The bond’s born at the coalface of their defensive line will be crucial to Kirwan’s crusade for a third-straight title. FIND OUT HOW TO STREAM THE GAME>>
KIRWAN Bears coach Nathan Norford believes the connection and camaraderie among his ranks will be a deciding factor as they enter the business end of the Aaron Payne Cup campaign.
The Bears will face off against the one remaining team that pushed them to the limit, The Cathedral College, in the semi-finals.
It took a moment of brilliance from the Bears two strike weapons Ragarive Wavik and Dudley Dotoi, and a sideline conversion from resident ‘iceman’ Harley Taylor to make the difference between the sides earlier this year.
But Norford is adamant it won’t be those players who make the difference in the semi-finals.
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Instead he believes it will be a performance built off their defence, and willingness to work for the man inside them.
It is why the Bears have spent the past fortnight doing team bonding exercises between training sessions, to strengthen that connection across the field.
“Defence is crucial for us,” Norford said.
“Our ruck defence in particular. They have a very smart hooker that we need to make sure we are on top of. It is everyone’s job to get that right, but we have senior leaders in the middle. The boys are coming together well as a group, and those leaders are the reason for that.
“It is about getting back to what we do best. We gave them some time off to freshen the bodies. We watched a bit of film, and saw what areas we need to focus. We have also done some team building stuff, making sure we know our strengths, and know our teammate’s strengths.”
The Bears will be without a fair bit of experience with Mia Pua’avase sidelined due to suspension, but Norford was confident the players around him had the tools to step up and fill the gaps.
A win over The Cathedral College will catapult the Bears into the Aaron Payne Cup decider, a position the school side is rather familiar with after winning the title the past three years.
But Norford said they could not rest on their laurels against a side who only dropped two games all tournament.
“I definitely think the squad has grown close together and the away trips help with that,” he said. “A large bunch of them have played together for a long period of time and know what it takes to win.
“It is experience that will help, but we need to make sure the boys know that nothing comes for granted. This is a new year and a new opportunity, they need to be ripping in.
“If we play to our potential we should win but TCC are a quality side and it is finals for a reason. All the sides can play quality footy on their day, so we have to be at our best.”
Originally published as LIVE STREAM: Kirwan’s connection off the field crucial in hunt for the Cup