Kurri Kurri Bulldogs Open Age team head into their Real NRL grand final showdown with Lakes well rested and primed for a shot at back-to-back titles.
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“It was great to have that week offf to get rid of those niggles,” captain and co-coach Dean Peterkin said.
“We’ll stick to the same preparation with a final ballwork session on Friday and then a club breakfast Sunday morning at the team sponsor, Station Hotel, before getting on the bus to the game.”
Defending premiers from last year, Kurri qualified for the grand final with a gutsy come-from-behind win over Wests in the major semi-final a fortnight ago.
It was a game of milestones for Peterkin and Daniel Craig, who registered their 100th matches for the club.
They’ll be hoping for a similar result over Lakes, who knocked over Wests 16-14 last weekend, but it won’t be easy. Kurri defeated Lakes in the qualifying semi-final 30-28, the match going down to the wire after a Lakes comeback before the Bulldogs prevailed.
Peterkin is confident the Bulldogs can get the job done.
“We’ve come through some tough games in the finals, and we’ve proved we can withstand pressure,” he said. “The week off has been good and the spirit around the place is great. This team is a little different from last year. Four or five of the more experienced guys retired after last year’s win.
“We’ve got a couple of guys backing up from the premiership team last year – Stuart Stoker, Michael Hugg, Kieren Steele – but we’ve got a whole bunch of new guys who have come up through the 19s and they have that hunger.”
The Bulldogs will be looking for another big performance from second-rower Mark Ostermann who has been in powerful form through the finals.
The kicking game of five-eighth and leading pointscorer Jackson Cluff will again be critical while leading try scorer Josh Udbinac adds that X-factor out wide..
The match may well be a milestone for evergreen warhorse Marty Lisua as well.
“He swears it will be his last year, but I’ve heard that before,” Peterkin said. “Interchange forward Michael Dodd has also indicated he’ll be dropping the curtain.”
Peterkin believes Lakes are good all over the paddock but takes strength from the steely resolved Kurri have displayed in recent matches.
“We were positive in defence in both our semis, and then we were patient in attack – that’s how you win big matches,” he said.
