Pride to shine for spotlight

STAGE fright is the least of Ty Williams’ concerns for the Northern Pride this weekend.

Just getting 17 fit players on the field is a challenge as the club feels the force of the Cowboys’ and its own injury crisis.

The Pride have struggled in front of the TV cameras on all three occasions this season and much of the club’s next generation will be in the spotlight for the first time in an Intrust Super Cup clash against Tweed Heads at Piggabeen on Sunday.

Brad Lupi will be the 31st player to represent the club this season after impressing for Southern Suburbs against Innisfail on Saturday night.

Williams said playing in front of a statewide audience shouldn’t worry his team, more so the challenge of beating a Tweed side desperate to avoid consecutive wooden spoons at a difficult away venue.

“I don’t think we need to worry about that, just go out there and play,” he said.

“Obviously for a few young fellas, Jack Campagnolo and that, it will be the first time on TV, so they need to go out there and enjoy it, throw the footy around and see how we go the next two weeks.

“I’m really sure the boys will be excited to just get playing again.

They’ve had a week off and it’s their last chance of the year to showcase their abilities on TV, so it’s nothing really to be scared of.

“It’s not going to bite you.”

The Pride missed 42 tackles in the two games prior to the bye, but Williams was not concerned considering the physical opposition and nice break refreshing his sore troops for the Seagulls encounter.

“I think it’s the first time in a while that we’ve done that so as long as we’re on our game defensively, I think our attack will look after itself on Sunday arvo,” he said.

“We had some busted soldiers before the bye and I think the week off has given us the chance to freshen up.

“With two weeks to go, you see the way they play … they’ll give it a red-hot crack.”