TOM BRENNAN admits that the team “dug deep” to secure the Championship title.
The Great Britain star was outstanding in both legs of the Grand Final as the Tigers won by 10 points on aggregate against Poole.
But Brennan, 22, also believes that the fightback to beat Oxford in the final Play-Off Group B at Ashfield was the key moment on the way to glory.
He said: “The club had been working so hard to get to that title. Every single year since the Facenna family took over the club, they always seemed to be coming second.
“It was almost kind of a relief really. I’m very grateful to have been part of that team. Being part of winning the Championship will stick forever.
“Poole are always such a strong team, always well built and managed by Neil Middleditch.
“To beat Poole was massive. But our biggest achievement was probably getting past Oxford.
“We were 10 points down going into the second leg at home. Even by Heat 9 at Ashfield, we were walking around thinking that our chance was over.
“We all kind of dug deep, the management did as well, and we pulled through and made the final. At one stage it was definitely looking doubtful.
“Going to Poole is always tricky, for what reason I don’t really know. But the team worked really hard.
“On the parade truck after the first leg we were happy that we had won. But you could see in people’s faces that this could go either way.
“We scraped into the final but it felt like a different kind of pressure. Poole were a bit unlucky on the night. But we worked hard to get that far and rode brilliantly as a team when it really mattered.”
Images by Taylor Lanning.