Seven years after he played his last match for the Thunderbolts, Reece Craigie will savour a "special" homecoming when his Sutherland Sharks meet Tamworth in the finals at the Dome on Saturday night.
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It will be the first time the shooting guard has played against the Thunderbolts in a final at Tamworth - with his parents, Joe and Tanya, and other relatives, some of whom haven't seen him play in years, set to attend the match.
The first time the 30-year-old played Tamworth in a final was last season, when the Sharks beat them in the first week of the playoffs at Sutherland.
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"All my family's in Tamworth. So it's gonna be pretty special," he said.
Tamworth, who topped Pool B in the Waratah League's Division One, are two wins away from a grand final berth - and enter Saturday's clash on a 15-game winning streak as they chase their debut title.
In 2012, when Craigie last played for the Bolts, they lost the grand final to Coffs Harbour.
Current Thunderbolts David Bourke, Chris Skilton and Justin Leehy played on that team with him.
They are part of the old guard who have mixed so potently with the side's young guard.
The Bolts finished atop the table, while Sutherland finished in second place in Pool A after St George beat them in last season's grand final.
Craigie, the 2018 league MVP, said the Sharks were "very wary" of Tamworth's run-and-gun style and their good mix of youth and experience.
"On top of that, it's well known around the league that Tamworth are near unbeatable at home," he said, but added: "We pride ourselves on probably being a better team away from home."
