Lot more to come on Country road
QUEENSLAND Country coach Brad Thorn has issued a warning to NRC rivals: “We are only going to get better.”
Country’s remarkable rise from competition whipping boys to champions was capped on Saturday night by a scarcely believable 42-28 grand final victory over the Vikings in Canberra.
Country trailed 21-7 at half-time but produced a spirited second-half comeback led by captain Duncan Paia’aua and a hat-trick from winger Filipo Daugunu.
Paia’aua scored a vital try at the death, bursting through two Vikings defenders from first receiver when the scores were locked at 28-28, before Daugunu claimed the restart and raced away to ice the win.
“(The) win epitomises our season. We came up with a motto for the team ‘the hard road’, and we had to take the hard road to win,” Thorn said.
“Our loss to Perth in Ipswich meant we finished second and had to play Fiji again, then we had to come down to Canberra and bounce back from a 21-7 deficit to claim the win.
“We’ve had to use our entire squad as well as players
who have been called into the side to get to this point. Every team member has contributed to the result.”
Thorn also issued a word of warning to rivals.
“The team is littered with young talented players who are only going to get better,” he said. “Our whole frontrow were all aged 21, we had two 19-year-old locks and a 19-year-old flyhalf.
“We have talent coming through the Queensland pathway in spades and this win is evidence of that.”
Thorn thanked his support staff, including former Wallabies winger and pathways manager Paul Carozza.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with Paul Carozza, Queensland Rugby doesn’t realise what it has in this guy. He is a champion and a great coach, and I’ve played under a few,” Thorn said.
“We set about changing the culture of this Country side ahead of the season and it’s rewarding and humbling for the entire squad to see their hard work pay off.”
After a stop-start opening 20 minutes, Country scored the first points with winger Eto Nabuli combining with Patrick James and Chris Feauia-Sautia to put James Tuttle over.
The Country scrumhalf slotted his own try to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.