Noosa v Palm Beach-Currumbin at Fisherman’s Road, 2.15pm Saturday:
THE big premiership decider on the Sunshine Coast is shaping as one that has all the ingredients of yet another nail-biter when home-town favourites Noosa tackle Gold Coast powerhouse Palm Beach-Currumbin.
The majority of rival coaches have tipped a close scrap as the big cats battle it out to be kings of the jungle.
In the red corner we have the Noosa Tigers, conquerors of PBC in the second semi-final – an uncompromising outfit but a club with spasmodic appearances in grand finals.
In the blue corner is a unit well versed to the demands of the season-ending big stage and entering its eighth grand final in 11 years.
Noosa coach Wayne Fletcher was asked if he is concerned by a perceived lack of grand-finals experience among his playing group, given Noosa’s only recent appearances in premiership deciders were in 2006 and 1999.
The Tigers lost both of them, although the ’99 one was in a replay after they
drew with Redland in the SQAFA competition.
In 2006, the Tigers were hammered by 10 goals by the Westen Magpies at Gold Coast Stadium.
“No, I am not concerned,” he said. “We’re a different group – and some of the players who have come into the side have played in grand finals in other competitions.”
Noosa beat PBC by 17 points – after giving the Lions a six-goal start at quarter-time – in the second semi-final and subsequently earned a weekend off.
But is that a good thing? According to Fletcher it is.
“We needed that because we had few sore boys,” he said. “We had a couple of very tough games against Maroochy-Northshore, then obviously what was a tough gig down at Palm Beach for the semi-final
“But everyone is right now.”
Fletcher has a clear respect for the Lions. He knows that to give them an inch they’ll take a mile, so it will be the old Noosa recipe, that of pressure, pressure and more pressure, that he is looking for.
“They’re a quality team, they have been for a number of years, and we know we have to be at our best to beat them.
“Our main focus is always the footy and the way we apply pressure on opponents when we haven’t got the footy.”
Noosa have made just the one change, bring back quality defender Ryan Sawyers.
Palm Beach, on the other hand, look like having three changes.
The Lions regain midfielders Josh McLoughlin and Lee Spizziri, along with experienced ruckman Aaron Lohrey.
The outs, but still in with a chance of playing after being included in the interchange-from list, are Tom Dubelaar, Jordan Wallace and Brendan Trew.
O’Brien said the nuggety Trew simply does not have enough match time under his belt after only one game in the past month.
“ We need the runners against Noosa,” he explained.
Since 1997, when they took the GCAFL premiership decider against Surfers Paradise, the Lions have contested eight grand finals and won three of them – in 1999 (by 55 points against Surfers); in 2000 (by 24 against Coolangatta); and in 2007 (by 64 points against Western Magpies).
Yet the Lions could so easily have had four more premiership trophies in the Salk Oval cabinets.
In the 1998 grand final they were beaten by two points by Surfers; in 2003 they went down by 17 against Coolangatta; in 2004 they lost the grand final by two points to Burleigh after going into the big decider unbeaten; in 2005 they again lost to Burleigh by two points in the GF played at the Gabba; and last year, after leading in the shadows of the post, they fell by three points after the final siren to Western Magpies.
So an aggregate of just nine points have cost PBC four more premiership cups.
These numbers suggest PBC are prone to choking in close ones, although coach Craig O’Brien, who was in charge when his Lions ran out of legs in last year’s decider, remains upbeat.
“I know that (losing past close grand finals), but that is all history – and history is there to be broken,” he said.
O’Brien conceded his team stopped to a walk against the Magpies last year, but he pointed out the fact he lost two key runners. Speedster Arnold Knight did a hamstring in the first quarter and Ryan Rodgers was out suspended.
“We have lost four games in two years,” said O’Brien. “Two of them were this year and both were at Salk Oval.”
That is an interesting statistic and suggestive that the Lions appreciate the bigger grounds – and they do not come much better than Fisherman’s Road.
A lot has been said about Noosa’s approach to the game. The Tigers are a committed bunch, one that sticks strongly to the team ethic yet a side that can also turn on the physicality.
“But we have plenty of blokes who can look after themselves in that department,” said O’Brien.
“But, look, biffo does not win you a grand final.”
NOOSA:
Backs: Ryan Sawyers, Brad Kearney, Adam Eady.
Half-backs: Adam Bovalino, Scott Maddern, Jarryd Bates.
Centres: Zac Smith, Nick Hammonds, Brooks Durdin.
Half-forwards: Luke Tyrrell, Ryan Jeffrey, Mick Gafa.
Forwards: Caleb Isles, Matt Hicks, Jay Reynolds.
Rucks: Peter Trompf, Jack Rhodes, Ben Evans.
Interchange (from): Gary Wallace, Aaron Laskey, Sam McCosh, Liam Guinan, Justin Blayney, Will Troedel.
PALM BEACH-CURRUMBIN:
Backs: Ryan Carroll, Zane Templeman, Matt Flynn.
Half-backs: Arnold Knight, Scott Vis, Chris Williams.
Centres: Josh McLoughlin, Mark Mooney, Lee Spizziri.
Half-forwards: Ryan Rodgers, Greg Pires, Jedd Williams.
Forwards: Matt Carroll, Adrian Hill, James Drake.
Rucks: Michael I’Anson, Darryl Dyson., Mikal Bloom.
Interchange (from): Brent Rynehart, Angus Munro, Aaron Lohrey, Tim Newton, Brendan Trew, Tom Dubelaar.
Reserve grade grand final
Palm Beach-Currumbin v Maroochy-Northshore at Fisherman’s Road, 11.15am Saturday:
PALM Beach-Currumbin take a season clean sheet against rivals Maroochy-Northshore in the reserve grade grand final.
The Lions lost two games all season, Maroochy lost six, yet the latter have made the big decider after losing to Wilston-Grange in the qualifying final by 80 points.
The Roos then bundled Noosa out of the race with a 69-point win in the first semi-final, then they downed Wilston-Grange by five points in the preliminary final last weekend.
PBC missed the first week of finals as minor premiers, then beat Wilston-grange by 11 points to earn another weekend off.
Two games in a month may work against the Lions, but they have the form on the board against the Roos this season.
They scored in round one by 14 points at Fisherman’s Road, then by 53 points in round 11.
Last Modified on 22/03/2010 08:22