You need try scorers.
You need try savers.
All great teams need a great captain, a leader, they need a Chief.
You need to defy the odds.
You need an inspirational coach.
You need great players, doing great things, in the biggest moments.
You need a reason.
Best break down the left and the support came in numbers. Such a hallmark of our game this season, and a huge reason we are converting a lot of our breaks. huge effort from Manu, Sharpe and Marzhew to be alive to receive.
And Dom does a lot of work to score his try. Shows great strength there.
Lots of BIG defensive moments. Hopwood and Manu tackle in the first half. Huge clutch play to save a try. Crouch too to turn the ball over on our line after we were under a lot of pressure. McEwen, Ponga and Croker stopping McLean by a millimetre. Marzhew pressure on Garner. Smith and Hopwood on Smith.
As a team, one of the most inspired defensive performances.
Captain Ponga - incredible. Look no further than the hit on Leota. Lifting the energy in that last 15 minutes. Inspiring them to go on. The emotion at the end. This guy bleeds red and blue now.
Going down to 12 again, in a prelim final, against the dominant Panthers for 40+ minutes, they dug so deep. Adversity again. Against all odds.
Bloody hell, Holbrook loves this team. He doesn’t look overawed by Occassion. He’s excited by it all. Doesn’t look nervous. Just soaking it in. Can see that rubs off on the players.
Sandon Smith. The quick tap. The intercept. The tackle to dislodge ball from Smith.
Best in defence and attack, the break for the try top shelf.
Ponga. Defensive efforts. Hit on Leota. Threat in attack. Lead by example.
Hopwood, Manulelua, McEwen and Crouch rolling their sleeves up. Big moments they stood up against some of the best.
As i said pregame, if you want a list of players that can win us the game - read the teamsheet, each one of them.
The send off along the Link Road. The cheers. The sea of red and blue. The chants throughout the game. Top shelf. The reason.
Most importantly - they still are thinking about the next one - they go again.
