LAST year’s premiership triumph held a special family significance for Narrabri halfback come centre come breakaway Matt McDonnell.
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It saw him join his father Peter as a premiership-winner with the Blue Boars.
He was one of four to do that, along with Henri Knight, Dave Boyle and Matt Schwager, the latter supplanting McDonnell (Peter) as the last Blue Boars skipper to hold aloft the Heath Shield at home.
On Saturday, Knight - provided he is fit – and McDonnell will be chasing back-to-back titles. This time though they’ll have to do it in enemy territory – Moree.
It will be McDonnell’s third successive grand final after being part of the side that was beaten by Moree up there two years ago.
The Blue Boars earned their spot in the decider with a 31-17 win over their grand final combatants last year, Pirates .
“It was very tough, but it was good to get up a bit of confidence to take up to Moree,” McDonnell said.
Successive losses to the Bulls had knocked a bit out of them.
That said, they were probably a bit of a wake-up call.
They certainly came out switched on against Pirates.
“About time we started well,” McDonnell said.
“Everyone was fired up. We knew it was sudden death.”
Another difference was their defence – it had a long more sting.
“The boys aimed up in defence from the start,” he said.
“That’s been lacking the last two weeks.”
McDonnell has been a bit of a “Mr Fix It” for the Blue Boars.
After starting out as a half-back he moved into the centres, before last season being pushed into breakaway where he was a bit of a revelation.
“I get shovelled around a bit but I don’t mind,” he said.
As long as he’s out there.
This year he played the early part of the year in the forwards, but with Mitch Kelly’s injury necessity saw him pulling on the 12 again.
He’s played there pretty much since he returned from his own injury (torn rib cartilage), although he did spend some time in the forwards against Pirates.
That’s where he would prefer to play.
“I like playing in the forwards,” he said.
“I might have found my spot on the side.”
He admitted moving back to 12 has posed some challenges.
“The first couple of games I kept forgetting I’m not supposed to run in (to the breakdown),” he said.
He said they are pretty keen to go up to Moree and make amends, and highlighted the first 15 minutes as critical. “Moree have got a massive forward pack,” he said.
“We’ve got to take it to them the first 15.”
That’s the biggest thing.
They know they can come home against them. The last two games they’ve scored more points in the second half.
The trip doesn’t worry him either.
“I think we play better up at Moree against them,” he said.
They’ve already won up there this year.
