LEAGUE’S WARM- UP WORKING
Football tactics help cure slow starts by Fire
TOWNSVILLE Fire guard Micaela Cocks has revealed a rugby league style warm- up has been a catalyst behind transforming their game starts from sluggish to slashing.
The Fire failed to lead at quarter time in their first seven games of the WNBL season, but have solved the issue by building big early leads in wins over Adelaide and Bendigo.
Cocks, no stranger to rugby league tactics through her relationship with Cowboys forward Sam Hoare, said intense warm- up drills with strength and conditioning coach Brent Goriss has the team bursting out of the blocks.
“We’ve got a little secret weapon with our strength and conditioning coach doing some warm- up drills with us and I think that’s really been helping, a little bit of rugby league tactics,” she said.
“It’s a bit of aggression in the warm- up and getting ready for the game, so we’re not coming out flat.
“We’re happy on the court and when you’re having fun, you play so much better.”
The Fire are bracing for a Lightning backlash in Adelaide on Saturday afternoon after they trounced them 84- 42 on November 5.
“Everyone’s feeling really good but we’re not getting complacent,” Cocks said.
“We know Adelaide’s going to be tough and they won’t want to have another loss like the last one, but we’ve got to make sure we’re above and beyond.
“I don’t know if they’ll be angry, but I know they’ll be much more alert.”
Fire coach Claudia Brassard expected third- placed Adelaide, coached by former Townsville mentor Chris Lucas, to make the necessary adjustments.
“We know Chris will get his team prepared and they’ll change things up, no doubt,” Brassard said.
“We watched that Adelaide game and it was one of those games where they couldn’t do anything right.
“They had brain explosions everywhere. We’re certainly not expecting that by any means this weekend.
“They’re a top four team and that’s what we’re getting ready for.
“We’re about to hit another tough part of the season with a few doubles in a row.
“It’s really important we got the job done when we had singles.”
Fire’s first quarters in 2017 season
Melbourne Boomers ( a): 16- all Canberra Capitals ( h): 17- 20 Sydney Flames ( h): 5- 17 Dandenong Rangers ( a): 13- 17 Canberra Capitals ( a): 24- 29 Melbourne Boomers ( h): 9- 12 Perth Lynx ( a): 10- 29 Adelaide Lightning ( h): 27- 9 Bendigo Spirit ( h): 31- 16