U20 Broncos draw from feel-good movies - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

U20 Broncos draw from feel-good movies

By Wayne Heming 03/10/2008 05:11:04 PM Comments (0)

They've been pumping themselves up all week on a diet of feel good movies like Remember the Titans.

But it will be simple words from Brisbane great Shane Webcke that drives them in Sunday's U20 rugby league grand final.

Brisbane need one more win against minor premiers and favourites Canberra, who've beaten them twice this season, to claim a grand final that a few months ago seemed as far out of their reach as winning Gold Lotto.

With eight 18-year-olds, Brisbane started the season with just three wins from nine games.

But they've charge home in the second half of the season, including last weekend's incredible last gasp win over the Warriors to grab a place in the grand final.

"They were a bunch of kids from the country and suburban clubs and they just weren't ready," said coach Anthony Griffen who believes his players are now young men on a mission.

Captain Alex Glenn likened his young team to rugby league's version of the American high school football team coached by Herman Boone, played by Denzel Washington, in the Hollywood blockbuster Remember the Titans.

Boone's team overcame all kinds of adversity to win their championship.

"I've watching those types of movies all week just trying to get into my own little zone," said Glenn, one of a number of young players on target to score an NRL contract.

"This group is pretty much a family now.

"We come here pre-season as individuals but throughout the whole season we've been catching up with each other on the weekends and outside of footy.

"Once you're a team, that's how you play on the field. We're one big family now, we're all for each other, pretty much like Remember the Titans.

New Zealand born Glenn said Webcke's recent words of advice had stuck.

"When he said we've got to play for each other out on the field and have respect for our jersey, that just kicked in," he said.

"All the boys started taking that on board and that's exactly what we've done, we've been playing for each other instead of ourselves on the field.

Glenn said it would be "nerve-wracking" for the players running out on the field but he knew they were all ready for it.

"It's exciting I can't explain it," he said.

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