The accidental comeback of former Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore can hit a final high on Sunday at Suncorp Stadium when he shoots for a dream club premiership farewell at 38.
If all goes to plan, Moore will run on for the last 15 minutes or so to add a final dose of set-piece starch to the University of Queensland pack in this exciting decider against GPS.
Click here to get your tickets for the eToro Rugby Championship
Moore has led the Wallabies onto Suncorp, he's taken centre stage in the dressing room for pre-Test addresses and his gold No.2 jersey has been hung in his own locker.
There’ll be none of that on Sunday before the 1pm kick-off to the grand final of the Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup.
“All the jerseys No.1 to 15 will be hanging up. Those 16-23 will be in a pile in the middle. I’ll grab mine (No.16) and find a spot for my bag on the side or near the doorway,” Moore said.
“No special treatment.”
It’s one of the things that Moore is enjoying about this unlikely, unplanned run at winning a club grand final for the first time.
He really is just a drummer in the band, doing his bit behind another former Wallaby, James Hanson, who will start at hooker.
“It’s a bit bizarre. I never intended to put the boots on again yet here we are,” Moore said of answering a June SOS from coach Mick Heenan to help out from the bench.
“You always hear that saying about when it’s over, it’s over. I thought it was over at the end of 2017.
“I’ve never won a grand final. They are special and I’m certainly looking forward to this.”
Uni were bullied out of last year’s grand final when Ben Mowen and Easts won on the back of a dominant scrum. Moore is “doing a Mowen” because former Wallabies skipper Mowen started the trend with his comeback for one final season with the Tigers after his professional rugby days.
Moore had to find his old mouthguard in his old kit before heading back to training under Heenan’s guidance.
“The set piece is always important. Get to a grand final and it’s more important again. It’s always a focus and where you can gain ascendency,” Moore said.
Moore has respect for what GPS will bring to the decider.
“When they got behind in the semi-final against Wests they went to their lineout and driving maul for two tries so the value of a good set piece helped get them home,” Moore said.
Out wide, no one on the field has faster wheels than GPS flyer Josh Collins.
The young optometrist has an eye for the tryline. It was his roaming off the wing to latch onto a pass from halfback Josh Vuta that put GPS ahead for the first time against Wests in last weekend’s semi-final thriller.
Collins’ father John was a fine finisher in his heyday for Uni.
Forty years ago, he crossed for 17 tries as the club competition’s joint leading tryscorer in 1981.
READ MORE:
RETURNS: Kerevi, Rodda back for Wallabies
FAMILY: Barrett brothers start for All Blacks
WAKE UP: Fainga'a ready for opportunity
Club loyalty and family are a tug-of-war at times but not for the grey-haired Collins.
“I’ve still got emotional connection to Uni, of course, but I’m supporting Josh and GPS,” Collins said.
GPS don’t have the experience in the engine room they had in 2018 when Mitch King, Dan Gorman and Ryan Freney were key figures in the 23-16 upset of minor premiers Uni in the grand final.
The Gallopers do still have the outstanding backrower playing in this grand final. Matt Gicquel won the Tony Shaw Medal as the player of the 2018 grand final and would have won man-of-the-match in last Sunday’s stirring semi-final win.
It will be a quality stoush in the backrow with trios of similar skills jousting.
No.8 Iona Halaholo is a huge ball-running factor for Uni beside Sam Wallis and Conor Mitchell. Equally, Ratu Vio Batibasaga is a strong ball-carrier beside versatile captain Michael Richards and Gicquel.
Halfback Kalani Thomas and fullback Mac Grealy both have X-factor to create a try with a few moments of sharp footwork and perhaps that will be the difference.
GPS will take on Easts in the Premier Women’s decider, kicking off at 9:30am.
The Gallopers will be looking to shake their Grand Final hoodoo, with this year’s minor premiers falling at the final hurdle in three of the last four seasons.
They’ll go up against a star-studded Easts side, with Queensland stars Cobie-Jane Morgan, Destiny Brill, April Ngatupuna and Annabelle Codey key as the Tigers bid to go back-to-back
