Hoare planning on bringing back spark
PROP Sam Hoare believes North Queensland’s fresh faces can provide the spark they need to make an unlikely run to the finals.
Coach Paul Green has reshuffled his side with a newlook backline set to face the Warriors tomorrow night while Hoare has also earned himself an NRL recall in the front row in recent weeks.
The 26- year- old made a strong return to first grade against Manly a fortnight ago, running for 84 metres and making 24 tackles, which was enough to see him retain his place in the side.
Hoare admits he took a step back in last weekend’s loss to Parramatta, managing just 29m from four runs, but he still felt he could bring some enthusiasm to a team down on confidence.
“It’s something I’ve thought about, trying to bring that energy and exuberance as some- one who hasn’t been here year,” Hoare said.
“I probably didn’t do that so much against Parramatta, but there’s definitely areas in my game where I can add a little bit of energy, whether that’s in defence or attack.
“Now that I’m here I’m definitely trying to make the most of it and get some consistent time here and get comfortable with the speed of NRL again.”
Hoare has been strong since moving to the Mackay Cutters in the Queensland Cup this all season – averaging 110m a game – and he felt taking on a leadership role had helped bring out his best football.
“Last year was pretty disappointing for me personally. I wasn’t happy with how I was playing at Q- Cup level or when I came into the NRL side so I knew it was going to be a long road back to get in this position,” Hoare said.
“I suppose going down to Mackay, I’ve had to take a bit more of a leadership role.
“I’ve been playing bigger minutes down there as well, which has probably helped my match fitness.
“I’ve been getting through a lot more work and all my stats across the board have been up, so I suppose playing well down there has given me a lot of confidence to come back up.”
Meanwhile, Cowboys star Jason Taumalolo has confirmed his international allegiance to Tonga over New Zealand ahead of next weekend’s Pacific Test against Samoa in Sydney.