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NRL Preview: Potter hopeful of winning physical battle
By Wayne Cousins
Wests Tigers
Sunday 18 August 2013 10:41 AM
NRL Preview: Potter hopeful of winning physical battle
Wests Tigers Coach Mick Potter says his side must physically match it with competition leaders the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Monday night.
Speaking this morning prior to the team’s final training session, Potter said the Roosters have a very good defensive pattern but has spotted some weaknesses he will be hoping his players can explore.
“They will be tough but I think we can break them down. We will target a couple of their players. We will test their back three as well,’’ Potter said.
“Defensively, they are pretty complete and they have plenty of strike (power) with the ball. You think you have got them shut down and they will have another crack at you the next play. They also back themselves on the last play.
“This game is about physically matching the Roosters and then coming up with a couple of plays that can break them down.
“We need to do that for 80 minutes. As a group of young guys, we are struggling with that. We compete for periods in the game and then we get broken down ourselves later in the game because perhaps some of the young players don’t have that endurance. We need to up that mentally.
“We are going in with a mindset of winning the game. We don’t just want to come out and compete and people say ‘the Wests Tigers have done okay because we kept within X amount’.
Potter said he had also spoken to departing five-eighth Benji Marshall about the legacy he wants to leave rugby league with before starting a new career in rugby after a few weeks of indifferent form.
“He wants to finish in the best possible way and I want him to do that. I don’t know if that is going to happen. It is no lack of trying from Benji. I can’t ask any more of what he is doing on the field and what he is doing off the field to try and get that to happen.’’ Potter said.
“Last week, I thought he had a remarkably improved performance from the week before. I think the majority of our players were improved from the week before. It is not a lack of want from everyone to want Benji and the team to win games. Everyone is generally trying in their own way.”
Meanwhile, Potter said he was hoping to have inspirational captain Robbie Farah return from a hand injury against St George-Illawarra next Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Farah sees a specialist this week and if ruled out, will likely return against South Sydney the following round.
By Wayne Cousins
Wests Tigers
Sunday 18 August 2013 10:41 AM
NRL Preview: Potter hopeful of winning physical battle
Wests Tigers Coach Mick Potter says his side must physically match it with competition leaders the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium on Monday night.
Speaking this morning prior to the team’s final training session, Potter said the Roosters have a very good defensive pattern but has spotted some weaknesses he will be hoping his players can explore.
“They will be tough but I think we can break them down. We will target a couple of their players. We will test their back three as well,’’ Potter said.
“Defensively, they are pretty complete and they have plenty of strike (power) with the ball. You think you have got them shut down and they will have another crack at you the next play. They also back themselves on the last play.
“This game is about physically matching the Roosters and then coming up with a couple of plays that can break them down.
“We need to do that for 80 minutes. As a group of young guys, we are struggling with that. We compete for periods in the game and then we get broken down ourselves later in the game because perhaps some of the young players don’t have that endurance. We need to up that mentally.
“We are going in with a mindset of winning the game. We don’t just want to come out and compete and people say ‘the Wests Tigers have done okay because we kept within X amount’.
Potter said he had also spoken to departing five-eighth Benji Marshall about the legacy he wants to leave rugby league with before starting a new career in rugby after a few weeks of indifferent form.
“He wants to finish in the best possible way and I want him to do that. I don’t know if that is going to happen. It is no lack of trying from Benji. I can’t ask any more of what he is doing on the field and what he is doing off the field to try and get that to happen.’’ Potter said.
“Last week, I thought he had a remarkably improved performance from the week before. I think the majority of our players were improved from the week before. It is not a lack of want from everyone to want Benji and the team to win games. Everyone is generally trying in their own way.”
Meanwhile, Potter said he was hoping to have inspirational captain Robbie Farah return from a hand injury against St George-Illawarra next Saturday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Farah sees a specialist this week and if ruled out, will likely return against South Sydney the following round.
