TIGERS boss Cami Brown has revealed that Chris Harris “set the tone” for the Championship success.
The Allied Vehicles Tigers captain delivered two remarkable Grand Final performances against Poole, dropping just one point over the two legs.
Brown admitted that Harris orchestrated the entire mood of the camp and then produced a vital opening heat 5-1 win with Tom Brennan at Wimborne Road.
Harris was dubbed “Play-Off Bomber” after his pivotal role in outgunning the Pirates.
He said: “You simply can’t underestimate the part he played in the Grand Final. He set the tone for the win, there’s no doubt about it.
“After we won the first leg at Ashfield by 14 points, the group chat was just about going to Poole to have a bit of fun and enjoy it.
“We didn’t want to go there in a defensive mode. We treated it like any other meeting.
“Then Chris messaged me privately and said he would win Heat 1. He knew how important it was to lay down an early marker.
“I think that air of confidence and no fear really swept through the camp. Chris is a sensational leader.
“I’m delighted for him as well. When I wanted to sign him last winter, Chris wanted to come back to Glasgow.
“It speaks volumes of the man that he was disappointed with his year with us in 2018. He had just had another baby in 2018 and also had mechanical issues.
“But he wanted to return and make it up to the fans. That’s the first thing he said when I spoke to him.
“We got a bit of stick from the fans when we announced him in the team.
“However he was a breath of fresh air all year. He delivered big performances time and again. He only failed to score double figures on two occasions in the league, just brilliant.
“But he really went up a level in the Play-Offs. I won’t forget how hard he battled at Oxford in the Group B meeting to keep the score down. That mattered big time.
“He also produced a very clever corner in the final heat of the return fixture to make sure we reached the Grand Final.
“Then he won races from the back for fun in the first leg against Poole and was unbeatable at Wimborne Road until the last race when it didn’t matter.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Chris. He was more than just a captain in the end. I felt all the boys went up a level because of him to get us that Championship trophy.”