SKIPPER PUTS STARCH IN MIDDLES
CURTIS Dempsey knows the rest of the Hasting Deerings Colts competition has written the Blackhawks off.
And he doesn’t care.
The Townsville skipper was his side’s own worst critic after last week’s shock qualifying final loss to the Redcliffe Dolphins, describing his side as “complacent”.
But ahead of its do-or-die semifinal against Souths Logan Magpies, Dempsey warned his side should not be taken lightly.
The young skipper, who is in his final year in the Colts competition, believed other sides saw the Blackhawks’ lack of size in the middle of the field as a weakness.
“I know a lot of teams, especially the ones in Brisbane, they are always bigger boys and they just think they can come through the middle of us with ease,” Dempsey said.
“We have had a real ownership to really tighten up and toughen up. It was one area we failed against the Dolphins (last weekend), they came through our middle and we weren’t up for that.
“It was one of the things we made a point to speak about this week, our middles took ownership on winning the ruck.”
Dempsey believes the smaller bodies in the middle of the field could be a positive for the Blackhawks, especially when makeshift lock Tom Chester enters the arena.
The Cowboys-contracted playmaker has joined the middles rotation to bring extra speed and an added ball-playing element. It has added another dimension to the Blackhawks’ attack, said the skipper. “(Chester) is one of the toughest blokes you could meet,” Dempsey said. “He just brings a hell of a lot of energy on the field and gives us that spark.”
It is win or go home for the Blackhawks, which would end the Colts journey of several of their top players and coach Dave Elliott.
But the skipper was adamant they had weeks left before they started nutting out their Mad Monday plans.
“I think (last week’s loss) has humbled us a little bit, the mindset we had was we were above them on the ladder so we were going to win,” he said.
“We needed the loss to reconsider how we were thinking about the game. Going into this weekend, we have refocused our goals. Like the rest of the year, we have to go the hard way to make it.”