We can bounce back: Swain
BROTHERS coach Robbie Swain says he’s confident his team will bounce back to form against Tully in tomorrow’s CDRL preliminary final.
The premiership favourites were overrun by MossmanPort Douglas in last week’s major semi-final, but Swain suggested that could have been a result of late-season rust.
“We had a bye in the last round and then an extra week off to start the finals,” he said.
“I just thought we may have been a little bit rusty.”
There were no signs of it early as Brothers raced to a 16-0 lead against the Sharks and led 28-10 just after halftime.
But they didn’t score in the last 30 minutes, losing 35-28.
“Our completion rate in that second half was abysmal,” Swain said.
“We completed five out of 12 sets. We just didn’t have the football at all. And in two of those sets we completed, we kicked the ball dead, giving them seven tackles back at us.”
Although Brothers will start as deserved favourites against Tully, Swain said he would not take the red-hot Tigers lightly.
“They are firing at the moment and have a lot of confidence,” he said.
“On that right edge in particular we are going to have to defend them well.”
Experienced centre Justin Castellaro will be tasked with stopping the likes of Phil Nona and Trevor Mathieson.
“Justin is a smart character and he’ll make sure our boys are in the right places to step up and stop them from finding gaps,” Swain said.
Last time Brothers and Tully met, the Cairns team raced out to a big lead, only for the Tigers to make a dash at them late in the game.
Swain is expecting the 3pm game to suit his team.
“For some reason I’ve always preferred to play in the afternoon,” the 38-year-old said.
“The heat doesn’t worry me and I seem to be able to play through that fatigue. I think it will help us more than it will help them.”
Brothers will take an unchanged team into tomorrow’s match, with the winner to face Mossman-Port Douglas in next Saturday’s grand final.