No room for sentimentality: RTS
WELLINGTON: Captain Roger TuivasaSheck will not play the emotion card in the minutes leading up to the Warriors’ NRL return against St George Illawarra.
Such sentiment, he says, is yesterday’s news.
Six weeks in strict Auckland lockdown and four weeks of insular preparation in Australia will end for the competition nomads when they run on to Central Coast Stadium today.
TuivasaSheck reckons the sacrifice of leaving families at home will not be mentioned in the dressing sheds. It will be a more pragmatic message.
‘‘We’ll tap into all the hard work that we’ve put in so far. Emotions, we’ve all left that behind and we’re here to do a job now,’’ he said.
‘‘I’m proud of how everyone’s turned up. There hasn’t been any complaining at all from the players and staff. They’ve done what they’ve needed to do to get this competition back on.’’
There is little room for either team to ease their way back into form.
After finishing 2019 in the bottom four, both clubs lodged 02 records before the Covid19 lockdown in March.
Since then, the demands placed on the Warriors have earned them praise and empathy in Australia, along with a keen following in New Zealand.
TuivasaSheck does not believe his players will feel pressured by their status as the nation’s first sporting figures to return to action.
Dragons coach Paul McGregor did not buy into the Warriors’ stance, believing they will find it hard to ignore sentimentality.
‘‘We’ve spoken about it. You’ll see a spike of emotion for sure,’’ McGregor said.
McGregor’s team is sure to target a Warriors pack stripped of muscle in the middle by multiple injuries, forcing them to field the unlikely starting prop pairing of Lachlan Burr and Jamayne TaunoaBrown.
TuivasaSheck was less concerned about the prospect of a forward arm wrestle after witnessing the EelsBroncos clash on Thursday, the first game played under the sixagain rule.
‘‘There’s more flow to the game; it’s a lot quicker.
‘‘It’s suitable for the hookers and speed around the ruck, so the more you stay disciplined and go through the middle of teams, the more rewarding it’s going to be.’’
The NRL’s first game back after Covid19 lockdown attracted the biggest television audience for a regularseason game in more than six years.
A combined 1,306,938 people across Australia tuned in on Thursday night to watch Parramatta pummel Brisbane 436 in the first live Australian sport played since March. — AAP