Darwin Brothers coach Leon Cleal says belief led to the underdogs Darwin Brothers beating Litchfield
FEATURE STORY: Darwin Brothers coach Leon Cleal has hailed his NRL NT premiership-winning side for its self-belief, which saw the underdogs triumph against the odds, recording a stunning 28-26 upset over Litchfield in the grand final last Saturday night.
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DARWIN Brothers coach Leon Cleal has hailed his NRL NT premiership-winning side for its self-belief which saw the underdogs triumph against the odds, recording a stunning 28-26 upset over Litchfield in the grand final last Saturday night.
Brothers came into the 2020 finals placed third after the regular season, but over the course of three games they beat Nightcliff, minor premiers Palmerston and two-time reigning champions the Bears.
The young side came into the last game with all but one player – Leon Rotumah – having never played in a grand final before.
But the Brethren came into the contest with a self-belief and maturity beyond their collective years, running to an early lead.
There was a period late in the second half where Litchfield mounted a comeback scoring four tries in a row but the young side held on to pull off the stunning victory.
“It was an amazing feeling to get that win but also relief with us in control for most of the game, and then Litchfield came back at us with those four tries,” Cleal told the Sunday Territorian.
“And I think at that stage we started thinking more about winning than our game plan which is where the youth of the side came in.
“But guys like Leon Rotumah stepped up with their experience and despite that shaky period they claimed they never thought we would lose and their self-belief saw us through.”
Nowhere was the experience difference between the two sides more notable than in the forwards with Litchfield known to have one of the biggest packs in the league.
Brothers on the other hand are known to have a rather small pack that boasts pace more than bulk.
But to get the win Cleal noted that his side needed to have at least parity in the middle of the field to supply his backs with plenty of go forward.
The forwards rose to the occasion with Brayden Daley, Daniel Warren, Junior Mungewai and Nick Sauer – who has played a full 80-minutes from prop since Round 6 – standing out from the front row.
Lachlan Braun, who was a former five-eighth at South Darwin, came into the side as middle forward, while Darcy Holmes held the side together defensively all to hold off the powerhouse Litchfield team.
“Before the game we spoke about the forwards battle and we said to win the game we needed to be 50-50 with them in the middle,” Cleal said.
“We didn’t have to win but we needed to have parity with them upfront. We knew we had talent and skill outside to take advantage and our forwards delivered.
“The funny thing is that previous result against Litchfield (a 58-14 win to the Bears in Round 7) was never mentioned. You can’t change history but you can create the future.”
Cleal also noted the support of Brothers fans who crammed into Territory Rugby League Stadium to see their players turn themselves into champions. The proud supporters came in their droves, with some of the most devoted camping out on the end Brothers found themselves running towards in the second half.
“The crowd support only increased that self-belief and helped get us over the line,” Cleal said.
“It was a great crowd for a great game of footy and our fans really got us home with us running towards our supporters in the second half.
“Our celebrations were long and hard but also respectful at the same time. I have a lot of time for this group of guys and they’re never any trouble. They deserved those celebrations.”
A number of the Brothers stars have already committed to another season at the Darwin club, including the experienced Rotumah who has signed on for at least another year.
Meanwhile, juniors continue to trickle into the squad from under-18s level, with Isaac Kurnoth and Elijah Coombes both playing in their age grade while starring in the A-grade competition.
Others such as Thomas Clarke, Tyrone Nona, Caleb Niki and Aidan Singleton among others are only a year out of playing under-18s.
And the inclusion of NTFL standouts and Brothers juniors such as Rodney Baird and the grand final best-on-ground Nick Yarran took the side to another level.
Halves Clarke and Nona stepped up significantly through the season, turning their junior bond into a powerful combination which has cemented the duo as leaders alongside captain Aaron Pollard.
Cleal’s trust and belief in the pair showed most when he gave Nona the five-eighth position, moving stalwart Rotumah out to the centres instead of his known position.
“We have juniors coming through and other prospects but they’re all eager to come back. Rodney Baird may be the only one based on if he plays footy but it’s going to be hard for him to leave,” Cleal said.
“Our halves Thomas and Tyrone were amazing, maturity personified. They gained the respect of their side and despite neither being 20 yet they’re already leaders of the side. And then there’s our captain Aaron Pollard who was a great leader for us all year. He took the responsibility and proved himself.
“Next year will be harder yet again. We know we weren’t perfect this year and there’s a lot of work to do for us to get to this stage again.”
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