Sharks dare to dream ahead of CDRL decider
RUGBY LEAGUE | GRAND FINAL
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WHY not us?
That’s the feeling reverberating around the Mossman - Port Douglas Sharks as they prepare for a fairytale CDRL decider against Tully on Saturday.
The Sharks ‘come home with a wet sail’ to book their first grand final berth in 20 years with a spirited win over Brothers a fortnight ago.
They’re now just 80 minutes away from the ultimate prize and coach Jason Chilman was confident their hard work can be rewarded at Barlow Park.
“We can win this game and we have to have that mentality,” he told Newsport.
“As long as we do all the right things at training this week, both defensively and attacking, we should be ok.
“There’s a lot of energy and excitement around the place but we’ve got 80 minutes to play yet. We just hope at the end of it we'll be standing on the right side.”
Momentum is an important factor heading into such a big game, something both Mossman-Port Douglas and Tully have in spades.
The Sharks second half against Brothers will go down in club folklore. A hat-trick from Nelson Gibuma saw his team claw back from 16-0 deficit and record a famous win.
The Tigers, too, have come from the clouds to be contesting the decider, having finished the regular season in fourth spot.
Chilman said he was expecting a ferocious contest.
“It’s a grand final, so both sides are going to be up for the fight,” he said.
“We’ve been looking at their tapes and I’ve got an inside on the way they play and a few things they might do.
“We’ll twig a few things around so it will match their halves, but fundamentally I won’t change too much.”
The Sharks last lifted the premiership cup in 1998 with a brilliant 22-4 win over Ivanhoes.
While he understands the romance surrounding the occasion, Chilman was refusing to look too far ahead.
“We’ve got a job to do first. The celebrating can come after if we manage to execute our plan," he said.
"Momentum can be a big thing in rugby league, I understand that. But it just comes down to that 80 minutes now."
CDRL GRAND FINAL
Saturday 22 September, 7pm
Mossman-Port Douglas v Tully
Barlow Park, Cairns
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