Dapto halfback Troy Pieper could be forgiven for holding a grudge against his coach and close friend, Blake Wallace.
Pieper missed out on the Canaries last first-grade title in 2016 when Wallace returned from his New South Wales Cup duties and reclaimed his spot.
“I was meant to play in that grand final, but the coach took my spot,” Pieper explains with a laugh.
“I went back and played reserve grade, captained, and we won the comp in Reggies.
“So, it would be nice to do it together this year as captain and coach.”
But rather than kicking stones, Pieper praised Wallace’s work ethic and the strong bond they’ve built since their junior days.
“Wally works extremely hard. I’ve seen all the work he’s put in over the years.
“We’re just two kids from Dapto who love the club and want to see the club succeed.
“We love working together, we work well together. We just want to see the club end up where it belongs,” he said.
Back to the drawing board
That hard work was evident in a dominant, sudden-death semi-final win against De La Salle last Saturday, Wallace noting his side’s ability to lift in the second half was the backbone of their victory.
“We addressed a few things during the week we needed to fix up, and I thought we controlled the footy a lot better in that second half and had some back-to-back sets and managed to make most of our opportunities,” Wallace said.
Having been defeated by Collegians on three occasions this year already, Wallace knows they will be a step up in class this weekend, and his troops must be sharp defensively.
“I think defensively, we’ve got to be on. Their middles are strong, they can roll teams up and down the field, and then their halves are very smart; they play with some pretty good shape.”
“So, for us, the challenge is going to be defensively, and we’ve got to go after them from the get-go and make sure we welcome that battle and win that battle,” he said.
Match Centre
After experiencing premiership success in 2016 as a player, Wallace says the chance to guide the club back to the big stage now as coach is special.
“I believe in the group that we’ve got, and I believed in them from the start. I’m not coaching and being involved just to fill the numbers.
“I want to win, and I know my players have that same mentality. We’re going to go out there and play to the best of our ability, and what will be, will be.”
Pieper leading the charge
Pieper, the competition’s leading points scorer thanks to his accuracy with the boot, has been one of Dapto’s standout performers this season, but it’s his team-first attitude that sets him apart.
“I don’t really plan to be the top point scorer; I just get lucky with the goal kicking.
“It’s just one of those years where I’ve been kicking well from anywhere on the park and then scoring a couple of tries here and there.
“It’s a nice accolade, but to win the comp is the main goal.”
Embracing underdog tag ahead of Collies clash
A Dapto junior through and through, Pieper has stuck with the club through its ups and downs since 2014. He says the prospect of winning a premiership is exciting.
“It feels awesome, to be honest. It’s been a long time coming, but it just shows with hard work and dedication that we can do it.”
“We’ve built a squad with good recruitment and tough and solid effort, and yeah, we’re reaping the rewards finally.”
Pieper says the Canaries are embracing their underdog status ahead of their battle with the minor premiers.
“We love having our backs against the wall. We’ve been doubted for a long time, and whenever we pick off a big scalp, people say it was luck.
“But I think people are really starting to pay attention to us now. We’ve got no pressure on us, and all the pressure will be on them, hopefully.
“We’re going in confident with everything to play for, and we’re quite happy where we’re at.”
After nearly ten years in the making, Pieper can finally move one step closer to first-grade premiership glory with a victory over Collegians on Saturday. He might even give a nod to his coach this time around.
Words | Angelina Raula
Photo | Denis Ivaneza