BRINGING THE GIANTS DOWN TO SIZE!
It was another good victory at Huddersfield last Sunday. I think we took the confidence from the Harlequins game into the match with us. We talked about enjoying ourselves again and doing the little things right and we did just that. We completed our sets well, stuck to the game plan and came out and put some really good tries on. We didn't score tries through set moves either, we just played good footy and playing what we see and having a bit of fun, like when Deacs put the kick across to Rikki's wing and we came back and scored on the opposite side of the field. That's what the fans want to see and it was great hearing the fans cheering and singing their songs in that first half especially. I was delighted for them.
In the second period they turned the screw a little bit but we defended very well. I think they had about eight more sets than we did but we stuck pretty solid. They got a couple of tries but I felt we were in control. I think we only lost the ball on two occasions in the second half and if you can do that then it goes a long way to winning the games. Certainly the energy and the talk was there from the boys and we stuck together well and got a great victory.
It's hard to single anyone out but Paul Sykes got the SKY Man of the Match and I thought he was tremendous. He has really come into his own at Stand Off and he loves getting his hands on the ball. He is getting more and more confident in calling the plays and that could be his position. I think he certainly has his hands on that number six shirt for the rest of this year and someone very good is going to have to come in and take it from him.
This week we have the Dragons here and we have only won twice here at the Grattan Stadium this year. I watched the game again on SKY and they commented on that fact and we know that two wins isn't good enough. We have to get that ‘fortress Odsal' feeling back and we have to build for the rest of this year and carry it on for next. The Dragons play a similar sort of game to Huddersfield; they are big and strong and hit hard, so we are going to have to go out and play as aggressively as we did last week and try and get another win.
I am still leading the Tipping Competition and I had a full round this week!! I kicked on further in front and with only a couple of weeks to go I am feeling pretty confident of winning it. We also have a ‘Punter's Club' and we did well in that. It was Rikki's turn to place the bet and he went with five football teams and they all came up, so what with a perfect round on the Tipping Comp, a good win in the Punter's Club and the victory at Huddersfield, it was a great week for me!!
During the game on Sunday there was a bit of a blow up and Koppy came running in to enforce himself!! The Touch Judge, who was about six stone wet through, came in and shaped to Koppy!! He just backed off and he has been getting some stick from the boys this week and we have had him in the gym practising his boxing skills- or lack of them!!
I'll see you all on Sunday.