SENIOR COMPETITION SPONSORED BY KWIK - GRAND FINAL PREVIEW
Thursday, 28 August 2008 11:11am
by Rick Boyd
One of the tightest and most competitive seasons for some years comes to an unexpected conclusion at Rugby Park on Sunday when northern bolters Wanneroo meet runaway minor premiers Kalamunda in the grand final of the 2008 RugbyWA club competition, sponsored by KWIK Crane and Transport Hire.
Defending premiers Perth-Bayswater bowed out in the minor semi-final after a horror run of injuries and perennial heavyweights Nedlands were sideswiped by an explosive Wanneroo in last week’s preliminary final 42-23.
That devastating result may have been an eye-opener for Kalamunda who have been head and shoulders above the competition this year, losing only two games over the season and finishing 16 points clear of their closest opponent. The Bulls would likely have been preparing for another contest with Nedlands’ skilled back line but the Roo-dogs had other ideas, unleashing a shock and awe blitz on the Royal Blues with five first half tries from which they never recovered.
Regardless of traditional finals play, a feast of running rugby is not out of the question if Wanneroo and Kalamunda’s competition games are anything to go by. Kalamunda won both games but only after torrid, high-scoring contests. The Bulls won 49-38 in round 4 and in round 13 edged home 39-34 with a late try in another see-saw tryfest.
Kalamunda’s low key 13-11 win over Nedlands should not give them an abundance of confidence but the Bulls have a complete team under the guidance of cagey Kiwi coach Paul King. Their solid forward pack features hard-charging hooker Matt Peachey and goal-kicking flanker Kyle Skiba, but they can be vulnerable to opponents who disrupt them at the breakdown and can lack discipline.
With even a sniff of go-forward ball, their back line is stacked with try-scoring talent such as inside centre Quintin Tufuoa, centre Dave Kara and fullback Kane Allen. The Bulls’ backs specialise in dangerous counter attacks and are ferocious defenders, but whether they are as adept at finals percentage rugby may be under question.
After two weeks' rest, the minor premiers have no injuries going into the grand final game. Kalamunda coach Paul King was an interested observer at the preliminary final, and admitted to being surprised and a little concerned.
"Nedlands have beaten them twice this year, and I was a little bit surprised at the final score," he said.
"It's not so much worrying us, but we know we're in for a really hard game.
"This is finals football, you've got to get it right on the day."
King praised the opposition as being a complete team with few obvious weaknesses as he constructs his grand final game plan.
"I think they threaten right across the park actually," he said.
"They're such a big side. And Troy Woodman on the wing, I think he's a very, very good player.
"Our style has changed a little bit in the finals, we're playing a more percentage game.
"Finals are finals. You only get one shot every year to try and win it, and Kalamunda has never won one, so for our supporters and players we're going out there to do everything we can."
Wanneroo field the biggest forward pack in the competition with veteran prop and captain Michael Johnston an inspiration on the field and big number eight Faatu Faiumu an immense force off the back of the scrum.
The Wanneroo backs have grown over the season and with cool French flyhalf Benjamin Servien at the helm are suddenly an imposing finals team. Inside centre Palei Masili, strong-running wing Troy Woodman and adventurous fullback Troy Doughty are the key players in a hungry backs division that went from strength to strength against Nedlands.
The pressure is now on Wanneroo to maintain the intensity in the sternest test of the season and here their inexperience may count against them.
Wanneroo coach Elwee Prinsloo has a couple of minor injury concerns, with Faiumu and Masili both subject to fitness tests at training on Thursday.
"Faatu has a bit of an ankle niggle that we're managing, and Palei has a bit of a niggle with his sternum, but both should be good to go," Prinsloo said.
Despite Wanneroo's big showing in the preliminary final, Prinsloo expects a huge effort will be required in the grand final against Kalamunda.
"Obviously they're the best side in the competition," he said.
"They're a very well balanced side, there's not too many weaknesses in their game to be honest, and Paul King's a pretty switched-on coach.
"I don't think they'll change a lot because of what we've done in the last two weeks, they'll just be focusing on their strengths and try to be dominant in the way they want to play. It's going to up to us to match that and put them off the track."
Prinsloo says his team has the structure in place to reproduce the white-hot intensity of the preliminary final two weeks running.
"When we went into the finals the boys with confident with our structure, it was just about making a few changes for the teams we were going to play against," Prinsloo said.
"Obviously that has worked the last two games for us, and we've got the same approach for this week.
"It will be tough but we're definitely looking forward to the opportunity, and hopefully we can keep up the same intensity."
Will another nail-biting try-fest be in store for rugby supporters at Rugby Park on Sunday, or has Kalamunda’s low-key end to the season left them unprepared for a Wanneroo team nearing critical mass at the right time? Or will the Bulls finish the season as they have played most of it, in a class of their own? The grand final that no one would have predicted will provide the answers in what could be a new era for Western Australian club rugby -- whatever happens, it will be the first ever premiership for either club.
