Hunters ahead so side must ‘man up’
BIG bopper Will Bugden says the Northern Pride will need to “man up” ahead of their battle with PNG Hunters after a bittersweet opening to the season.
The prop had his dad, former Rothmans Medal winner Geoff Bugden, in the crowd at Langlands Park on Saturday and was mighty with his charges, helping the Pride to a halftime lead.
But despite his presence and a solid return from a knee injury that ended his 2017 season in July, it was a tough result to take for the 24-year-old.
“I mean we lost, which sucks, but I was glad to get on there, although I had a few errors,” he said. “Because we haven’t had many trials I still feel a couple of steps behind where I want to be.”
But Bugden said that feeling would have to change quickly against the Hunters if the Pride had a chance of claiming their first points in 2018.
“It’s going to be a big job for us in the middle. Every single man on the weekend is going to have to man up at some point and do a one-on-one solid tackle and find out what we’re made of,” he said.
Bugden said it was great to have his dad, now a pecan farmer, make the two-and-a-half hour drive for a rare chance to see him play.
Unfortunately his mum and sister didn’t have the same luck, having flown to Cairns before the fixture was relocated.