A decade has passed since Scott Prince became a NRL Premiership champion.
Lifting the trophy as Wests Tigers captain, his coronation also included the Clive Churchill Medal – his man-of-the-match display in the grand final lighting up Sydney’s Telstra Stadium.
It was the jewel in his career crown and 10 years on, the now retired halfback is eagerly awaiting today’s showpiece. It pits another two of his former clubs against each other, as the North Queensland Cowboys and the Brisbane Broncos contest the first all-Queensland grand final (kick-off: 13:15).
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The Broncos boast an imperious record against the Cowboys having won 29 and drawn two of their 42 meetings. They also have Wayne Bennett as their coach.
With seven grand final wins to his name already, Bennett is to rugby league what Sir Alex Ferguson is to football and Phil Jackson to basketball.
His return to Brisbane at the start of the 2015 season was an emotional one but once again Bennett has worked his magic. Having played under him between 2001 and 2003, Prince knows that the veteran coach’s presence makes the Broncos favourites at ANZ Stadium.
“The Broncos have turned some heads this year,” Prince told Sport360°. “They recruited their mentor and king in Bennett at the beginning of the season, and
nobody saw it coming as far as the turnaround in the Broncos squad.
“What he’s done with the team is phenomenal and now they find themselves in a final as a result of him and the players’ hard effort.
“Still, I’m torn between the two clubs as both played such a significant role in my life and car-eer. My head is saying Broncos to win, because I think across the park they have a little more to offer, but my heart is saying Cowboys, because I know how much it would mean for them.”
One player who will be key to the Cowboys’ hopes is Johnathan Thurston. The 32-year-old collected a record fourth Dally M (Player of the Year) award this week in recognition of the impressive displays that led the Cowboys to the final.
“Johnathan’s the best player in the game at the moment,” added Prince. “He will be a central figure.
“The Broncos have the jump on the majority of the positional match-ups but the key factor has to be the halves. They talk about the Clive Churchill medal, and nine times out of 10 it’s down to how the halves perform.
"It will come down to whether Johnathan Thurtson and Michael Morgan can provide the X-factor for the Cowboys.”
The all-Queensland aspect of the final is a special storyline for Mount Isa-born Prince.
“When people talk about the competition, you’d think the NRL is Sydney and that outside of Sydney there are no clubs,” Prince says. “To have an all-Queensland final shows the real dominance of rugby league in Queensland.”
Scott Prince will be in Abu Dhabi at the Middle East Touch Championships on October 22-23
