Sheens focused on Souths not finals
July 19, 2008 - 12:45PM
Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens is refusing to think about his side's top-eight hopes.
Sheens is focusing only on halting South Sydney's unlikely run towards the NRL finals when the sides meet at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.
The Tigers are at a crucial stage of their season and badly in need of a win to reclaim a spot in the top eight after four straight losses.
The Rabbitohs meanwhile are riding a wave of confidence after five straight wins and can come into top eight reckoning with another win, despite their dismal start to the season.
While the race for finals spots is set to come down to a numbers game with only seven rounds remaining, Sheens said he had resisted temptation to use the calculator and set a target for how many games his side needs to win.
"Obviously with every week the goes by is one round less you've got room for error but if I start thinking about that then I'm starting to worry about the outcomes instead of the process," Sheens said.
"The process this week is to handle Souths from the kick off and go with them and you've got to take the confidence out of them.
"They're playing with confidence and to beat a side that's playing with confidence you've got to be with them, you've got to stay wit them at halftime and be with them at the back end of the game and give yourselves a chance."
Most impressive about Souths' winning streak has been their ability to come back from well behind in games, as they did against North Queensland and the Bulldogs, something that hasn't been lost on Sheens.
"Obviously we have to respect the fact they have a great comeback ability and they're never dead until the end of the game," Sheens said.
"They've now taught themselves that and we're going to have to play 80 minutes of football against them ... I'll worry about winning or losing when the siren goes."
Sheens has yet again chopped and changed his halves combination with Robbie Farah named at halfback alongside Benji Marshall.
John Morris and Stuart Flanagan will share the hooking role to cover for Farah, who Sheens believes is the club's best option in both positions.
Fullback Brett Hodgson has been ruled out and is replaced by Tim Moltzen.
"Hodgson failed to pass a fitness test today on his calf injury suffered against the Melbourne Storm on Monday night," Wests Tigers said in a statement.
Souths have no injury concerns with coach Jason Taylor cutting David Kidwell from his extended bench.
