Rabbitohs claim emotional win | PHOTOS

Led by veterans David Peachey and Peter Boon, the men in red and green got out to an 18-0 lead by half-time against Macquarie and despite the Raiders improving after the break it was not enough.

Westside went on to win 18-8 and a number of their players and supporters were close to tears after the full-time whistle.

"With all the hard work we did on and off to make the field, to stand up the way we did today really meant a lot, for me with my family here and for all the families," player-coach Robbie Olsen said after the match.

"It was really special."

Both sides had a player sin-binned during the match while Westside's Seaun Stanley was sent from the field for a swinging arm during the second half.

But Peachey and Boon controlled the match near perfectly while Bill Collis and fellow co-coach Chad Parkes led the way up front.

"Legend by name and legend by nature," Olsen said of Peachey and Boon after the match.

"It's one of those things. I'm honoured to be part of a culture that they are helping me build and that's what will doing in the next couple of years, laying the foundation for the fellas coming through the ranks."

For Macquarie it brought to an end a finals series that had seen them defeat Wellington, CYMS and Forbes.

"It's quite devastating to come from where we were in the last three or four weeks in the semis and built some momentum," captain-coach Adam McDermott said.

"If we'd played like we had in the last few weeks I think we would have been too good today but too much dropped ball and too many simple penalties and Westside were too hungry in the end.

"They got off to a good start in the first half and to out credit we came back well but you can't give starts like that in a grand final and expect to win so full credit to them."

It only took five minutes for Westside to open the scoring with a Bill Collis offload putting Dylan Coe over after the Rabbitohs had forced a repeat set.

Down 6-0, the Raiders worked their way back into the match but were dealt a blow when centre Bradley Spencer was sin-binned for striking during one of the many minor skirmishes during the match.

On the back of that and another penalty, Peachey put Keith Jarrett through a gap and over and Jarrin Fernando again converted to make it 12-0.

Just four minutes later Macquarie again had themselves to blame for a try as a knock-on led to Boon going straight under the posts to extend the lead.

Just before the break Stanley was sent for 10 for using an elbow and early in the second stanza Macquarie made the extra man count and scored through Spencer.

Stanley only lasted 10 minutes back on the field before he was sent off for a swinging arm that failed to collect anyone and the Raiders again capitalised with veteran Dave Daley scoring out wide.

But the Raiders could not break through again with Peachey's try-saving tackle on Zac Rennick inside the final 10 minutes epitomising their wholehearted effort.

"It was a good set up, we laid the platform in the first 20 to show them how good we were in attack and we were on song with our game plan," Olsen said.

"I was a bit let down with mistakes here and there which piggybacked them down the field but I'm proud of the boys, they dug deep and the bench was great and I couldn't ask for much more."