Casuarina Cougars after instant revenge against Dragons, while South Darwin eyes a more consistent A-grade rugby season

CASUARINA Cougars captain Mark Ross said his side was hungry to avenge its grand final loss in its first-round match against premiers Dragons in the Darwin A-grade rugby union competition.

Casuarina captain Mark Ross is after instant revenge against Darwin Dragons. Picture: Che Chorley

CASUARINA Cougamrs captain Mark Ross said his side was hungry to avenge its grand final loss in its first round match against premiers Dragons in the Darwin A-grade rugby union competition today.

The Cougars led for much of the grand final but lost on the buzzer to a Dragons penalty which stole their ambitions of a first title since 2013.

But that hasn’t halted their hopes of getting the title this coming season where they will hope to set down an early claim in the Round 1 grand final rematch.

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And though Casuarina will be missing the likes of Ryan McMurray this time, they will have Shane Crowley and Trey Crowley at their disposal.

Simiaika Salaa looked strong late in the season for the Cougars and will be a hopeful inclusion again for the side that never lost by more than five points last season.

“A lot of the boys are still feeling the long drain of last season but they’re all keen to get on the pitch particularly with the grand final rematch this week,” Ross told the NT News.

“We delayed pre-season a bit to give everybody a break but we’ve had some good numbers at training and some new faces that have brought some good energy to the side.

“You’re always hungry to win a grand final but to lose it after the siren did hurt so we’re eager to take home the trophy which we unfortunately did not last season.

“This year we’re going to look to play a bit expansive with the football, making sure we control the ball.”

Meanwhile, South Darwin is also looking to prove itself with a strong early performance against Palmerston Crocs.

The Rabbitohs looked like the most potent side early last season with a 55-5 win over eventual champions Darwin Dragons.

Zac Burge is looking for consistency from South Darwin in the 2020-21 season. Picture: Che Chorley

However, that potency fell away post-COVID lay-off with the side lacking numbers and intensity in that time.

Captain Zac Burge feels this season will be a return to that early 2020 form where the likes of Maleli Motonicocoka and Petelo Pailate stood out on the offensive.

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“We’re feeling pretty good with a few guys back from rugby league which has seen a lift in numbers in training,” Burge told the NT News.

“Overall, we want to win back that shield and take back what’s ours.”