But if Pacific thought they could take an 8-0 lead into halftime they hadn't reckoned on that Whalers' belief. A scrum at 30m led to the ball passed wide to Garry Ngarongo, who off-loaded to Hamish Newlands then on to Ricky Quinlan. He made inroads before shaking off three defenders to go down for the try. Paul Pou got the conversion in the last kick of the half.
There was more urgency in the second period. Whalers took the lead with a try from Anaru Taute. Pacific came back with a try of their own and then a penalty. A further - and yet another unconverted - try edged them ahead 18-12 but still that belief held firm as Whalers' Alesano scored a beauty to level on full-time.
Two periods of five minutes' extra time were now called and it was Whalers who charged ahead, Pou taking the lead and Ngarongo finishing.
The Pacific drummers kept on their beat, as if trying to entrance their team to get ahead. It wasn't to be, Whalers shut them down and the underdogs became the champions.
"We were the laughing stock last year but we've done the hard work," player coach Pou said.
"Everyone was writing us off and that motivated us. We had the belief throughout the season. Pacific took it to us but our boys had the self-belief. It was all about remaining calm and composed and completing our sets."
He said when it came to extra time their goal was to score first then defend and that tactic worked despite the drums and Pacific chants getting louder.
"We knew the drums would come so we used that as a call to drum them.
"We turned it around."
Pacific coach Pani Daniels was stoic in defeat.
"There's always next year," he said. "I thought we would go okay. We've beaten Tauranga twice this year but the finals are always different. It all comes down to the kicks."
Result: Pacific Sharks 18 (Joseph Cook 2, Jackson Pereua, Tamatua Karora-Rea tries, Ashley Fransham pen) Tauranga Whalers 24 (Ricky Quinlan, Anaru Taute, Garry Ngarongo, Selo Alesana tries, Paul Pou 4 cons). Half-time 8-6. Full-time 18-18.