Great Aussie battlers Exodus, injuries and a record defeat can’t break Shearers’ spirit
MEET the Gold Coast rugby league team typifying the beloved Aussie battler.
There’s no two ways about it: the Ormeau Shearers are having a dire season in the top-tier local competition.
They are yet to register a win in 12 starts and eight days ago were crushed 110-4 by ladder leaders Burleigh in what is understood to be a record scoreline since the Agrade league adopted its current format in 2004.
But this isn’t a story shaming their struggles. Rather the Shearers have attracted plaudits for their ticker to keep turning up for one another, no matter how tough the going is. Yesterday they threatened to bounce back in spectacular fashion, leading Bilambil with 20 minutes to go before fading to a 28-12 loss.
The corresponding Gold Coast rugby union competition has been hampered by a number of forfeits, with Coomera – who are similarly short on player numbers – sitting on an unglamorous negative eight points as a result.
Ormeau by contrast have taken the field on every occasion this year. One scene in their Pizzey Park drubbing last week exemplified their spirit.
“With a minute to go, we’d scored and kicked a goal and by the end of it there was 30 seconds to go. Ormeau ran back to halfway to try to get a short kick-off in to try to get the ball back to score a try,” said Burleigh coach Stuart Wilkins. “They kept coming back at us, Ormeau.”
After a competitive 2016, the northern corridor club were hurt by an off-season exodus and with injuries striking often since, have been forced to call on reserve grade players.
They had a change of coach on Tuesday with Jeremy Golf replaced by Ian Frame, who cut a proud figure after their competitive showing against the Jets in Bilambil.
“They were bitterly disappointed with the loss but I asked them to go out there and give me effort and they gave it,” Frame said. “They’re a team that aren’t as skilled as a lot of the other systems out there, we probably don’t have the infrastructure of a Burleigh or a Tweed, but the boys keep turning up and having a dig for each other. They are brilliant blokes to get to know.”
History shows the competition has had its fair share of swings and roundabouts. In 2007, Ormeau were grand finalists. The following year, it was Burleigh who lost a game 100-4 to Currumbin.
Frame doesn’t expect any overnight miracles but has a simple goal for their next game, at home against Currumbin. “It would be good to maybe go for 65-70 minutes next game if we can,” he said.