No fear from Sheens as Tigers face toughest test
August 17, 2012
Glenn Jackson
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DES HASLER is intent on talking down the Bulldogs - and now Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens has followed him. Before the Tigers' clash with the Bulldogs tonight, Sheens said there were ''plenty of cracks'' in the opposition.
The Bulldogs will attempt to record their 12th consecutive victory tonight at ANZ Stadium. But despite that ominous run, Sheens was not afraid of the Bulldogs' form.
''No, I'm not in awe of it,'' Sheens said. ''They're beatable. They've got plenty of cracks in their armour as well. We've identified that. But it's about getting it done - you've still got to do it. I thought Brisbane last week exposed them a number of times.
''Every team's beatable, otherwise we're not going to turn up. But it's a matter of executing well. It's always about execution. We've worked hard this week. It's just a matter now of the right attitude, which is definitely there at this stage of the season.''
The Tigers have won back-to-back matches and appear to be showing more of the form expected of the pre-season premiership favourites. But they sit precariously at the bottom of the top eight. While Sheens praised the Bulldogs' 11-match winning streak, he said he was not focusing on his opponents' form.
''It's a one-off game this week - it's not about the last 11 games, it's about playing this weekend,'' Sheens said. ''We're going to have to defend well, and be disciplined - all the usual things. Control the football. It's nothing new, it's just a matter of doing it.''
Sheens also played down the prospect of facing the form player of the competition, Ben Barba. Sheens followed the Bulldogs players' lead by refusing to talk up the recent performances of the star fullback.
''He's going well, but he's not Superman, not the way you guys are saying it,'' Sheens said.
''I'm sure Dessie's saying the same thing. There's a lot more ammunition to their game besides him, but he's the man of the moment, so we're going to have to put a fair bit of pressure on him.''
Easy to say, not so easy to do. To keep Barba quiet, Sheens said ''you limit as much of the opportunities that he gets - we've got to kick judiciously, we've got to kick smart, we've got to chase well. He's their key indicator from the point of view of attack, so we've got to make sure we've got numbers around that side of the field.
''He's going to hurt us at some stage. You don't want that to be too many times.''
When the two teams last clashed, in round 18, the Bulldogs won but the Tigers had some success peppering Barba with high balls. Tigers halfback Benji Marshall conceded this week his team over-used the tactic at times that game. Sheens agreed.
While the Tigers have been gathering momentum in recent weeks, Sheens is also aware they have played two teams outside the top eight for their most recent wins. Their defence was poor against Parramatta, yet while they were far more sturdy against St George Illawarra last Saturday night, he acknowledged the squad would need to improve significantly.
''We had a rough spot up until a couple of weeks ago … since then, we've nailed a few things down,'' Sheens said. ''We're looking a little stronger, we're playing a little bit more direct, and I'm happier with the way we're going. But this'll be a step up in class.''
