Blumers Lawyers CRRL Cup Grand Final Preview

Author: crrl.com.au
Timestamp: Fri 25 Sep 2020, 01:40 PM

The Raiders Under 20’s and the Gungahlin Bulls will face off in this year’s CRRL Cup first grade grand final on Sunday.

The Raiders Under 20’s side have been the benchmark of the competition, having lost just one game.

Under 20’s captain Silafono Titiuti says that the team culture is a big part of their success.

Titiuti: I'm very privileged to be a part of this playing group

“Our coaches have been pushing us to strive for excellence,” Titiuti said. “Our halves and our team culture just clicked midway through and it just helped us get along throughout the season.”

The two sides have met three times this season, with the Raiders U20’s holding a 2-1 winning record.

The Bulls have been the only team to defeat the Raiders, back in round six when they won 34-18.

Titiuti says that the Bulls will be tough opponents come Sunday.

“I think they are going to come out firing,” Titiuti said. “They have nothing to lose, same as us. They have a lot of firepower behind them but I think we’ll be up for the challenge.”

Gungahlin are vying for their first title since 2001, and have had a great season in 2020.

The team lost their first three games, but turned their season around to finish in the top two after round nine.

Bulls captain Tre Williams says that it took a while for all the new players to settle into the team.

“There was a lot of new players at the club, it was always going to take time to get those combinations going. But I think once we got those going we came good in the second half of the season.”

Williams: It's very exciting times

While the Bulls have lost twice to the Under 20’s side, including last round, Williams says it has been good having the team in the competition.

“They’ve been the benchmark all season. Their middles and outside backs have been really good, and it’s good to play against opposition like them,” Williams said.