Time for Pride to hone the attack
A DOUR Northern Pride have been strangled for a third consecutive week as a promising start to the season crumbles around them.
CQ Capras held their nerve in a tight contest in Emerald to beat the Pride 15- 8, breaking the deadlock with a Zeik Foster field goal in the 74th minute before Dave Taylor sealed it with a try in front of a partisan crowd on Saturday night.
But Pride coach Ty Williams said it was far from time to panic, mostly concerned with a lack of attacking threat at the right end of the field.
“We were a lot better than last week, which was a positive for us. It’s just a couple of little fine things we need to address … I think we’re taking one or two plays too many to get into areas on the field and we’re missing opportunities,” he said.
“There were a couple of times we took the wrong option on our fifth play and we got caught with the football.”
The Pride were unlucky to have two tries disallowed.
“I think when it was 8- all we got into good ball zone once and when we got about 50 out we made some crucial errors carrying into contact and they got up for it,” Williams said.
The coach called on his players to straighten up the attack, having played into the hands of their rivals in recent weeks.
“I think in the last two games we’ve been sidetracked in games and gone fairly lateral in our shape, which plays into their hands,” Williams said.
“When we did play direct, we made some good runs and it’s just making sure we get that adjustment right and everyone understands that if it doesn’t work the first time, doesn’t mean it’s wrong, we just need to keep knocking on the door.”