MOUNTIES V NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
SATURDAY JUNE 27, 2.40PM (NZ T), MT SMART STADIUM
In-form Mounties forward Jeff Lynch previews Saturday's match against the New Zealand Warriors after forcing his way back into the starting line-up following an unfortunate start to the year punctuated by injuries.
Mounties face the ultimate challenge in the VB NSW Cup this weekend by making the trip to New Zealand to play the Warriors.
The Warriors have only dropped one game at home this season, with their last win being a 28-0 shutout of Wyong Roos.
Mounties coach Steve Antonelli understands the difficulty of playing over in New Zealand.
“It’s a big test going over there,” says Antonelli.
“I reckon you’re doing well attitude wise [if you win in New Zealand]– it’s a hard gig going over there and getting ready and then coming straight back. It’s a tough road trip.”
Warriors are one of the most unpredictable teams in the competition and have plenty of attacking prowess.
For this reason, Antonelli says Mounties’ focus this weekend will be on defence.
“Our main focus this week is our defence. Our big thing is defending errors and defending penalties, which we haven’t been good at over the last month. If we can defend repeat sets and errors, [then] I have full confidence in our attack. We just need to be 40-50% better in our defence.”
This match is second position playing third, and if the Warriors win, Mounties will be in danger of dropping out of the top two for the first time this season.
Mounties’ early season form has kept them in the hunt at the top of the table, but their recent form has been scratchy and another loss could have serious consequences as teams below them start to catch up. For the Warriors, this is their chance to jump higher on the table.
This game is vital for the home team who hold a poor away record and cannot afford to drop many home games if they want remain in the top four at the end of the season.
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