FAMILY BATTLE OF LEAGUE’S OWN WOOLFPACK
“WOOLFPACK” supremacy is up for grabs today in the ultimate family showdown.
Tweed Heads coach Ben Woolf will go head-to-head with his brother Kristian, Townsville’s mentor, at Jack Manski Oval in the 1.10pm televised Intrust Super Cup match.
Throwing another dimension into the mix is that Ben’s son, Brent, is set to line up against him as the Blackhawks’ bench hooker.
And there’s more than just bragging rights on the line, with both teams – Townsville 12th and Tweed dead last – needing wins.
“There wasn’t much expectation around our team but at the same time, we do need a win,” Ben said.
“We need to get some confidence and belief as a group … being close every week isn’t enough.
“And they (Townsville) had a lot of expectation around them, they were the premiership favourites at the start. They are probably more dangerous than ever this week at home on the back of three losses.”
On a tight schedule, having flown in late last night and returning to Tweed today, a father-son catch-up is on the cards this morning and footy won’t totally be off limits.
Banter had been thrown about last year when Ben’s Gold Coast side were set to face Brent’s Broncos in under-20s, only for injuries to rob them of the contest on both occasions.
“We’ll definitely catch up. I’d say there will be a bit of joking around, having a dig at each other,” Ben tipped.
“It was always a joke (last year) that we would target him and he would always joke around and say that he would carve up our defence.”
Brent landed at the Blackhawks this year in search of regular ISC footy – jumping after ex-Titan Kierran Moseley’s move to Ipswich – and cut ties with the Broncos in the process.
As for inaugural brotherly battle as coaches, it throws back to the backyard footy days where Ben and Kristian would square off supported by their respective mates.
Though nominating Kristian as the more outgoing brother, he feels they are similar people who hold similar football values.