New tricks for skipper as Dolphins claim win
AMONG the things Surfers Paradise co-coach Marius van der Nist was most delighted by in his side’s first-up 22-12 victory over Bond Pirates on Saturday at Beaudesert was the transformation of captain Andy Finn.
Van der Nist has been guiding Finn to develop a better rapport with referees to facilitate more productive interactions, as opposed to having frustrations building up.
“He is a totally different human on the field,” van der Nist said.
“I actually got a text from the referees’ association (yesterday); they commented on how great Andy Finn was on the field compared to previous years, so very happy with that.
“I’ve had about three sessions with him one-on-one just because the main thing he needs to do as captain is build a relationship with referees.
“Ask the ref, I want you to keep me accountable as captain but I also as captain want to keep you accountable as the referee.
“It just showed through in the game. I’m very pleased.”
Van der Nist reported the team’s structures looked on point against a “very tough” Pirates outfit.
The Dolphins will play Fiji’s under-20 team on Thursday night. In other country round fixtures, Helensvale thrashed the Eagles 66-5 at Tamborine Mountain, while Griffith University Colleges defeated Nerang 40-0 at Yarrabilba.