Narrabri prop eyes triumphal swansong

And that’s how it will be for Narrabri prop Sam 

Greenaway.

Greenaway has said tomorrow will be it for him, bringing down the curtain on a career that started 14 years ago as an U19.

He was contemplating retirement last year but the desire for a premiership drove him on for one more year.

“When we lost the grand final last year I said I’d go again,” he said.

He might still have to dust the boots off again for one final time next year.

The grand final will take him to 149 games.

It will be the first time the Blue Boars have hosted the decider since 1988.

“It’s so exciting to get the chance to do it in the 50th year,” Greenaway said.

He’s loved his time with the Blue Boars, and is one of the few survivors from 2002 when the Blue Boars last  won the premiership outright, although he didn’t get to actually play that day.

“I played in the drawn one,” he said.

That was two years later and was the last time the Blue Boars had their hands on the Heath Shield.

They’ve had a couple of attempts since, the most recent  last year.

It was Greenaway’s first season for a couple.

“I had two years off,” he said.

“I had a ruptured disc.”

They came from third last year to make the grand final.

This year they lost just one game and went straight through from the major semi-final.

Greenaway couldn’t pinpoint anything they’ve really done differently in terms of how they play.

It’s the same structure they played last season. 

“We’ve probably put a lot more onus on trying to own a game, rather than just going through the motions,” Greenaway said.

A couple of additions have also made a difference.

Sam Clements coming in has really helped the lineout. 

Having Dave Boyle fit most of the year has been good too.

“He shores us up,” he said.

That was evident in the major semi-final, with Boyle one of their best in the 22-20 win over Pirates.

It was their third over Pirates by two points this season and came on the back of a second- half surge. That was led by the forwards.

“Things probably weren’t working well for us in the first half – we weren’t going forward,” Greenaway said.

“We said at half-time we need to tighten it up.”

He said they knew if they could slow it down and play their game they could get on top.

“Keeping our discipline, that was a really big thing,” he said.

They spoke about not letting Pirates out of their half, which they did pretty well.

The mantra will be the same tomorrow.