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Aussies are not to be feared - Gareth Ellis
* By Andrew Webster in Leeds
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* October 31, 2009 12:00AM
GARETH Ellis has been sleeping with the enemy.
Now he has returned home to assure England teammates that Australian players are not "superhuman''.
Ahead of tomorrow morning's Four Nations match against the Kangaroos at Wigan's DW Stadium, the Wests Tigers import said he had instilled a sense of confidence in his countrymen by highlighting that Australia were not infallible.
"The thing I've been getting across to the boys is just that they're not the superhumans we think they are,'' Ellis said.
"I've been guilty of that in the past, of thinking they are superhuman. It takes a while for the penny to drop and me playing in the NRL has been great for my confidence knowing that some of the other players actually do knock-on and do miss a tackle.''
Ellis has been a revelation in his first season in the NRL, playing under the tutelage of Australian coach Tim Sheens at the Tigers.
"It's given me confidence and it makes me more excited about playing this week,'' he said.
"A lot of it's down to Wests Tigers making me feel comfortable off the field and then I've been able just to get on with things on the field.''
Former Roosters hardman Adrian Morley is under no illusions about the threat Australia posed.
He quickly dismissed suggestion that the Kangaroos' Achilles heel was their forward pack.
"Their backline is so red-hot - they say possibly the best Kangaroos backline ever - but that takes some emphasis off their forwards,'' he said.
"They are very strong.''
* By Andrew Webster in Leeds
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* October 31, 2009 12:00AM
GARETH Ellis has been sleeping with the enemy.
Now he has returned home to assure England teammates that Australian players are not "superhuman''.
Ahead of tomorrow morning's Four Nations match against the Kangaroos at Wigan's DW Stadium, the Wests Tigers import said he had instilled a sense of confidence in his countrymen by highlighting that Australia were not infallible.
"The thing I've been getting across to the boys is just that they're not the superhumans we think they are,'' Ellis said.
"I've been guilty of that in the past, of thinking they are superhuman. It takes a while for the penny to drop and me playing in the NRL has been great for my confidence knowing that some of the other players actually do knock-on and do miss a tackle.''
Ellis has been a revelation in his first season in the NRL, playing under the tutelage of Australian coach Tim Sheens at the Tigers.
"It's given me confidence and it makes me more excited about playing this week,'' he said.
"A lot of it's down to Wests Tigers making me feel comfortable off the field and then I've been able just to get on with things on the field.''
Former Roosters hardman Adrian Morley is under no illusions about the threat Australia posed.
He quickly dismissed suggestion that the Kangaroos' Achilles heel was their forward pack.
"Their backline is so red-hot - they say possibly the best Kangaroos backline ever - but that takes some emphasis off their forwards,'' he said.
"They are very strong.''
