IT’S CRUCIAL TO
Rawlins in warning to troops
KEEP your composure.
That is the message from Warriors captaincoach Justin Rawlins to his troops as they aim to win through to a third-straight Premier League decider.
But standing in their way are the form side of the North Queensland Football season, Saints Eagles Souths.
The Saints have comfortably dispatched their rivals this season, scoring seven goals to zip including a dominant 5-0 win at Melrose Park earlier this season.
But there were signs the Warriors can match their rivals in their last outing.
The two sides were level across the opening half before a couple of red cards had the green machine on their knees in the 2-0 loss. It is why Rawlins is drilling in his message of discipline.
“From a discipline point of view, if we are under control and behaving ourselves and can keep 11 blokes on the field, I think we can definitely challenge them and try and get a result,” he said.
“They had a good season and they will definitely go in as favourites. They gave us a pretty good thumping in one of the games and convincingly beat us in both.
“But I am more than happy to take the underdog status. We have nothing to lose – we can throw as much as we can at them for 90 minutes.”
Warriors are coming off easily their best performance of the season with a 3-1 win over fierce rivals Brothers in last week’s elimination final.
It was a different story for Saints. The premiers endured a 120-minute slugfest with MA Olympic before conceding a goal late in extra time. It was a clash that also claimed key defender Jarred Stanley to a red card.
The Saints will be without their general in the backline for the clash with
Warriors, but captaincoach Corey Waples has backed the club’s professional system. The Saints have built their success this season off the back of the club’s renewed depth, and it is something he is happy to rely on with Harry Slogrove coming into the backline.
“It is a big hit losing Jarred, the positive thing with our squad is we have a lot of depth this year,” Waples said. “We have been able to keep a key way of playing, which has helped us be successful and I don’t think we lose that with players coming in.
“Finals is a different game – it is do or die in this moment and there will be a bit of desperation. Warriors are an outfit that are always in the top four and playing football, us not so much. That experience will count for something.
“(But) there is a lot of excitement … (and) as a playing group we are trying to bring success to the club.”