Dolphins, Norths chasing Grand Final glory
The stage is set for a mighty battle in the 2024 Hostplus Cup Grand Final with northside rivals Redcliffe Dolphins and Norths Devils vowing to go out hard and fast.
This morning, captains and coaches for both sides were at Redcliffe’s Kayo Stadium, where the grand final will be played on Sunday (5.30pm kick off).
Redcliffe Dolphins will be playing for a seventh Cup premiership in their 14th grand final appearance, while Norths Devils have their eyes on a fourth title in their fifth appearance.
It is the third grand final in four years for the Devils, who won back-to-back premierships in 2021 and 2022.
League fans are in for a big afternoon of footy on Sunday, with the men and women’s City V Country games and the Hostplus Cup Grand Final.
A vocal Dolphins home crowd could be the difference between Cup glory and heartbreak, with Redcliffe looking to get one back after losing the 2022 grand final to Norths and losing 46-18 in week one of this year’s final series. Get your tickets now
Redcliffe coach Ben Te’o paid tribute to his team, who bounced back after ‘being smacked pretty hard’ by Norths on September 1.
“Every game it seems like the footy gods are not with us and they keep taking players off us, but we believe in our system and what we’ve worked through all year,” Te’o said.
Redcliffe came back from the week one loss to beat the Capras 36-18 the following week, and Northern Pride in a golden point thriller 17-16 last week.
Te’o said his boys were ready for Norths on Sunday.
“Preparation started on the plane ride home (from Cairns). It was about enjoying each other’s company, understanding that this is the last week,” he said.
“We have a pretty good routine, so not too much changes but the reality of the health situation of losing so many players ... we’ve got a lot of players who can’t train ... we’ve just adjusted to that throughout the finals series.”
Norths and Redcliffe know each other well and both Hostplus Cup teams are feeder teams for the Dolphins NRL side.
Sunday’s team sheets include Valynce Te Whare (Redcliffe), Tesi Niu (Norths), Josh Kerr (Redcliffe), Oryn Keeley (Norths), Mason Teague (Norths) and Harrison Graham (Redcliffe).
Fan favourite fullback Trai Fuller is out with a ruptured ACL, suffered playing for Redcliffe in last Saturday’s grand final qualifier. He will likely be sidelined until mid-2025.
Jarrett Boland has also been ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Te’o is hoping a vocal, predominantly Redcliffe crowd will help his team prevail on Sunday.
“It can always make the difference. I’d love it if a lot of our Redcliffe fans came out to support us but also in general also our Dolphins fans,” Te’o said.
“We’ve probably seen some of our crowd numbers dip a bit, which is natural. People maybe used to come here and watch Redcliffe Dolphins and now they go to the NRL games at Suncorp. It would be nice if they doubled-back and came to support us.
“With both our affiliate feeder sides here, this could be a great day. I’d love to see it nice and loud.”
Bailey’s ready
Redcliffe Dolphins Captain Max Bailey is pumped ahead of the biggest game of his rugby league career so far.
“It’s very exciting. It’s my first grand final in my Cup career. I can’t wait. We’re super lucky to have it at home,” Bailey said.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of injuries this year, lost a few players and particularly the last few weeks we’ve had a squad that’s been changing a fair bit. While it brings difficulty, it sort of brings the team together as well.
“We’re feeling like we trust each other, no matter who’s on the field. I have full faith in the team we’re putting on the field this weekend.”
He conceded Norths “showed us up” in week one of the finals.
“As a forward pack we talked about it not being good enough. I feel like over the last two weeks we’ve really adjusted things to fix that,” he said.
“It will be different this weekend. We’re not going to miss the start and we’re going to aim up with our aggression and the physicality that we missed last game.
“This is the fourth time we’ve played each other, so we both know each other very well. We’ll be up for it this weekend.”
Norths Devils Coach Dave Elliott said while his team’s attack had been strong this season, defence was always a key factor in big-game success.
“Going back through the last couple of years, there’s always been four points or six points between teams in grand finals,” he said.
“I think everyone knows that defence wins these big games and just going after your moments.”
He’s not taking too much notice of Redcliffe’s performance in week one of the finals.
“We ended up getting the win that day. What Redcliffe have done since ... the Capras game and obviously the win on the weekend with Cairns ... two great games where they’ve obviously built a lot of confidence, a lot of grit and determination,” he said.
“We’ll know we’ve got our work cut out for us on Sunday, that’s for sure,”
Hostplus Cup Grand Final Day
Redcliffe Dolphins v Norths Devils at Kayo Stadium 5.30pm
XXXX City v Country 3.30pm (men)
XXXX City v Country 1.30pm (women)
To get your tickets to Queensland Rugby League grand final day, presented by Ford, click here.