Sport
21 August, 2024
Gulf rugby league teams gear up for grand final day
John Henry Oval will be a hive of activity this Saturday.
Rob Murray might be the busiest man in rugby league.
He’s coach of the Normanton Stingers men’s and women’s sides, as well as their junior program and all teams will take to the field on Saturday for the finals of the Gulf Cluster.
The Stingers are considered a good chance to win both senior premierships on offer, with the finals to be staged in Normanton at John Henry Oval.
“We’re hoping for both – I think we’re good enough to win the men's and women’s premierships,” said Murray, who works as a mentor in Normanton, helping people find a job and associated training tickets.
First up is the women’s semi-final, which will see the Stingers take on the Doomadgee Dragons.
Awaiting the winner will be the Moungibi Magawas, who won the same amount of games as the Stingers, but finished on top with a superior for/against.
There were just three teams in the Gulf women’s competition this year, which meant the Burketown side gained automatic entry to the grand final.
Murray said he would be looking to the likes of Gabrielle Holder and Hannah Clarke – both of whom also played in the Mount Isa competition year – to steer the side into the grand final.
“We’ve got some very good local players, too,” he said.
“Sharie Rainbow is only 17 and she is a gun, while Sharnae O’Keefe and our captain Taleesha Spencer will be ones to watch.”
To win the premiership the Stingers must beat the Dragons and then face a fresh Magawas side later in the day.
The coach said he wasn’t sure if playing two games in one day was a disadvantage.
“How you take it mentally will be important,” he said.
“It could be an advantage if we find some form and rhythm.”
There are two men’s semi-finals to be staged on Saturday, before the grand final that afternoon.
First up, it’s second versus third as the Doomadgee Dragons take on the Mornington Island Raiders.
The last time these two sides met, the Dragons triumphed 24-0 following strong performances from Izaak and Hazem Toby, Brett Diamond and Isaiah Walden.
The other semi-final will be duked out between the undefeated Stingers and Moungibi Danggara.
“We might have won every game but we played in a couple of close ones,” said Murray.
“We scored in the dying minutes to beat our arch-rivals Doomadgee (18-12) and against Mornington
Island they led for most of the game until Trevor Henry kicked a goal after the final whistle to win (24-22).”
The coach said preparations for the finals were strange because a lot of Normanton players worked out of town.
“Quite a lot of them are on a 10-4 roster on the road crews so we won’t see them until Thursday night,” he said.
“But the rest of the players train regularly.
“The Burketown boys are always competitive – they have good coaches and good people so we know it’ll be a tough semi-final.”
Murray said he would be looking to the Logan brothers – Elijah and Jeremy – to lead the charge in the forwards, while captain Clay George will steer the ship from fullback.
“He always leads by example and the players respond when he’s out there on the field,” he said.
GULF CLUSTER FINALS SATURDAY SCHEDULE
11am Women’s semi-final
Doomadgee v Normanton
11.40am: Men’s semi-final 1
Doomadgee v Mornington Island
12.30pm: Men’s semi-final 2
Normanton v Moungibi
1.20 to 2.55pm: Junior games
U9 mixed, U12 mixed, U16 boys
3pm: Women’s grand final
Moungibi v semi-final winner
4pm: Men’s grand final
Semi-final 1 v Semi-final 2
Matches to be played at John Henry Oval in Normanton