TSL: Roos coach urges team to play ‘brave’ after qualifying final loss to Bombers

It’s the old adage – you miss every shot you don’t take. That’s the mindset Clarence coach Peter Ryan wants his team to take into next week’s preliminary final after Sunday’s qualifying defeat to North Launceston.

TSL. Peter Ryan Clarence coach. Tigers V Clarence. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

His side has to earn another shot at them on the big stage, but Clarence coach Peter Ryan knows they won’t slay unbeaten North Launceston unless they shoot their shot.

He’d rather his players mess up trying to take the game on, what’s required if the Bombers’ surge is to be stopped after they booked a home grand final in Sunday’s 13.10 (88) to 6.5 (41) qualifying win at UTAS Stadium.

The Roos recovered from an early 22-point deficit to close to within three points in the third quarter in wet conditions.

But four unanswered Bombers goals snuffed out their charge, and the Roos weren’t able to find the gears required to find an answer.

Asked if he was happy with his side’s display, Ryan said: “Not really, we lost. We missed out on an opportunity to go straight into a grand final.

“I thought we started pretty poorly, but fought our way back in the second term. To their credit they’re a bloody good side and just wrestled momentum away and went on with it. We couldn’t find a punch back.

“We’ve got a lot to do to catch them, and hopefully we get another opportunity.”

To get that chance they’ll need to beat Lauderdale in next weeks’ preliminary final.

Clarence’s Fletcher Richards left the ground with a shoulder injury in the last quarter, the only issue for either team.

“We’re a bit banged up, we need to freshen up,” Ryan said. W

“We got beaten around the footy, North Launnie did really well to stop our ball movement and we struggled to get it out of our back half. It has been (an issue against them this season), we thought we’d done enough work to combat that.

“I don’t know if it was the conditions that didn’t allow boys to be brave and take the game on. We were a bit hesitant at times which frustrated me, because I’d prefer to see us making mistakes rather than try and do things on the back foot.”