Currumbin sign former Titans Jamie Dowling and Shane Gray for 2020 RLGC A grade season
Currumbin’s quest for a breakthrough A grade premiership has received a huge boost with the signing of two former Gold Coast Titans.
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CURRUMBIN’S quest for a breakthrough A grade premiership has received a huge boost with the signing of former Gold Coast Titans pair Jamie Dowling and Shane Gray.
Preliminary finalists last season and minor premiers in 2018, the Eagles have swooped on backline utility Dowling and hulking forward Gray as new coach Martin Griese continues moulding his squad.
Dowling made 10 NRL appearances for the Titans in 2012-13 before five seasons with Burleigh in the Intrust Super Cup, while Gray played one game for Gold Coast in 2013.
The duo, both 29, sat out the 2019 season as Burleigh romped Rugby League Gold Coast’s A grade crown.
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Gray is one of four members of Tugun’s premiership-winning 2016 squad to reunite with Griese at Currumbin, with Ayden Lee (second row), Bryce Thomas (utility forward) and Keanu Tukiri (five-eighth) also arriving at Galleon Way in the off-season.
Griese, who has taken the coaching reins from Ryan Gundry, said the new recruits - led by Dowling and Gray – would add much-needed experience to his squad.
“That’s what we’ve lacked in previous years, just that little touch more experience because we’ve had a young team for the last couple of years. It’s going to be good that they can take the kids under their wing and say ‘this is how we do it’,” Griese said.
“They’re the leaders at training. They don’t really need to say anything, it’s just ‘look what I’m doing, emulate it and we’ll be fine’.
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“In previous years we’ve been pretty young (but) I think it’s a good mix. We’re going to have some good young kids that come through the grades together with some older heads.”
A grand-final loss to Southport in 2008 is as close as the Eagles have come to tasting premiership success and this year’s mission will be undertaken without 2019 stars Phil Ramage, Blake Morrison (both retired), Daniel Mortimer (Orange) and Bailey Gill (Central Capras).
However, Griese remains steadfast.
“Realistically, from where we’ve gone in the last two years, we would be hoping bare minimum to get to the grand final (this season). We set our standards high and we think we’re good enough to win it,” said Griese, who coached Tugun in 2016-17 before serving as Gundry’s assistant for two seasons.
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“I’ve learnt a lot since I started coaching to now, even under Gunge (Gundry). I think I’m a different coach to what I was four years ago, I’ve matured a bit. The boys seem to be enjoying it.”
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