By Lance Jenkinson
Werribee Bears are on the verge of a rare accomplishment in NRL Victoria first-grade rugby league.
The Bears will bid to become just the third club in first-grade history to achieve a three-peat when they square off with Sunbury Tigers in the grand final at Haines Drive Reserve this Saturday.
Only the legendary Altona Roosters team that collected four consecutive premierships from 2003-06, part of a run of seven titles in 10 years, and the Waverley Oakleigh Panthers, who won three straight between 1992-94, have achieved the magical three-peat.
The motivation for Bears half-back Phil Pese is to do it for the Bears loyal supporters.
“Hopefully, we can get the three-peat as a sign of thanks to our family and friends who come out to watch in the rain and cold all winter,” he said.
While Werribee is a win away from climbing to the top of the mountain for a third consecutive season, it will be a vastly different line-up to those that enjoyed nail-biting grand final wins over Casey Warriors in the past two seasons.
There are enough Bears with grand final experience to have a little edge over Sunbury going into the grand final, but it will not be the finals-hardened team that claimed back-to-back premierships.
“The club has been into four consecutive grand finals now,” Pese said.
“There’s a handful of us experienced ones who know what to expect in a grand final, but about 85 per cent of the team is young and new, so they’re going to have their butterflies and little jitters.
“We’ve got enough experience in certain position that they’ll be able to manage that.”
The Bears’ past two grand finals have been heart-stoppers.
They beat Casey 14-10 in 2016 and the same team 20-18 a year later.
It would be no shock if this year’s decider also went down to the wire.
The past two meetings between Sunbury and Werribee have been decided by a try or less, with the Bears winning on both occasions, including a two-point semi-final victory.
Pese is confident the Bears’ systems will stand up on the biggest stage again.
“Our team is going into the grand final with confidence, but we don’t overplay our hand,” he said. “If we play to our structure and our systems, we should be able to win next
week.”
Werribee will be hosting grand final day for the first time in its history.
It is a significant honour for a club that was founded only 10 years ago.
“It marks a massive achievement for the club,” Pese said. “Hosting the grand final
will be a confidence boost for the players, as well.
“Having all your family and friends, close relatives there, you wouldn’t want to lose at home.
“That’s one thing we’ll have over the Sunbury Tigers.”
