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Sydney Roosters coach Brian Smith says Wests Tigers' escape act against Manly on Monday night ''scared the socks off me'', and kept him awake for hours after the thrilling match.
Speaking before training at Sydney Football Stadium yesterday, where the Roosters will host the Tigers on Sunday, Smith expressed his amazement at the ferocity of the Tigers-Manly game, adding that his team faced a huge challenge trying to keep playmakers Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah at bay.
''That's one of the best and toughest games of footy I've seen,'' Smith said of the Tigers' 26-22 come-from-behind win. ''It was absolutely ferocious. For a large part of the 80 minutes, I just couldn't believe how they just kept going at each other. I reckon we'll need to improve by a considerable margin to compete with them.
''I left here about five minutes before the end of the game and I was still awake about three or four hours afterwards. Just the intensity of that game was enormous.
''They scared the socks off me. You need to do a lot of things right to control such influential players, particularly with that top-end skill they've got and the variety and risks they're prepared to take. We might not get a bigger challenge again, probably until the next time we play them. They are so talented and gifted, and coached to operate that way, so concentration is a really big thing for us.''
Marshall and Farah performed like magicians in the second half to lead the Tigers out of trouble, but the team nearly dug a grave for itself by giving away a big start. The Roosters beat South Sydney 36-10 last Sunday, but Smith was more measured in what he had to say about his own team's performance.
''We did pretty well in most departments, but there were a few areas in which we thought we can improve quite a bit,'' he said. ''I went in the bus to ANZ [Stadium] really unsure of what we were capable of. I got a bit of an insight into what I think we can do, but I've got a feeling that we're going to get a way bigger test this weekend. We've got some pretty tidy footballers in our team, but winning on a consistent basis is our goal.''
Those players who are getting the most publicity are fullback Todd Carney and halfback Mitchell Pearce, but Smith said calls to throw them into the NSW team this year were premature.
''I'm talking them up about having the talent to play Origin, but I reckon they should be made to show that they've got the consistency to play at a really high level for at least 12 months,'' he said. ''If this time next year they are talking about them for Origin, and the Roosters have done well and made the play-offs, then it will be time, [but] not now.''
By Gregg Pritchard
[Source](http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/we-might-not-get-a-bigger-challenge-again-tigers-wizardry-scares-smith-20100318-qihs.html)
Speaking before training at Sydney Football Stadium yesterday, where the Roosters will host the Tigers on Sunday, Smith expressed his amazement at the ferocity of the Tigers-Manly game, adding that his team faced a huge challenge trying to keep playmakers Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah at bay.
''That's one of the best and toughest games of footy I've seen,'' Smith said of the Tigers' 26-22 come-from-behind win. ''It was absolutely ferocious. For a large part of the 80 minutes, I just couldn't believe how they just kept going at each other. I reckon we'll need to improve by a considerable margin to compete with them.
''I left here about five minutes before the end of the game and I was still awake about three or four hours afterwards. Just the intensity of that game was enormous.
''They scared the socks off me. You need to do a lot of things right to control such influential players, particularly with that top-end skill they've got and the variety and risks they're prepared to take. We might not get a bigger challenge again, probably until the next time we play them. They are so talented and gifted, and coached to operate that way, so concentration is a really big thing for us.''
Marshall and Farah performed like magicians in the second half to lead the Tigers out of trouble, but the team nearly dug a grave for itself by giving away a big start. The Roosters beat South Sydney 36-10 last Sunday, but Smith was more measured in what he had to say about his own team's performance.
''We did pretty well in most departments, but there were a few areas in which we thought we can improve quite a bit,'' he said. ''I went in the bus to ANZ [Stadium] really unsure of what we were capable of. I got a bit of an insight into what I think we can do, but I've got a feeling that we're going to get a way bigger test this weekend. We've got some pretty tidy footballers in our team, but winning on a consistent basis is our goal.''
Those players who are getting the most publicity are fullback Todd Carney and halfback Mitchell Pearce, but Smith said calls to throw them into the NSW team this year were premature.
''I'm talking them up about having the talent to play Origin, but I reckon they should be made to show that they've got the consistency to play at a really high level for at least 12 months,'' he said. ''If this time next year they are talking about them for Origin, and the Roosters have done well and made the play-offs, then it will be time, [but] not now.''
By Gregg Pritchard
[Source](http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/we-might-not-get-a-bigger-challenge-again-tigers-wizardry-scares-smith-20100318-qihs.html)
