By JONATHON HOWARD
THE 2013 Border Rugby League season culminates this weekend with the grand final at the Macintyre Oval Inglewood where the home side the Inglewood Roosters will be looking to make it three premierships on the trot.
Standing in their way will be a very determined Killarney Cutters outfit.
No matter the outcome on Saturday, it has been a great effort for a club that was decimated and facing collapse following the closure of the Killarney meatworks.
After finishing in fourth spot on the league ladder have made their way through to the grand final the hard way.
Two weeks ago The Cutters defeated the Tenterfield Tigers 29-28 in Tenterfield in golden point extra time. That win meant more travelling for the Cutters who last Saturday were convincing winners over Minor Premiers Goondiwindi Blue.
It was a big win for the Killarney side who set the competition bench mark with a big win in the pre- season round robin. Representative duties, injury and personal tragedy took their toll midway through the season and the top three sides slipped away from the Cutters on the leader board.
Last weekend’s win did not come without its own drama when BRL officials received news that the Killarney team bus had broken down enroute.
There was a sense of real triumph among the players coaching staff and the big group of supporters who travelled to Goondiwindi last weekend when the final siren sounded. However the job is not yet done. Killarney who will be making only their second grand final appearance are yet to win a premiership.
The Inglewood Roosters showed why they are the current premiers when they defeated Goondiwindi Blue two weeks ago in the major semi final at Goondiwindi to move straight through to the grand final picking up the President’s cup along the way and are shooting for a three-pete.
The Roosters have been a picture of consistency again this season and there will be some excellent match ups between the two teams. Matt Gainey, Captain coach of the Roosters will need all his experience and guile to negate the Cutters halfback, Coedie Tandy who had a man of match performance in Goondiwindi. Gainey has been battling a leg injury for several weeks but the week off should see him strip fit for the final.
Killarney have a big fast forward pack led by Michael Bloomfield and John Trindall who give excellent service to their impressive back line. Half back and Captain Michael Marshall has been in excellent form and will be a handful for his opposite number.
The nucleus of the Roosters playing group have been together for several seasons now and benefit from knowing each other’s game inside out. With several Roosters talking of retirement there will be real urgency among the group to finish what they started three years ago.
A big crowd is expected to attend the final with plenty of supporters travelling from Killarney. A bus load of spectators from Stanthorpe will make the trip and there will be plenty of rugby league supporters from Goondiwindi and Tenterfield keen to see how the grand final plays out.
BRL chairman Casey O’Connor said the result was way too close to call adding that it is a “perfect culmination for one of the most successful BRL seasons on record.”
Kick off is at 2pm at Macintyre Oval Inglewood.
