Rugby League Coaching Manuals

Captain-coach John Flint is not slipping into celebration mode yet because he knows they still have to beat Bilambil in the grand final at Pizzey Park, Miami, next Sunday and that major win will complete their dream.

The last time Southport won three consecutive A grade premierships straight was back in the Gold Coast-Group 18 days of 1986, 87 and 88 when Alan Smith coached them to victory the first year and Pat Shepherdson had control in the two latter seasons.

Experienced halfback Brett Westwood, 30-0, who was called back to replace suspended scrum feeder Willie Morunga, excelled in the win over Currumbin playing a major hand in Southport's first two early tries which set their momentum to win.

"I really have had only about 30 minutes in the top grade in the past five weeks after having some time in Bali after celebrating my 30th birthday and then I had a week back in the reggies," said the former world beach sprinting champion.

His form for the full 80 minutes against Currumbin and the display by benchman Steve Farrelly, who looks to have staked a claim for the starting hooking role, looks certain to have presented selectors with a few happy headaches heading into the grand final.

The two old stagers of the Tigers' pack - Robert Reid, who scored their last try and Aseri Laing - along with lock Dean Vinson were standout performers in a winning pack.

Southport also thrived in the reserve grade final beating Tugun 26-0 with many Tigers players showing they were first grade material.

"These are to sort of selection headaches you want going into grand finals and we are heading into both grades with 17 fit players capable of pulling off the winning double," said assistant coach Paul Garrett.

"It will be a hard decision this week to see were we fit everyone in but we will definitely have pretty in-depth meeting on Tuesday night before we will decide who we are selecting."

Garrett said defence was the key to the Tigers' win saying they were determined to have another crack at Bilambil.

"We had to redeem ourselves after our sub-standard performance against Bilambil."

Currumbin coach Ben Gonzales said he was not looking for excuses because he was extremely proud of his 17 players, who had won eight of their last nine matches to reach the preliminary final.

The Eagles lost five-eighth 'Farmer' Evans (collarbone), Mitch Hall (knee) and Jarrod McCarthy (hamstring) in the first 15 minutes with Gonzales saying "that's football."
"We only had one bloke on the bench for most of the game so it was always going to be hard," he said.

After 11 minutes Southport half Westwood made a break down the blind side and when collared got a great pass away to ever-present winger Scott Mulligan who scored out wide to give the Tigers an early 4-0 lead.

Within six minutes Westwood again stamped his mark on the match creating a break near the ruck and with only the fullback to beat fed centre Jetson Craig to score with Chris Thomas booting the conversion for the Tigers to lead 10-0.

Seven minutes before half-time Currumbin centre Kyle Patience dropped a pass with his opposite Ti Whakathi scooping up the ball and when caught 10 metre out passed for fullback Dwayne Dayberg to cross near the left upright.

Thomas kicked the conversion to give Southport a commanding 16-0 lead at the break.

A more determined Tigers outfit returned from the shed with lock Dean Vinson and aggressive centre Tu Whakathi scoring in the first six minutes with Thomas lading one of the two conversions for Southport to lead 26-0.
Powerhouse prop Robert Reid refused to be stopped in the 57th minute when he barged over for 15 metres out to give Southport a 30-nil lead.

Currumbin looked certain to score when hard-working prop James Baille slipped a ball away to flying fullback Mitch Kendall but referee Justin Eastwood called him back ruling the pass was forward.

Runaway Bay hung on to beat a never-say-die Bilambil Jets outfit in the under U19 final and will now take on Currumbin in the grand final.