BRL GRAND FINAL
These two teams have clashed three times this year for a 2 – 1 Ipswich Jets result including the Qualifying Final two weeks ago that saw the Jets win 32 – 24.
IPSWICH JETS 32 (Pat McCallum 3, David Tahavalu, Fine Faingaa, Sean Hams tries; Haydon Lipp 4 goals) def WYNNUM MANLY REDLAND CITY SEAGULLS 24 (Jeriah Goodrich, Chris Green, Braydon Greenhalgh, Patrick Matulino tries; Chris Green 4 goals) at BMD Kougari Oval.
WYNNUM MANLY REDLAND CITY SEAGULLS 30(Chris Green 2, Hayden Crowley, Zach Koitka, Brad Mana, Semisi Ahoafi tries; Chris Green 3 goals) def IPSWICH JETS 26 (Pat McCallum 2, Ben White, Haydon Lipp, Peter Whittaker tries; Haydon Lipp 3 goals) at Kitchener Park, Wynnum.
IPSWICH JETS 42(Jordan Tighe, Jackson Tynan, Cory Randell, Pat McCallum, Haydan Lipp, Mitchell Tuite, Mitch Koina tries; Haydan Lipp 7 goals) def WYNNUM MANLY REDLAND CITY SEAGULLS 20 (Jeriah Goodrich, Ben Cronin, Mitchell McMillan, Semisi Ahoafi tries; Chris Green 2 goals) at North Ipswich Reserve (Chairmans Trophy).
2015 Grand Final
The Jets last appearance in a Grand Final was the 2013 FOGS Cup. The Jets didn’t come away with a win that year with Chris Ash and coach Mark Bishop the only surviving members of that side that lost to Easts
Mark Bishop says he has learnt from that 2013 experience and it was a simple lesson.
“Don’t finish with footy in you.’
The Jets started slowly that day and found themselves behind 22 – 0 before they started to find their footy.
By full time it was 40 – 18 and the Jets’ chances hadn’t been taken on the one day you can’t afford to have regrets.
These two teams are very even, they both won 14 of 18 games this season and both finished on 28 points to finish one and two on the table. The Jets were undefeated until deep into the season when Wynnum beat them.
It took till the 78th minute and round 7 for the Jets to taste defeat with Wynnum’s Brad Mana scored to get the Seagulls a 30 – 26 win.
They clashed two weeks ago at BMD Kougari Oval in the Qualifying Final with the Jets coming away winners 32 – 24, again in the dying minutes.
The Jets will be very aware of how the Seagulls will come back no matter what the situation. After a first half hat-trick by Pat McCallum the Jets were cruising at 20 – 6 at half time. Twentyminutes later the score was 24 – 24. It took the silky skills of Hayden Lipp including a 45m penalty goal with minutes left then a big run by David Tahavalu on the bell to get the Jets home in a thriller.
The Jets did the reverse in week two of the finals and started slowly against the Gaters down 10 – 0 after ten minutes. Then for the second time in three weeks Pat McCallum scored a hat-trick with the Jets run away 44-16 winners.
The Jets spine of Chris Ash, Peter Whittaker, Hayden Lipp and Jordan Tighe is very settled and the key to the Jets playing well on Saturday.
Chris Ash and Hayden Lipp have both played Intrust Super Cup this season and provide plenty of experience and calmness.
Hayden Lipp is versatile and can fill in a number of positions. He is also the Jets’ goal kicker and leading point scorer this year.
Lipp finished the regular season on 12 tries, 58 goals and 1 field goal for 165 points to be the BRL’s third highest points scorer. Lipp has extended that to 187 points in the finals with 1 try and 9 goals.
The Jets’ X factor will be the little Ninja Pete Whittaker. Whittaker is a target in defence because he looks like a Shetland pony jockey but he plays with plenty of guts and puts his body in the way of much bigger men. The Ninja, like all Shane Walker mentored hookers, is a master at the sneaky run that catches the opposition out.
Coach Bishop wasn’t too focused on what the Seagulls are doing.
“We want to play the best we can and have no “what ifs, or, if only thoughts” when the game is over.”
“Our goal is to limit their time with the footy, push hard on every play and just worry about ourselves.” Bishop said this week.
Bisho is the master at bringing a team together. He brings a calmness and assured sense of belonging to the teams he’s coached at the Jets. He has a simple yet effective way of making sure his players are ready and no matter what the situation is on Saturday the message will the same. Be calm and play footy.
These are two very even teams and you can forget the Chairman’s Trophy score line as the Seagulls were undermanned that day and are primed to back up Wynnum’s 2015 Club Championship with some silverware.
The Jets can do what no Jets’ side has done since the 1990 Colts and win a premiership for the club. The Jets already have the Chairman’s Trophy this year and are setting their guns for the big one; the Tallon Trophy.