DANIEL TO LEAD CAIRNS’ SHIELD TILT
MOSSMAN-Port Douglas halfback Eddie Daniel still can’t quite believe
he’s been handed the captaincy of the Cairns Foley Shield team, and it’s sparked the competitive fire as he chases higher honours.
“I’m stoked hey,” Daniel said. “I didn't expect it all. It’s an honour for me to lead this team.”
The Sharks playmaker might not have expected it but, as far as coach Jono Zangrande was concerned, there was no better option for either the coveted No. 7 jersey or the captaincy.
And it stood out straight away to Zangrande, who, in his role as a Northern Pride assistant coach, kept a close eye on Daniel.
The 28-year-old is consistently among the top performers in the Cairns District Rugby League competition and was offered a train and trial deal with the Hostplus Cup club.
He impressed Pride coach Ty Williams throughout the summer and in the trial games, and when it came to picking a Foley Shield team, he was among the first names listed.
“He was an obvious choice,” Zangrande said.
“He’s been doing all of the right things at his club, and at training.
“Being part of the Pride, I got a close look at him during the off-season and he’s just been great.”
The Foley Shield kicked off on Friday night when Cairns faced Townsville in men’s and women’s games at Townsville’s Jack Manski Oval.
The annual tri-series, which also includes Mackay, is arguably the most prestigious pieces of silverware on offer in north Queensland rugby league, and Zangrande was charged with breaking Cairns’ title drought.
It has been years since the trophy returned to Far North Queensland, and when the CDRL came under the auspices of FNQ Rugby League, better performances at and reclaiming the Foley Shield was among the list of priorities for the new leadership.
Zangrande’s final 20-man squad has undergone numerous changes due to injury and player unavailability, and features a mix of youth and experience, whether they have played on the big stage before or this is their Foley Shield debut, they all have two key things in common.
The desire to represent Cairns, and the hunger for success.
“That’s the exciting thing, they want to be there,” Zangrande said.
“A guy like Noel Underwood, who has been there and done it at higher levels, was gutted to miss out. He was genuinely disappointed, and that tells you a lot about him, and what this experience means.”
Daniel said that off-season experience with the Pride had already helped to develop his game, and the Foley Shield was yet another opportunity to impress state league coaches and take his game to another level.
“Some of the days were tough but it was great, I really enjoyed that experience with the Pride,” he said.
“It's helped a bit of everything. My fitness is at a much higher level – I’m able to do stuff I couldn’t do before because I didn’t have that base. And I’ve learned a bit more about the game. “It does start that fire. “We've jelled really well together as a team, and we want to put in good performance.”
Cairns played Townsville on Friday night, and will face current Foley Shield holders Mackay on Saturday.
The women’s team, captained by Elianna Suluvale, will play at 2.30pm, with the men’s game from 4pm.