Cobras add extra bite
October 20, 2007: Cricket on the Gold Coast had a very different look for the season 12 years ago and Loganholme’s signing of two guns promised to shift the power again, as Terry Wilson reported.
THE prize signings of Allan Rowe and Derek Tate to play “domestic” cricket with Loganholme were hardly completed by chance.
The exercise was, said Loganholme president Rod Rice, a deliberate ploy to build the Cobras to a position where they are up there with the Gabba Sporting Products Cup’s power clubs.
“We made a decision to go in a different direction this year,’’ said Rice of the move to get well-established QCA performers Rowe and Tate into Cobras gear.
“We accepted we could not compete with the strong Gold Coast clubs without getting fresh faces in from wherever.
“We’ve been competitive but we were never really going to beat the likes of Palm Beach Currumbin on a regular basis.’’
Loganholme have made the eight-team GSP Cup finals only twice in the six seasons the competition has existed. Both times they went out in the quarter-finals. There is no questioning the talent that 27-year-old allrounders Rowe and Tate bring. Rowe is a former Australian under-19 rep and Tate won the 2004-05 Peter Burge Medal with Toombul.
As part of their plan, the Cobras advertised worldwide for a coach, but ended up running with a panel of senior players to handle the job.
Loganholme started the new season with a win over Runaway Bay and are favourites to grab maximum points against Helensvale-Pacific
Pines at Hession Oval. The big clash of Round 2 is at Salk Oval, where Palm BeachCurrumbin host their 2006-07 grand final conquerors Mudgeeraba-Nerang. While Mudgeeraba began their title defence with an outright victory over Helensvale, the Lions were soundly beaten against South port Labrador.
Back at home, and with very much the same line-up that went around last season,
PBC will prove they are much better than that.
Southport-Labrador, with star all-rounder Reece McDonald in hot form after 116 not out and 4-18 in Round 1, are away to Alberton.
In other matches, Logan Village host Surfers ParadiseBenowa at Newstead Park; Runaway Bay are playing Coomera-Hope Island at Sam Loxton Oval; and Queens are up against Broadbeach-Robina at Angove Park.
WE ACCEPTED WE COULD NOT COMPETE WITH THE STRONG GOLD COAST CLUBS WITHOUT GETTING FRESH FACES IN COBRAS BOSS ROD RICE