NRL ROUND 14 Hannay has simple plan to wear out the Bunnies
NO more quick fixes or ‘throw of the dice’ options, just 80 minutes of hard work.
The Cowboys will enter a furnace of pressure at Queensland Country Bank Stadium today as the club attempts to salvage the remainder of its season, and Cowboys coach Josh Hannay says only a backsto-the-wall approach will give his outfit a chance of overcoming the in-form Rabbitohs.
Valentine Holmes is on the verge of making an earlier than expected return from injury, but Hannay ruled out any chance of the star player making a comeback on Saturday.
The team he named earlier in the week will stay the same, and Hannay said it would be up to them to absorb the pressure that will come their way.
“There’ll be times on Saturday night where the Rabbitohs have all the running. They’ll get some calls, they’ll be controlling field position, and we need to make sure that when that time comes, we absorb that pressure,” Hannay said. “Then we need to have the patience and the ability to just work our way back into the game.
“I’ve spoken to our players about not looking for quick fixes … I thought the other day when we got behind, we had individuals that were looking for the big play, looking for a quick fix.
“That’s not the answer. The answer is sucking it up and being prepared to get back into the arm wrestle through kick chase, through completing your set and defensive pressure, not through quick fixes.”
The Rabbitohs piled the pressure on the under-siege Brisbane Broncos last weekend, running off with a 28-10 win, and they are being tipped to heap more misery on the Cowboys, who sit just one place ahead of the Broncos on the NRL ladder.
Cowboys captain Michael Morgan returns for his second game back from injury and while his presence will surely give the club a greater capacity to manage games and absorb pressure, he endured a tough return last week. Morgan missed five tackles in the opening 40 minutes, with two of the misses leading directly to Titans’ tries. He also made four errors.
“Mick’s had a tough week, and it’s part of the industry — we understand that,” Hannay said. “But as the week has gone on we’ve all been able to move on and look forward to this weekend, and he (Morgan) is no different.
“He’s looking forward to a much improved performance.”
The Rabbitohs travel to Townsville today and play their first game at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, a venue that has become a happy hunting ground for visiting teams.
The Cowboys have won just two of their seven games played at the new stadium.
“When we travel the days are long, there’s no denying that, and it is an advantage for any home team, especially the trips from Sydney up here,” Hannay said. “How you make your home-ground advantage is by how you play.
“We can make the trip seem long by how we play.
“If we go out there this weekend and not hold the football in the opening 20 minutes, we’ll give life to South Sydney and they’ll grow a leg, and that will bring them into the game.
“But if we’re disciplined with our ball control — and in particular make the real start to the game an arm wrestle — there’s no doubt the trip plays a part towards the back end of games.”