchdown just before the final whistle.

Cooper said: "It was a tough day at the office really - we didn't put our best performance in and things just didn't click like they can.

"It's disappointing but, if you look at the season as a whole, we were not really expected to do what we've done so on the whole it's been pretty good."