Slippery Morris
First Grade
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- 7,672
Barrett's team is up against Mat Head's team next week. That can be a good alternative.
Have a read of the match report for the Wigan game. Sounds like a ripper game. Baz reckons he has never had a game like it.
Bit of a coincidence, when the big games are on Baz lifts. If he gets them to the final we will know that it was not Baz who choked but the other players around him whilst he was at the Saints.
Barrett sets sights on glory
Saturday 22nd September 2007
Wigan Warriors playmaker Trent Barrett says his sides astonishing play-off win at Bradford has strengthened their belief that they can win the engage Super Leagues Grand Final from sixth place.
The Warriors clinched the last play-off spot with victory over St Helens in the very last round of the regular campaign and their season looked to be at an end when they trailed the Bulls 30-6 after 55 minutes of Friday nights first eliminator at Odsal.
But they scored 25 points in the last 25 minutes to register the biggest comeback in a decade of play-offs and snatch a 31-30 victory which earns them a place in next weekends semi-finals.
"It was a fantastic team effort," said Barrett. "Everyone chipped in and we can build on that. Weve beaten probably the best two sides in the competition in the last fortnight.
"Weve also beaten Leeds a few times and weve beaten Hull twice so we know, if we play to our ability and hold the footy, we can match teams.
"Its just a matter of getting it right. We cant afford another 60 minutes like that on Friday night."
Former Leeds Rhinos winger Mark Calderwood pounced for a 16-minute hat-trick to give Wigan renewed hope and full-back Pat Richards drop goal four minutes from the end edged them in front for the first time.
Even coach Brian Noble thought his players "had thrown the game away" and Barrett, in his first season in Super League after a decade with leading Sydney club St George Illawarra, admitted he had never experienced a comeback like it.
"No mate, that was awesome, particularly when the stakes were so high," he said. "It was a great effort.
"It came down to an attitude not to give up and to cut out our silly mistakes. Theyre too good a side to give up cheap ball to like we did in the first half.
"Once we cleaned that up, we knew theyd get a bit tired. Nobby was very good at half-time. He was pretty calm and said weve just got to get our own house in order.
"It was a pretty unforgettable win and a great feeling, particularly doing it here. Pat Richards kicked a great field goal under pressure.
"It shows theres some resilience in the side. It shows that we stick together and that weve got some character in the team and in big games thats what you need.
"We can enjoy it and have a couple of beers together but weve got to get ready for next week."
Barretts inspirational performance strengthened his case for being named Man of Steel next month but Noble insists the Warriors are not a one-man team.
The coach also singled out for praise fellow Australians Phil Bailey, Pat Richards, Bryan Fletcher and Shane Millard, who is defying a painful knee injury, and Great Britain prop Stuart Fielden.
"Trent is a special player," said Noble. "Weve said that all year.
"He contributed immensely on Friday night but I thought Pat Richards contribution was very special as well, as was that of Phil Bailey and Bryan Fletcher, Stuart Fielden has gone 80 minutes again and Shane Millard on one leg has done a terrific job for us."
Barrett, meanwhile, paid his tribute to the speedy Calderwood, who made up for a error-strewn first half with his sensational try treble, including an opportunist 80-metre effort.
"Calders can run," he said. "Thankfully I was back on the 20-metre line cheering him on.
"Weve got some class players in the side who can finish off things like that."
Have a read of the match report for the Wigan game. Sounds like a ripper game. Baz reckons he has never had a game like it.
Bit of a coincidence, when the big games are on Baz lifts. If he gets them to the final we will know that it was not Baz who choked but the other players around him whilst he was at the Saints.
Barrett sets sights on glory
Saturday 22nd September 2007
Wigan Warriors playmaker Trent Barrett says his sides astonishing play-off win at Bradford has strengthened their belief that they can win the engage Super Leagues Grand Final from sixth place.
The Warriors clinched the last play-off spot with victory over St Helens in the very last round of the regular campaign and their season looked to be at an end when they trailed the Bulls 30-6 after 55 minutes of Friday nights first eliminator at Odsal.
But they scored 25 points in the last 25 minutes to register the biggest comeback in a decade of play-offs and snatch a 31-30 victory which earns them a place in next weekends semi-finals.
"It was a fantastic team effort," said Barrett. "Everyone chipped in and we can build on that. Weve beaten probably the best two sides in the competition in the last fortnight.
"Weve also beaten Leeds a few times and weve beaten Hull twice so we know, if we play to our ability and hold the footy, we can match teams.
"Its just a matter of getting it right. We cant afford another 60 minutes like that on Friday night."
Former Leeds Rhinos winger Mark Calderwood pounced for a 16-minute hat-trick to give Wigan renewed hope and full-back Pat Richards drop goal four minutes from the end edged them in front for the first time.
Even coach Brian Noble thought his players "had thrown the game away" and Barrett, in his first season in Super League after a decade with leading Sydney club St George Illawarra, admitted he had never experienced a comeback like it.
"No mate, that was awesome, particularly when the stakes were so high," he said. "It was a great effort.
"It came down to an attitude not to give up and to cut out our silly mistakes. Theyre too good a side to give up cheap ball to like we did in the first half.
"Once we cleaned that up, we knew theyd get a bit tired. Nobby was very good at half-time. He was pretty calm and said weve just got to get our own house in order.
"It was a pretty unforgettable win and a great feeling, particularly doing it here. Pat Richards kicked a great field goal under pressure.
"It shows theres some resilience in the side. It shows that we stick together and that weve got some character in the team and in big games thats what you need.
"We can enjoy it and have a couple of beers together but weve got to get ready for next week."
Barretts inspirational performance strengthened his case for being named Man of Steel next month but Noble insists the Warriors are not a one-man team.
The coach also singled out for praise fellow Australians Phil Bailey, Pat Richards, Bryan Fletcher and Shane Millard, who is defying a painful knee injury, and Great Britain prop Stuart Fielden.
"Trent is a special player," said Noble. "Weve said that all year.
"He contributed immensely on Friday night but I thought Pat Richards contribution was very special as well, as was that of Phil Bailey and Bryan Fletcher, Stuart Fielden has gone 80 minutes again and Shane Millard on one leg has done a terrific job for us."
Barrett, meanwhile, paid his tribute to the speedy Calderwood, who made up for a error-strewn first half with his sensational try treble, including an opportunist 80-metre effort.
"Calders can run," he said. "Thankfully I was back on the 20-metre line cheering him on.
"Weve got some class players in the side who can finish off things like that."
