Winter’s big worry on Bomber bolters

LAUDERDALE’S hopes of causing a TSL grand final boilover against raging favourite North Launceston today hinge on not getting blown away in the opening 30 minutes.

The reigning premiers, who are gunning for a fourth flag in five years, have made a habit of bolting from the blocks and Lauderdale has felt the full brunt in season 2018.

In three meetings this year the southern Bombers have failed to kick a goal in the first term — twice they haven’t registered a score while in Round 21 they managed just 0.2 — with North piling on a combined 18.13 in comparison.

And enhancing their status as the best starters in the competition, North Launceston has held its opponents goalless in the past three games (eight in total), including an 8.2 to 0.2 blitz to stun Glenorchy in the second semi-final.

Having watched his side recover from a 29-point deficit in the dying stages of the first half in the preliminary final, Lauderdale coach Darren Winter has the belief his troops won’t throw in the towel should the scoreboard get away from them. However, allowing the best front-running side in the league to get the jump could prove disastrous on the biggest stage.

“The start is important, we know that they have been starting fast and they will try and start fast again this week, they will be fresh,” Winter said.

“We have to be able to match them on the scoreboard early in the game and get them to defend early, which we haven’t been able to do.

“You take the pressure off them and their structures become harder to crack, they play better, they run better and they attack better.

“We have been able to come back from a slow start. If they do get a jump on us, I don’t think the guys will drop their head and surrender, they will fight it out. But we certainly don’t want to get blown out of the water like we have in the past three games we have played them.

“The longer we can keep the game in the balance, or try and nudge it ahead, both teams have to defend and both teams stay under pressure, then you have an opportunity to maybe crack them at some stage.”

After reaching its first senior grand final since 1991 last year only to get blown away, Winter has no doubt the experience will only benefit those returning for a second time.

“The look in the players’ eyes this year … they are a lot more focused on what it takes.”