With PBC's 1st grade side falling short in last week's preliminary final, all eyes at the club now turn to their 2nd grade side as the Alleygators' only remaining shot at senior silverware in 2026.
They face off against Nerang for the Dr Tom Nutley Cup, after a season of ding dong battles where the victor has never prevailed by more than 5 points.
GCDRU caught up with Alleygators coach Shilou Hona and flyhalf and vice-captain Joe Herselman to preview the decider, reflecting on a season shaped by squad depth, close finishes and a group that has learnt to trust the process.
GCDRU: You've beaten Nerang twice in a row now in your most recent meetings, most recently 27-25 in the major semi after edging them 29-24 in your final regular season round match-up. What is it about this Alleygators side that seems to have the wood on the Bulls of late?
Herselman: Yeah, both games as of recent have been a great contest between us and we know that it will be the same come Saturday.
I think that our boys are really good at staying in the fight and holding on until the end and then executing in tight moments to get over the line.
Hona: I wouldn't say we have the wood over them - Nerang are a quality side.
All our games have been close, the boys are just competitive and want to keep improving each week.
I'm just glad the boys got a couple of wins building into finals.
GCDRU: Both recent wins over Nerang have been narrow, decided by four points or less. What's stood out to you about how the team has managed those tight closing stages?
Herselman: Our boys have been really good at keeping cool heads in those intense moments and sticking to our game-plan.
The trust we have in each other is what allows us to stay calm and perform under pressure.
Hona: The ability for these young men to stay in the fight when we play.
We've had some great games against Nerang this year and it has been very see-saw through the year.
GCDRU: Nerang will have learnt from those losses. Do you feel like they have more up their sleeve, or are you confident you know their style pretty well at this point?
Herselman: We know that Nerang are a different beast at home, especially in a grand final, but we are confident we can back our game plan in and what we already know to get the job done.
It will be a very close game and we are super keen to handle any challenge thrown at us.
Hona: There's definitely always room for improvement and I feel the best is yet to come for the team.
This Grand Final is going to be a belter.
GCDRU: How has your preparation been since the major semi final win?
Herselman: We've had a great weekend off preparing for the grand final and have been closely supporting our first grade team over the last week while also sharpening our own game.
We have our weekly senior squad barbecue after Thursday night training and we'll keep that going with a team dinner this week as well.
Hona: We just kept everything the same, training remained the same.
We got behind our 1st grade on Saturday and got to be rugby fans again with the week off and enjoy all the preliminary finals at home.
We'll do some things this week but nothing out of the ordinary.
GCDRU: What's impressed you most about your team in 2026 and how they have developed over the space of a season?
Herselman: I am super proud of how everyone that has been a part of this team has stepped up into a role that needs to be filled when we have missing players and performed so well.
Also, trusting the process which our coaches have instilled into us over the course of the season has seen our game improve so much.
Hona: The most impressive thing about the team has been the depth and attitude of everyone.
We've had a lot of injuries this year, especially in the front row and lock department, which had caused a lot of movement in the team. But everyone has just rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in with a great attitude.
GCDRU: What are your final words to the boys before heading out of that changing room on Saturday?
Herselman: We all know our roles and exactly what we need to do when we get out there, so let's stick to what we've been doing all year, trust each other and bring the heat from the start.
Hona: It's not easy getting into any final, so just letting them know to enjoy the moment and enjoy the day, play hard, play fair and hopefully we end up on the right side of the result!
Gators face the Bulls in the 2nd grade grand final this Saturday. Kick off is at 1pm at Nerang Bulls Rugby Club.
