We must find a way to keep my pal Sam quiet!
WIDNES are in a lower league and we were expected to win, but it was great to get the result last weekend and progress in the Challenge Cup - all we were bothered about was getting that first win of the year.
We’ve obviously been disappointed with how we’ve started the season, so it didn’t matter who we were playing, Super League or Challenge Cup, we just wanted to get that win and we did it in pretty decent fashion.
I was only on the field for 20 minutes in the end, but I was itching to get back on! I actually sent a message up to Richard Marshall through Danny Orr, asking if I could go back out.
Every player is the same, but you invest so much during the week to get yourself ready to take the field, it’s almost like you just don’t want to come off. It’ll be good in the long-term to freshen up a little bit, but I’d always prefer to be playing.
The boys worked on a lot of things during the game and we’re hoping that can transfer over now to the Super League.
We’ve got some really tough games coming up, with Catalans, Leigh and Castleford over the next few weeks and we want to kick on.
As the season goes on, we need to be constantly evolving and getting better. This week will be no different - we’ve got to improve on the Widnes performance against Catalans.
In the past, we’ve always had solid battles with the Dragons. They’ve never been easy to play and the way they’ve started the season, we’re going to have to work really hard.
As always, we’re confident going in and we’re looking forward to it, but we know they’ve got threats and none more so than my old team-mate Sam Tomkins, who has rightly been getting the recognition his performances deserve recently.
People forget that when he wasn’t reaching his own very high standards for a little while, he’d had a really bad injury that kept him out for seven or eight months. Some people who have had that injury have never played sport again.
He’s back at his best at Catalans, though. He’s enjoying where he lives - I spoke to him recently and they’re already talking about staying there when he finishes playing - he’s got a beautiful family, they’re loving living in France, he’s in a great team and off the back of that, he’s getting better and better as each week goes.
Without doubt, he’s the best fullback in the competition and we’re going to have to work very hard to keep him quiet this week! It’s easier said than done, but we’ll have a good go at it.
While we’re over in Perpignan, some of the team from the Two Brews charity will be doing a 48-hour sponsored sleep out. It’s a cause that has become really close to my heart, so I wish them all the best and look forward to supporting them throughout my testimonial year. ●