- 26 Mar 2015
- Manly Daily
- Geoff Toovey
Foran back and ready to help slay Dragons
BOYS FEELING CONFIDENT AHEAD OF BIG TRIP DOWN TO WOLLONGONG
KIERAN Foran is a likely inclusion for us this Saturday night against the Dragons at WIN Stadium in Wollongong.
With his future now decided beyond 2015, he can focus on what he does best – playing footy.
When he went down injured against Parramatta towards the back end of our first game, I was very concerned. It made what was already a bad night on the scoreboard even worse.
His initial diagnosis was at least a month on the sidelines – but with “Foz” being the competitor he is, I was always confident he would return sooner.
Sure enough, he is back in the mix for selection this week – if he passes a late fitness test, he will be on the bus with his teammates heading to Wollongong.
RED V WILL BE FIRED UP
WE HAVE left nothing to chance this week at training as we prepare for another road trip.
St George Illawarra will have their tails up after showing tremendous determination and courage to beat Canberra at GIO Stadium last Saturday.
To win at the death, after trailing 18-0 late in the first half, does wonders for a team’s confidence.
Coach Paul McGregor was a class player in his heyday as a centre and his coaching style has clearly rubbed off on his players.
In Benji Marshall and Josh Dugan they have two attacking weapons who can change the course of a game in an instant.
We will need to shut both of them down at every opportunity if we are to win our second game of the campaign.
WARY OF BIG GEORGE
I AM expecting big George Rose to have a significant impact off the bench.
While things didn’t work out as he would have liked in Melbourne in 2014, he seems to have fitted in seamlessly wearing the famous red and white jumper.
He was a crowd favourite when on our books while fellow ex-Sea Eagle and 2008 premiership-winning hooker Heath L’Estrange is another we will need to contain around the ruck.
“Stranger” is
lethal running at tiring defences and has already formed a handy partnership with starting rake Mitch Rein.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
WITH Canberra to follow in Albury next week, the boys know just how important a win this weekend is.
While I wouldn’t call it season defining, if we turn up and do the simple things right, we will be hard to beat.
Simple errors killed us versus the Bulldogs and I would be very surprised if we play like that again.
The playing group know it wasn’t good enough and they are all desperate to make things right.
