Hawks to return bigger and better
THE lessons learned from Helensvale Pacific Pines’ grand final heartache will drive the Hawks’ Kookaburra Cup premiership push in 2018-19.
Appearing in their first topgrade grand final on Saturday, the Hawks produced one of their worst performances of the season as Burleigh stormed to the title.
But after climbing from second-last in 2016-17 to reach this season’s decider, captain Jack Lickiss said the group would be back bigger and better in 2018-19.
“We’ve got a fairly young core and I think (the grand final) is going to be a good learning experience,” the 21year-old Lickiss said. “We’ve had a very successful season to come from second-last and be one of the last two.
“I think the feeling after the game was that we let ourselves down, so it will be fuel on the fire to come back and go one better.
“We’ll just put it down to a learning experience and hopefully be better for it next season. I’m sure we’ll learn from it.”
Lickiss said the Hawks would stick with their youth policy in the years ahead.
“We’ve really been promoting our youth and young core and (Burleigh) went out and recruited. Their (strategy) worked better on the day but I think as a club are in a better position going forward.”