CHAMPION STINGRAYS COP OPENING ROUND HAMMERING
GOLD Coast Stingrays president Craig James doesn’t believe the senior men’s team’s seven-year reign at the top of the Gridiron Queensland pile is over despite their biggest loss in recent memory.
The Stingrays opened their 2018 campaign with a 64-0 hammering by the Bayside Ravens at Glennon Park on Saturday, while the colts managed to secure a 38-6 win over the same club.
Gold Coast have won the past seven Sunbowls but James, who has been involved with the Stingrays since their creation in 1987, can’t recall a bigger defeat than the one they copped against the Ravens on the weekend.
The team is rebuilding after the loss of numerous championship players, along with head coach Ben Walker.
But a confident James said he still believed the club could win an eighth Sunbowl despite the early setback. “It doesn’t hurt to lose one game in a season,” James said.
“It’s a bit of a different team this year too. We have a lot of rookies and the loss of some of the coaching staff and experienced players, it affects the ability of the rookies to shine.
“We are rebuilding this team and it’s not over. I still believe there is a very big chance that we will at least make it to the Sunbowl and possibly take our eighth championship in a row.
“We have had bad starts before and this might be the start we needed to wake a few people up.
“We won the championship from third last year and traditionally when this happens at the Stingrays we get ex-players coming out of the wood work after realising that they still need their help.”
Gold Coast will travel to Brisbane to play the Brisbane Rhinos this Saturday.
WE ARE REBUILDING THIS TEAM AND IT’S NOT OVER. I STILL BELIEVE THERE IS A VERY BIG CHANCE STINGRAYS PRESIDENT CRAIG JAMES