ManlyBacker
Winging it
SEA Eagles hooker Matt Ballin anticipates a brutal 80-minute effort from his teammates tomorrow night in Perth during their showdown with the Warriors.
Brian McClennan's misfiring outfit will be desperate at Patersons Stadium following their last start defeat at home against the Newcastle Knights.
They currently occupy ninth spot on the congested NRL ladder and another defeat could see their finals hopes nosedive.
"The Warriors are always physical and tough to play against," Ballin said.
"We need to match them in that area.
"It is important we are strong in contact and our carries - it is pointless playing against them any other way.
"We also have to wrestle in tackles, any advantage in slowing them down (at the play the ball) helps."
Ballin, who recently signed a three-year extension with the club, also stressed the importance of consistency and putting together a winning run at the right time.
"It is such a tight competition, if we can string a few (wins) together and hit the top four our confidence will rise and we will avoid teams nipping at our heels," he said.
"At times this season we have shown signs of what we can do, but we are not consistent enough.
"We all know that. That is the challenge Tooves (coach Geoff Toovey) has stressed to us all week.
"Perth is a place not many of the boys have been to, so it is another chance for us to become tighter as a unit," he said.
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/brutal-showdown-looms/
