Injury free and tactics secret the plan for Warriors trial

THE lead-in to the premiership is the cloak and dagger part of the season, where the main focus is to stay healthy, and the Sea Eagles are no different to the other 15 clubs.

Manly will field their strongest side for about 20 minutes of Saturday night’s final trial in Auckland.

And coach Des Hasler won’t showcase anything in the way of moves or pattern of play in the trial.

Video coverage by opposition teams will find nothing. The months and months of training in the blazing heat and humidity of summer has been for the premiership rounds and the importance of a good start. That’s when the pattern of play and set moves for particular positions on the field will be revealed.

Until then it is about timing in defence and attack.

The Manly coaching staff and players had set their sights on round one against the Wests Tigers at the Sydney Football Stadium in Monday night football months ago.

They haven’t forgotten playing against Benji and the boys from the west at the same ground last August, when they gave them 18 points start and failed by a point to win a thriller.

Peter Peters Manly Daily