Rival coaches in footy horseplay

This afternoon there'll be no love lost between rival coaches Adam Doyle and Aaron Gorrell as another chapter is written in Queanbeyan's fierce rugby league rivalry.

And while they don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to football, they're hoping they will both soon share the spoils of victory on the race track.

Kangaroos coach Gorrell and Blues mentor Doyle have recently bought into a greyhound and racehorse together. They're great mates who love their football, a beer and a punt, but it doesn't mean the two clubs are about to call a truce on their civil war just yet.

The fourth-placed Blues will arrive at Freebody Oval today desperate to exact revenge for last year's 20-16 grand final loss to the competition-leading Kangaroos.

For an hour-and-a-half today, Doyle and Gorrell's friendship will be put on hold.

''No mate it [the rivalry] will always be there, especially with the older blokes involved with the two clubs,'' Doyle said.

''For 80 minutes there … you still want to be the best team in the competition, let alone your home town.

''We just both love rugby league and horses, so that's a good start.''

Their dishlicker Beautiful Miss, trained by Queanbeyan's Ryan Collier, has finished second in all four of its starts at Canberra, and the pair are confident it will soon break its maiden status.

As far as their unnamed and unraced colt is concerned, they're not expecting it to be the town's next Takeover Target fairytale.

That's despite the fact it was bred out of Bart Cummings's 2006 Caulfield Guineas winner Wonderful World, and is being nurtured by renowned Queanbeyan trainer Joe Cleary.

''He's only small, but he gets across the ground pretty quick,'' Doyle said. ''Joe's plan is to just turn him back out, give him six weeks in the paddock and let him grow a bit more before bringing him back late spring or summer.

''There's no big plans for the horse, just play it by ear and hopefully it wins a couple on the way. Joe [Janiak, Takeover Target's trainer], that's a one in a million story, I'll just be happy if ours gets to the races.''

Doyle has harboured a love for racing ever since his dad gave him the responsibility of training some of his greyhounds as a teenager.

Gorrell, out for the season with a knee injury, described it as ''a bit of fun away from footy''. ''Joe [Cleary] thinks we'll have some fun with it, we're not after something to get us rich or anything like that,'' Gorrell said.

''On the field I'm nobody's mate, I'm pretty competitive and will do anything to win, but I think people that hold grudges and carry on after something's happened on the field have a few issues.

''The rivalry's still there on the field, but off it I'm mates with Doyley and a few of his players too.''

Doyle joked he sees some similarities between helping horses succeed in the Sport of Kings, and preparing players for the Greatest Game of All. ''Good players know they can play, and good horses know they can run,'' Doyle said.

''The whole grand final week last year was a great build-up and it was a pity the result didn't go our way, but we were all mates after it.''

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