All roads lead to Hillston on Saturday for the 2018 ProTen Community Cup Grand Final when arch-rivals Rankins Springs and Goolgowi face off to find out who is the best of the best.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rankins Springs went through as undefeated and finished as minor premiers while the Rabbitohs had just the one defeat which naturally enough came against the Dragons in an out and out classic at the Rankins Springs Sportsground.
As far as the intensity is concerned nothing much is going to change on Saturday, and you can bet it will again be on as soon as the referee blows time on.
Apart from a few bumps and bruises, both sides will be at full strength although Goolgowi will be without dashing young fullback Greg Turner who suffered a broken arm in the June 30 game.
While Turner won't be there tomorrow, the Red and Green have a ready-made replacement in Billy Hale who has had a standout season in both attack and defence.
Rankins Springs’ Billy Vearing is no slouch at fullback either and is one of the real up and comers in the ProTen Competition so keep your eye out for him.
Both sides have plenty of pace out wide with James Corner and Matt Davies providing speed for the Dragons while for the Bunnies two wingers Adam Waide and Damien McPherson will be dangerous while there is not an inch between the Dragons Todd McCarten and his partner Kane Wilson and their opposites John-Michael Cahill who has plenty of experience and Harry Robertson.
Much will also depend on which forward pack can get the upper hand in the battle of the forwards as both sets have proved to be the top two all season.
While the Springs six have size and are very mobile and while have good performers in Josh Curphey, Jamie Parsons, William Overall, who bagged four tries in the semi-final last week, and Andrew Streat.
For the Rabbitohs, former Griffith Waratah second rower Michael Vitucci is in top form, and Goolgowi will get plenty of go forward from him, and the same can be said of Jeremy Young, Ben McRae and Nathan Sanders.
Now to find a winner maybe Rankins Springs as the Red and Whites certainly have the form on the board, and it's all winning, and that’s as good as it gets, undefeated all season and ending up as minor premiers, and you could almost say the Dragons have done a Winx.
Can Goolgowi win it? Of course, they can, and if the Bunnies are first past the post it won’t surprise too many people certainly not me anyway, but defeat isn’t an option for the Dragons, so I’m going for Rankins Springs by a nostril in a thriller.
Teams
RANKINGS SPRINGS: Billy Vearing, Brent Parsons, Todd McCarten, Kane Wilson, Matt Davies, Damian Walker, Rhys Parsons, Brad Brown, Jamie Parsons (c), John Power, Josh Johnston, Bart McIntyre, Bill Overall, Andrew Streat, Tom McIntyre, Josh Curphey (c), Luke Vearing, Charlie Prince, Jonathan Streat, George Headon, James Corner, Nathan Streat, Doug Rebetzke, Ben Green, Dane Vearing, Sam Prince, Brandon Prince, Jayden McGee, Eoin Butler, Wally Lamont (Ten to be omitted).
Goolgowi: 1. Billy Hale, 2. Adam Waide, 3. John-Michael Cahill (cc), 4. Harry Robertson, 5. Vaughn Higgins, 6. Mitch Cooper, 7. Simon McClure, 8. Ben McRae, 9. Laurie Sandford, 10. Jeremy Young, 11. Nathan Sanders, 12. Michael Vitucci, 13. Alex Brown (cc), 14. Ben Kingham, 15. Dane Halliburton, 16. Chris Condon, 17. Lexy Firebrace, 18. Graham Clark, 19. Guy Weber, 20. Anthony Star, 21. Daniel Duckworth, 22. Tejay Smith, 23. Justin Armstrong, 24. Damien McPherson, 25. Brad Turner, 26. Ricky Gray, 27. Mick Calton (Seven to be omitted)