Wolves hungry for tilt at top

Promotion up for grabs

KINGSCLIFF coach Ross Fenech didn’t expect to complete a season this year, let alone be fighting for a Premier League promotion.

Now in his seventh year coaching the Wolves, Fenech has been at the coalface of the club’s bid to compete in Gold Coast football’s top flight.

Now after a prolonged season shutdown, 14 weeks and six teams stand between Kingscliff and the Gold Coast Premier League as officials prepare for a 10-team competition next year.

“It’s an unexpected season that could reap big rewards,” Fenech said.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for all Coast League teams to knuckle down and sprint to the season.

“The grand prize is huge and you’ve got a pretty solid case of staying in the Premier League as well with no real threat of relegation.

“Clubs like Tweed and Murwillumbah will no doubt have those aspirations, but we also want to stake our claim.”

Palm Beach currently holds the mantle as the most southern club competing in the Premier League, but Fenech is adamant the Southern Gold Coast region has more talent to give.

With new fields and facilities on the way, Fenech believes Kingscliff could attract a hoard of aspiring footballers and evolve into a competitive club if it earned promotion.

“The region is so rich with juniors and even stretching down to northern NSW as well,” he said.

“If we can get there, I believe we can attract a lot of people to the club to play at a higher level and become a strong alternative to Palm Beach.

“I think we’d be able to compete at a certain level.

“I’m not sitting here and saying we’ll make the top four, but once we’re there, our team has an average age of around 21 years old so we’ll gain a lot of experience. We’ve just got to get there first.”

IT’S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL COAST LEAGUE TEAMS TO KNUCKLE DOWN AND SPRINT TO THE SEASON

KINGSCLIFF COACH ROSS FENECH

Kingscliff has already proved its potential, defeating Southport in the FFA Cup and Burleigh in a recent trial match months after downing Mudgeeraba 10-0 in their Coast League opener.

They will finally restart their season on August 1 against Tweed.

“We’ve lost a few lads and gained a few due to the break so it’s been a balancing act but we’re ready to get on with it,” Fenech said.

Kingscliff has also been dealing with the additional challenge of trying to cross a busy border to compete in a Gold Coast league.

Last week, it took Fenech’s squad an hour and a half to cross for their practice match against Burleigh.

“We just have to make sure we leave early,” he said.