Goodna Eagles go back to basics

Goodna players watch last year’s grand final slip from their grasp.

THIS time a year ago many people thought Goodna had the Ipswich Rugby League title in the bag before a ball had been kicked.

Swifts have that dubious honour this year, and you get the impression that’s the way Goodna coach Anthony Fowler likes it.

“I don’t think we peaked too early (last season),” he said of a year in which the Eagles started like champions but looked clueless come grand final time.

“I just think we got flat.

“We took things for granted and didn’t change all year.

“In the grand final Brothers played a completely different game (to the way they’d played all season).”

The need to evolve through the season is the biggest lesson Fowler learnt from last year.

However, evolution does not mean complicating things.

“I’m probably more intent not to have tunnel vision, having been there last year,” Fowler said.

“I was pretty set in my ways last year. I knew how I wanted us to play and we didn’t play to our strengths.

“We tried to be a bit fancy in the forwards . . . our forwards decided to become ball players.”

This year opponents can expect the Goodna forwards to run straight and hard, leaving the fancy stuff to the backs.

When you’ve got the likes of Andrew Walker and Ben Seve joining an already potent backline why wouldn’t you?

Goodna are likely to have plenty of room for improvement as the season progresses. They have done little in the way of ball work during the pre-season and have had two trial matches cancelled, meaning the top side has had just one run together.

“We’re not looking too bad but we’re a bit underdone,” Fowler admitted.

“It’s not bothering me.

“We’ve only got about six in the team from last year, we just need to get some combinations going.”

Fowler must work out if and where new back signings from Sunnybank Rugby Union Club James Se’u, Sam Setu and Andrew Petaia will fit in.

In the forwards he has to identify replacements for exiting hooker Joel Blanco and second-rower Michael Knight.

Veteran Damon Viellaris will get first shot at the No.9 jersey while the likes of former Brothers player Nick Schloss (Fowler’s nephew), NSW Cup player Ray Savage and former Ipswich Jet Alex Tafili will also push for places in the side.

Fowler believes the new signings will give him more mobility and versatility in the forwards.

“We’ve still got a big pack but we’re a bit more mobile,” he said.

“Last year we tried to go for impact right from the start rather than use impact from the bench.

“We need to be smarter and use our players better.”