HEAVY HITTER KEY TO LIONS’ ROAR IN DEFENCE
WESTERN Lions captain Paige Horvat is adamant she has heard the breath leave the bodies of the players Angela Solomon hits.
Horvat plays outside the Lions halfback, and believed she had the best seat in the house to watch the hardest hitting defender in the Townsville District Rugby League women’s competition.
The undefeated Lions stamped their premiership credentials at the weekend when they put 72 points on a plucky Herbert River.
But it was the one try they conceded at the other end that Horvat is more proud of.
The Lions have built their season on a ferocity in defence and a determination not to concede tries up the middle.
They have only let in 48 points in 10 games this season, or an average of less than a converted try each game.
Horvat believes Solomon is a crucial factor to their success in defence, with the little general determined to make sure the opposition know when she has hit them.
“I think we are looking to stay undefeated, we haven’t said that out loud but (coach Josh Stowers’) number one thing is not letting the tries in,” Horvat said.
“Defence is crucial. He knows we can play football and throw the ball around, but it is about stopping tries at the other end.
“I think the biggest thing that he tells us is worry about the middle or the core.
“If they score on the outside it’s fine, at least we made them work for the try.
“Defensively, Angela is our strongest. Even though she isn’t one of the bigger ones on the field, she has that mutt in her. She loves a good competition and she hits the hardest.
“I am the centre outside her, I hear the air coming out of girls she hits. She is a great leader and a great talker. She is talking to me and talking to her inside, our confidence comes from Angela’s confidence in defence.”
The ominous thing for Western Lions’ rivals is the fact Horvat doesn’t see her team letting their momentum slip.
From the start of the season, the team has had one consistent goal to make the grand final, and she is determined to see that to fruition.
Horvat believes the Lions have a target painted on their back, but it is a position she has relished as a captain.
“We have a big target on our back, but we love it. We are a very competitive side so it does feed that competitive edge in us,” she said.
“We know that everyone is out to get us ... we don’t want to let our guard down.”