Heat prepare to face their destiny
THE Townsville Heat are not fooled by Logan Thunder’s lowly standing on the QBL ladder.
They know the true test of their championship credentials starts now. Former Townsville Crocs players Michael Cedar and Mitch Young return to the Furnace tomorrow night for a game which could decide whether the Heat finish top of the men’s competition.
Tomorrow’s game is the last regular season fixture Townsville plays at home before next weekend’s South East Queens- land triple header, and a win tomorrow will give the Heat a perfect platform to launch their c h a l l e n g i n g but achievable bid for top spot.
The mantra of “destiny is in our own hands” is doing the rounds at training, and while Logan head north placed 7th, compared to the Heat’s current third, Townsville point guard Josh Wilcher is wary.
The Thunder play Cairns tonight in the first leg of a North Queensland double, but even then Wilcher says Logan will be tough to break down. STEPHEN Moore admits he was fighting to convince himself he could make the 2019 World Cup while his body was telling him otherwise.
Moore ( pictured) will retire from international rugby at the end of the year and has relinquished the Wallabies captaincy, with Michael Hooper expected to be confirmed soon as the new skipper. The 34year- old hooker will play one more season of Super Rugby with the Queensland Reds before hanging up his boots.
Last month, Moore was adamant he could contribute as a Test player for the next two years before making an appearance at what would have been his fourth World Cup.
But Moore said it eventually dawned on him that he should call it quits.
“I think you definitely go through that period where you do fight it,” he said. “You think, ‘ I’ll be fine, I’ll be able to do it’... but I just got that feeling, probably in the last month or so, that it was the right time.”
Moore will play out the remainder of the 2017 season with Australia, including the three Bledisloe Cup Tests, the Rugby Championship and their European tour.
“I think the ladder position doesn’t do them justice, they’re a really tough team,” he said.
“The same us as, they didn’t start very really well but they’ve picked it up and to me they’re a top four team on paper. Their starting five are really tough in regards to defence, and they have a pretty good bench for the QBL as well compared to other teams.”
Heat coach Rodney Anderson said limiting Cedar and Young would be crucial, with Young sinking 28 points in Logan’s 99- 82 win against Ipswich last weekend and Cedar holding a bank of knowledge when it comes to the Heat.
“Their inside- outside combo is one of the best in the league, and even though they’ve been a slow starting team they’ve been one of the best teams of late,” he said.
Meanwhile the Townsville Flames will play an unchanged line- up to that which lost to Gladstone last week, and Darcee Garbin hopes to wipe the slate clean from her forgettable outing. She gave up eight turnovers in an off night.
“I hope that will never happen again in my career. It was pretty embarrassing to say the least,” said Garbin, who takes on a Logan team featuring former Fire teammate Kate Gaze.
“She ( Gaze) always comes back up here and has a big game, so she’ll be ready to go.”
Tip- off tomorrow for the Flames is at 6pm and 8.30pm for the Heat.