McGrath key to Casuarina’s success

WHEN Peter McGrath was appointed first grade coach of Casuarina at the start of 2009 he took the reins of a club that was coming off consecutive wooden spoons.

Casuarina Cougars led by captain Aaron Ruddock will be defending their championship title against Frank Jennings and the University Pirates at this weekend's rugby union grand final.

WHEN Peter McGrath was appointed first grade coach of Casuarina at the start of 2009 he took the reins of a club that was coming off consecutive wooden spoons.

McGrath inherited a ­playing roster consisting primarily of enthusiastic locals who had played junior rugby with the club but under achieved at senior level.

McGrath arrived in Darwin via Marist Albion in Christchurch, Palmyra in Perth and a successful stint with Mid Canterbury in New Zealand’s NPC and his impact on Casuarina was immediate.

After a rigorous fitness regimen the Cougars went through the 2009 regular season losing once to Darwin Dragons and drawing with South Darwin. Playing a simple confidence-based brand of football the Cougars found themselves in a grand final for the first time since 1987.

After years of torment Casuarina’s long suffering fans flocked to Rugby Park, with many travelling from interstate in anticipation of the exuberant feeling premiership success can bring.

There would be no fairytale. Leading University 23-10 with nine minutes left, the Pirates scored two remarkable converted tries to spoil Casuarina’s party with their 24-23 victory.

The following year Casuarina played their matches with a harder edge.

They became the first team in history to go through the Darwin club rugby season undefeated when they extracted revenge over the Pirates with a 30-10 victory in the grand final.

The 2011 campaign was a repeat of 2010 with Casuarina storming through another season undefeated.

Their opponent in the decider was again University who they defeated 32-17.

McGrath’s simple game plans and philosophy of team before individual enabled new players to the club to seam-lessly replace those who had moved on.

Players from reserve grade could be interchanged with those in the firsts with minimal impact on team performance.

South Darwin recruited heavily in 2012 in an attempt to end Casuarina’s dominance.

But that year’s Casuarina Cougar line-up was probably their strongest.

And when they thumped the Rabbitohs 42-7, a record winning grand final margin was established.

Casuarina entered the 2013 season with 54 consecutive victories and three premierships under their belt, but key personnel losses by way of two Eric Johnston medallists and a Willie Ellison medallist meant a title defence would be a difficult challenge.

University won the minor premiership and Souths entered the finals in sparkling form. Casuarina had lost twice to University and went down to the Rabbitohs in the last round of the regular season.

It looked as though their reign was over.

Although the Cougars upset the Pirates in the semi-final to qualify for their fifth grand final in a row, they were still considered the slight underdogs in the big one again against University.

A thrilling 15-10 victory in a performance of complete composure under pressure provided the club with a fourth consecutive flag, which no other club had achieved.

Tomorrow, Casuarina will attempt to equal the record of most consecutive premierships, a record they set in the 1984-85 season.

They go into the match undefeated for the fourth time in the five years.

The premiership decider will be the 103rd for McGrath as coach of Casuarina, a reign that has yielded 96 wins, five losses and a draw.

If Casuarina was to select a Commemorative XV from those that have pulled on the blue and white hoops since 1976, the position of head coach would be between McGrath and John Connolly.

The quiet Cantabrian would get the nod over a man who went on to coach Australia.