IT WAS MUCH BETTER LAST WEEK
I thought we played a lot better last week but once again we didn't get the result we needed. You can't blame the kids that came in because I thought they were very good but we know as a team we are still not at the levels we set ourselves at the start of the season. The effort, commitment and passion were certainly back and if we had shown that much desire and commitment to each other in the two games where we performed very poorly, then I am sure we would have been a lot closer in both those games. So we are working hard in training to get to those levels and I am sure we will achieve them again and soon. I thought we let a few soft tries in but all in all it was a lot better than the week before.
I managed to get the nod for the Loose Forward berth last weekend and when Macca rang me the day before the game and told me I would be in the middle I must say I was looking forward to it. I didn't mind it- as it's all for the team - and I quite enjoyed it but when you are used to being an out and out Hooker and getting in at Dummy Half, then it was strange. Playing in the middle, I just tried to generate some push and some energy. It was good though and I managed all but the last fifteen minute whilst Heath was on the whole game.
We will need to keep improving as it's back to my old club Castleford on Sunday. Cas is a great Rugby town and it's where I played all my junior career. I got my first shot there and I owe the club a lot. I am really looking forward to going back and although the ground is not the biggest, it always generates a great atmosphere. The fans are really close to the pitch and that always makes for a good feeling. We are kicking off at 11.30 because of the England v Germany game and that will be OK. I have played in some early kick off games before, in the Hull derbies and it's good because no sooner are you up and out of bed then you are warming up for the game. It's something different and we have adjusted our training today and Friday to compensate for the early start. I just hope we get back to winning ways and get the two points.
Matt Orford left these shores on Monday and will be getting his shoulder operated on back in OZ. He is a big loss to us because he is a great player but the op had to be done and knowing the kind of bloke he is, he will be trying to get it sorted out as quickly as possible and get his rehab done and bounce back, both for himself and the Bulls. I wish him all the best and hope it goes OK.
OX's place last week was taken by young Cain Southernwood and I thought he had a tremendous debut. He is only a young kid but he has got that ‘cheeky' half back game about him. To come in and play in that position, where you have to be dominant is very hard and I thought he handled it really well. The more game time he gets the better he will become and he will quickly learn that stepping up to that level means he has to make decisions a lot quicker than he has been used to. Macca was very pleased with him and so were all the boys because he has only been at the club a short time and he has done very well and looks to have a great future.
I can't say I have spent too much time watching the World Cup but I have been keeping an eye on Uruguay as I have drawn them in the sweep so I hope they do well. There has been a lot of banter going on about it and Langers has nicknamed me the Uruguayan Yeti!! That's stuck too so I am getting plenty of stick at the moment. I hope England can press on and go a lot further and do the country proud.
Earlier this week I did a ‘Promo' for the club at St Luke's Hospital. It was the Hospital Radio and I was with two ladies who had been ‘locked in' for forty eight hours and they were very tired. It was all for charity and we had a right laugh and I hope I helped them keep awake for the hour or so I was there!!
On the way to the game at the weekend I got a call from Elliott Whitehead and him and Dave Halley and Stu Reardon are the biggest wind up merchants at the club; they are always trying to ‘get' you. Smelly told me that Mike Worrincy had broken down on the Motorway and that I should look out for him. Well, of course, I didn't believe them, so you can imagine my surprise when I suddenly saw his car and Mike waving frantically at me. He was there with what looked like a mechanic. He jumped in with me for the game and I asked him what he was going to do with his car and he said he had left the keys with the mechanic, with all his gear in the car and that he was going to tow it to Hartshead Moor services for him!! I told him he could have taken everything he had but he said he looked like a trustworthy guy, even though he had just met him! Anyway after the game one of the boys took him up to Hartshead Moor and sure enough there was the car with all the gear still in it!! He is the only bloke I know who would give his keys to a complete stranger and still come out on top in the end.
I'll see you all at the Jungle!
<< Return to Post listing