Tigers live the finals dream

FOOTBALL FAIRY tales always have a happy ending, but Tully will consider its 2018 CDRL season a great story regardless of what happens from here.

The Tigers can book a grand final berth this Sunday with a win against Brothers in the preliminary final.

It would be a remarkable result for a club with a first-time coach, a busted up veteran at five-eighth and a mixed bag of unrecognised talent.

Aaron Tongalea, who has lived in Tully for 18 years but only took the reins as head coach this year, said he was riding the wave.

“I’m over the moon. We are one game away from a grand final,” the coach said.

“When I took on the coaching job this year I didn’t expect to even make the finals. I wanted to mainly rebuild the morale at the club and improve some of the players.”

Tongalea has done much more than that.

The Tigers went into the finals as underdogs and have since disposed of Innisfail and Atherton, two sides expected to contend for the premiership.

Veteran playmaker Colin Wilkie, who has battled hamstring and calf injuries this season, said he was pinching himself.

“If I’m fair dinkum honest I didn’t expect this at all,” he said.

“When I came to the club and did the first couple of training sessions I was thinking, ‘what have I got myself into?’

“But what I noticed was the interaction between the players and the three grades. There was no division between the first graders, reggies and under-19s.

“Everyone was happy to be there and learn.”

Wilkie said although it was a cliche to talk about one game at a time, he had now started to dream of the ultimate fairytale.

“I’m a Tully boy through and through I just haven’t been able to play here,” the former Northern Pride star said.

“Personally it’s been a bit of a frustrating year because I’ve been injured a lot, but I’m doing everything I can to help this young side and teach them as much I can.”

Tongalea said Wilkie’s experience had brought the best out his players and that he was crucial to helping develop the Tigers’ “big three” of Darryl Grant, Phil Nona and Trevor Mathieson.

That combination on Tully’s right side has given opposition sides headaches.

Nona, who has been a journeyman for most of his rugby league career, has seemingly found his feet.

His ability to beat defenders in the centres and also set up Mathieson on the wing has been superb.

Wilkie said he had developed a lot in a short time.

“He’s found a bit of confidence and that’s working for him,” he said.

Tully will be underdogs on Sunday but for Tongalea and Wilkie the result doesn’t matter.

“Winning premierships is great but immediate success is not always good. Sometimes it’s about developing players and a culture. This season has been a success regardless of what we do from here,” Wilkie said.