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Our season doesn't depend on next two games, insists Sheens Glenn Jackson
July 28, 2011
HIS side faces Manly and St George Illawarra in the space of a week, but Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens is refusing to place the result of either game any higher than the club's last two matches - or the following four, for that matter.
Asked whether he felt the next two rounds, with clashes against the second- and third-placed sides, would give him an idea how the Tigers stacked up against the top teams, Sheens said: ''There are six rounds left, not two.
''Obviously, we don't want to implode [in the next two matches], but we're not looking at it being a defining period over the next two weeks. Winning them won't guarantee we make the finals and losing them won't guarantee we won't make the finals.''
Sheens did say his opponents for tomorrow night's clash at Gosford, Manly, were as strong as any side in the premiership. But all the favourites - the Sea Eagles, Melbourne and the Dragons (who the Tigers face tomorrow week at the Sydney Football Stadium) - will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the team's form.
Having won their past two matches, against North Queensland and Sydney Roosters, the Tigers are gathering some momentum. But Sheens maintained it was ''still too far out'' to even consider making predictions about where the side would finish.
''Even in '05, we lost our last two games,'' Sheens said. ''It's just a matter of there are six games left and we want to win as many as we can. There's too much footy to be played between now and the finals to get too far ahead of ourselves.''
The fact the team will have to go through most of it without their strike winger, Lote Tuqiri, who has been ruled out until round 24 with a quad injury, is a reason for his reluctance to talk up the Tigers. Things can change very quickly.
''It's about getting fit, winning games and creeping up slowly,'' Sheens said. ''Someone said to me we've only been out of the eight for one week in the season, and given all the stresses and issues we've had, we're plugging away OK.''
July 28, 2011
HIS side faces Manly and St George Illawarra in the space of a week, but Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens is refusing to place the result of either game any higher than the club's last two matches - or the following four, for that matter.
Asked whether he felt the next two rounds, with clashes against the second- and third-placed sides, would give him an idea how the Tigers stacked up against the top teams, Sheens said: ''There are six rounds left, not two.
''Obviously, we don't want to implode [in the next two matches], but we're not looking at it being a defining period over the next two weeks. Winning them won't guarantee we make the finals and losing them won't guarantee we won't make the finals.''
Sheens did say his opponents for tomorrow night's clash at Gosford, Manly, were as strong as any side in the premiership. But all the favourites - the Sea Eagles, Melbourne and the Dragons (who the Tigers face tomorrow week at the Sydney Football Stadium) - will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the team's form.
Having won their past two matches, against North Queensland and Sydney Roosters, the Tigers are gathering some momentum. But Sheens maintained it was ''still too far out'' to even consider making predictions about where the side would finish.
''Even in '05, we lost our last two games,'' Sheens said. ''It's just a matter of there are six games left and we want to win as many as we can. There's too much footy to be played between now and the finals to get too far ahead of ourselves.''
The fact the team will have to go through most of it without their strike winger, Lote Tuqiri, who has been ruled out until round 24 with a quad injury, is a reason for his reluctance to talk up the Tigers. Things can change very quickly.
''It's about getting fit, winning games and creeping up slowly,'' Sheens said. ''Someone said to me we've only been out of the eight for one week in the season, and given all the stresses and issues we've had, we're plugging away OK.''
