SHARKS OUT TO REWARD
HARD work pays off. Those four words have become the rallying cry behind Mossman-Port Douglas Sharks’ hunt to establish a Cairns District Rugby League dynasty.
The Sharks are chasing a third premiership in four seasons to be the modern standard-bearers in the Far North competition, and the all-star squad is firing at the right time.
Halfback Eddie Daniel claimed the Gold Medal, the highest individual accolade, while Joel Marama was named Coach of the Year.
Winger Stanley Anau won the top gong for the leading tryscorer, while flying fullback Matthew Gibuma and blockbusting forward Davin Crampton finished in the top 10 for the Gold Medal.
Underlining their success is the mantra that hard work pays off.
Daniel used those words when talking of his Gold Medal win, Marama has used those words all season when talking about his club, and co-captain Crampton uttered the same line at the grand final media conference earlier this week.
Crampton was talking about Daniel’s medal triumph, but the consistency of the message shows the Sharks have been on the same page since pre-season started in November.
“It’s a different feeling, finals week,” he said. “It’s a reflection time.
“We reflected on our season (on Tuesday), and just how far we’ve come as a group since November when we started.
“We had that plan in November that we wanted to be here, and it’s all coming together now.
“There’s no secret, just hard work and determination.
“It’s a two-hour round trip to go to Mossman, the majority of the Agrade squad live in Cairns. It’s the commitment we’ve shown since November.
“It’s been 20 years since someone won (the Gold Medal) from Mossman. For Eddie to win that is icing on the cake.
“Thinking back to November, he
not only did the Pride pre-season but he joined Mossman as well.
“(It) shows how hard work does pay off in the end.”
Mossman-Port Douglas was the minor premier, two points to the good of grand final opponents Brothers, but nothing could have prepared anyone for the Barlow Park massacre a fortnight ago.
The Sharks obliterated Brothers in the major semi-final, rushing out to a 36-0 halftime lead and running out with a 58-16 thrashing.
It was the kind of result that made the rest of the competition sit up and take notice.
They went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, there was no competition in 2020, then crashed out in the finals as Yarrabah took out the title.
Mossman-Port Douglas is back on the grandest stage again, and it is eyeing that prize.
But Crampton knows it will not be easy, regardless of what happened two weeks ago.
“Mixed feelings, we know that wasn’t the Brothers side we played against the other week, that’s not their style of footy,” he said. “They will show up this week. “We will take this as any other game we’d prepare for, we’re sticking to our normal preparation. If, by miracle, it pans out like the other week, it’s a bonus for us.”
Brothers are nursing a few battered and bruised bodies after a comefrom-behind victory against Ivanhoes in the preliminary final.
Down 24-12 at the break, Brothers were forced to fight their way back, which they did with a much better second-half performance.
This will be their first grand final appearance since 2016, when they fell to Ivanhoes, as the Brethren seek their first title since Robbie Swain led the club to the 2012 premiership in his first season as coach.
Captain-coach Jordan Biondi-Odo has erased the demons of their illfated run in 2021, when they romped to the minor premiership then crashed out in straight sets, but he is
treating this game like any other week.
“It feels good to make it to the big dance after the way we went out last year, but we’ll just treat it like any other game, as weird as it sounds,” Biondi-Odo said.
“We have a few banged up bodies but that’s footy at this time of year. You just have to put up with it and move on.
“(The major semi-final loss) honestly doesn’t faze me one bit, I’m confident we can beat them, like I was a few weeks ago, and I hope my teammates think like that as well.
“We need 17 blokes to turn up, but I expect the edges to be a lot better defensively and hopefully our middles can get a bit of ruck speed.”
Veteran enforcer Nick Harrold, the Gold Medal runner-up, will be counted on to make big inroads, while backrowers Taniela Ta’ufo’ou and Ernest Suavai will be in for big nights.
Hooker Adam Hepworth, another Gold Medal finalist, will need to be at his best, while electrifying fullback
Lachlan Biondi-Odo and tryscoring winger Devante Heron are among those keen to back up strong preliminary final performances.
And if they do win, Biondi-Odo knows how big it could be.
“It would mean a lot to the club and the people like Steve (Widt, president) and Tim (Rumford, football manager), they work their backsides off,” he said.
“And all of the old boys, they’re loyal. It’s been 10 years, so I’m hoping we can bring it home for them.”