BEWARE THE bite of the underdog, says Toulouse Olympique coach Sylvain Houles as he prepares his side to take on Wakefield Trinity in the Championship Grand Final on Saturday at the DIY Kitchens Stadium (kick-off 7.00pm)
“We know we’re the underdogs,” said Houles following Sunday’s tight 21-20 semi-final thriller victory over Bradford Bulls in France.
“But that is where we are at our most dangerous and I know they are aware of it; it’s going to be a great final.
“Both sides have got exciting, expansive players, it’s going to be great to watch. It will be packed at a great Rugby League ground and it should be an awesome experience.
“We’re going to have to play a lot better than we did today and that’s not disrespect to a really quality side in Bradford, but we’ve shown we have resilience and we can win in incredibly difficult circumstances.”
Houles added, “We’ve played in two Championship Grand Finals before, but they were both at home. So we have the experience of the event but Wakefield have the home advantage so it cancels itself out.
“I want to take our game to Wakefield and challenge them at their place and I’m really looking forward to it.
Houles admitted that there was an element of uncertainty about this year’s final, with promotion to Super League not decided on the final hooter.
He said, “There is a difference this year. You can become champions and still not go into Super League or you could lose the final and still be promoted. It is a bit weird to be honest.
“That’s why it’s important to focus on one thing and not get caught up with other thoughts. We’re all in this business to win trophies and as a coach I always stress that we need to put some silver into the cabinet,
“Winning is my job, that’s what I get paid for and we want to win trophies. We want to be part of creating history for this club and the only way we can do that is by winning.
“Win the game and see what happens afterwards. If we win this year’s Grand Final we get an additional 0.25 points for the IMG gradings. It doesn’t look as pretty as the trophy cabinet but it is very important to this club.”
Houles said his squad has been battle-hardened by a demanding season which began with the club’s worst-ever start with four losses from six.
He added, “It hasn’t been a smooth road, we’ve had hard times and injuries this season. It’s incredible to think that this year we’ve only used 28 players, last year it was 36.
“With such a small squad our performance and medical staff had done an incredible job this year. With the kind of season we’ve had, to only use 28 players is a massive credit to them.
“They have worked so hard, especially on the muscular injuries, to ensure the players receive the best care and the team can keep functioning.
“Now we’re at the business end and the players are all putting their hand up for selection but also those who don’t make the team are playing their part, supporting their team-mates and the staff.
“It raises the standards and that’s great for me as a coach. I’m happy with the mix and the connection of the players. The effort is there with all of the little details that we speak about.
“We’re going into the Grand Final well-prepared and not over-cooked. It’s a game of footy and we need to enjoy it. If they do that and play to their potential I am sure we will get the result.”
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