Queanbeyan Kangaroos coach Aaron Gorrell expects a physical grand final this Sunday when his side faces the West Belconnen Warriors.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Kangaroos enter the Canberra Raiders Cup decider as the favourites, having won their past 16 matches.
Gorrell declared it would be a huge achievement for the club if they do manage to claim their first premiership since 2013.
“It’ll be massive. We’ve had a couple of – how we mark ourselves – pretty average two years after making four grand finals straight,” Gorrell said.
“We are a pretty tight-knit group, and we’ve developed pretty well over the year. Hopefully we’ve peaked at the right time.
“To win a premiership in our 50th year would mean a lot to the club.”
Standing in the Kangaroos premiership path are the Warriors who upset reigning premiers, the Queanbeyan Blues, on September 4.
Gorrell watched the Warriors defeat the Blues 10-6 and isn’t surprised to see the Warriors in the grand final.
“I’ve rated West Belconnen all year. It’s just a few people who have gone along and blown the Blues trumpet all year,” Gorrell said.
“They play what’s in front of them…If you relax, they’ll come up with a play to burn you. We just have to be good for 80 minutes and if we have to go longer, we will.”
“They’ve got the best player in the competition [in Bobby Roberts], he won the Les McIntyre Medal. You just can’t give him time, he’s a smart player, and he’ll come up with a play, but we’ve got blokes who will put him under pressure.”
The Warriors kept the Blues to only six points, but Gorrell isn’t fazed by a Warriors defence that limited the Blues to only one try.
“I think with the points we’ve scored this year, we’ll score a lot more than six points,” Gorrell said.
He said the team will do what they’ve done all year, and worry about themselves, the things they can control and nothing else.
“There’s no point worrying about things out of your control.
“We’ll stick to what we need to do, keep turning up for each other and do what we’ve done for the last 16 games. Hopefully, that’ll be enough to get the win on Sunday.”