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WESTS TIGERS funnyman Beau Ryan has saved his most provocative jibe for finals opponents St George Illawarra, declaring: ''I can't wait to get out there and towel them up.''
In what is shaping as one of the most anticipated sporting showdowns in years, the Tigers will take on the Dragons at ANZ Stadium on Saturday after surviving a thriller against Canberra.
The clash - a rematch of their 2005 preliminary final won by the Tigers - was already shaping as a barnburner, but Ryan's salacious comments are likely to generate even more interest. And Dragons fire.
''I've got a lot of good mates at the Dragons and I can't wait to get out there and towel them up,'' Ryan told The Sun-Herald yesterday.
''I've heard from a couple of them, but to be honest Matty Cooper has been sending little throw-offs. But, mate, we'll be ready.
''I'm confident that we can put a big score against them and make them work. [Tigers teammate] Gareth Ellis said during the week we'd rather have played this weekend and been in the trenches and [then] play again.
''The Dragons have had the week off and there is going to be a lot of pressure on them. I think we're going to come out and put our best foot forward and hopefully give it to them. We've got the best team in the comp this week as far as form is concerned and all the boys used all the prayers last night for Jarrod Croker to miss that goal.
''I think God will be on our side again this week.''
The Dragons will already have plenty of motivation going into Saturday night's match. The joint-venture club won the minor premiership last season only to go out in the finals in straight sets. The players know they will be lumped with the ''chokers'' tag if they again fail to turn a minor premiership into a major one.
If they want any further motivation, they need only read on. ''Mate, I just want to say, the side we've got now is a side that can go all the way,'' Ryan said. ''That loss against the Roosters last [weekend] is only going to make us stronger.
''And it's all started with the CEO Steve Humphreys, [strength and conditioning coach] Steve Folkes, Peter Gentle our defensive coach, and [assistant coach] Royce Simmons, [who] has been fantastic, although he's leaving us. And we've got the best coach in the comp, Tim Sheens.
''We're one game away from a grand final, the best day of our lives, so hopefully we can put in a good performance against the Dragons, and the media and our fans can look after us too and get 70,000 at ANZ Stadium.
''We are ready to roll, it's the year of the Tigers, brother.''
Ryan has developed into one of the league's true characters, and his ''Beau Knows'' segment on Channel Nine's Footy Show has elevated his profile. Former NSW and Australian forward Mark Geyer has previously criticised him for not concentrating solely on footballing commitments and Ryan is again likely to come under fire, this time for providing the opposition with ammunition before a big game.
The 2005 premiers are now just one win away from a grand final appearance after Croker, Canberra's young centre, missed a crucial penalty goal attempt on Friday night.
Ryan revealed that his Tigers teammates sledged Croker before his infamous miss.
''That penalty goal, Liam Fulton and Bryce Gibbs got in his ear a fair bit and it came off. Even after the game Jarrod Croker, one of the first things he said, was that they got in his head.
''To be out there with my best mates, words can't describe how happy I am.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...mbshell-well-flog-dragons-20100918-15h2a.html
It has started.
In what is shaping as one of the most anticipated sporting showdowns in years, the Tigers will take on the Dragons at ANZ Stadium on Saturday after surviving a thriller against Canberra.
The clash - a rematch of their 2005 preliminary final won by the Tigers - was already shaping as a barnburner, but Ryan's salacious comments are likely to generate even more interest. And Dragons fire.
''I've got a lot of good mates at the Dragons and I can't wait to get out there and towel them up,'' Ryan told The Sun-Herald yesterday.
''I've heard from a couple of them, but to be honest Matty Cooper has been sending little throw-offs. But, mate, we'll be ready.
''I'm confident that we can put a big score against them and make them work. [Tigers teammate] Gareth Ellis said during the week we'd rather have played this weekend and been in the trenches and [then] play again.
''The Dragons have had the week off and there is going to be a lot of pressure on them. I think we're going to come out and put our best foot forward and hopefully give it to them. We've got the best team in the comp this week as far as form is concerned and all the boys used all the prayers last night for Jarrod Croker to miss that goal.
''I think God will be on our side again this week.''
The Dragons will already have plenty of motivation going into Saturday night's match. The joint-venture club won the minor premiership last season only to go out in the finals in straight sets. The players know they will be lumped with the ''chokers'' tag if they again fail to turn a minor premiership into a major one.
If they want any further motivation, they need only read on. ''Mate, I just want to say, the side we've got now is a side that can go all the way,'' Ryan said. ''That loss against the Roosters last [weekend] is only going to make us stronger.
''And it's all started with the CEO Steve Humphreys, [strength and conditioning coach] Steve Folkes, Peter Gentle our defensive coach, and [assistant coach] Royce Simmons, [who] has been fantastic, although he's leaving us. And we've got the best coach in the comp, Tim Sheens.
''We're one game away from a grand final, the best day of our lives, so hopefully we can put in a good performance against the Dragons, and the media and our fans can look after us too and get 70,000 at ANZ Stadium.
''We are ready to roll, it's the year of the Tigers, brother.''
Ryan has developed into one of the league's true characters, and his ''Beau Knows'' segment on Channel Nine's Footy Show has elevated his profile. Former NSW and Australian forward Mark Geyer has previously criticised him for not concentrating solely on footballing commitments and Ryan is again likely to come under fire, this time for providing the opposition with ammunition before a big game.
The 2005 premiers are now just one win away from a grand final appearance after Croker, Canberra's young centre, missed a crucial penalty goal attempt on Friday night.
Ryan revealed that his Tigers teammates sledged Croker before his infamous miss.
''That penalty goal, Liam Fulton and Bryce Gibbs got in his ear a fair bit and it came off. Even after the game Jarrod Croker, one of the first things he said, was that they got in his head.
''To be out there with my best mates, words can't describe how happy I am.''
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...mbshell-well-flog-dragons-20100918-15h2a.html
It has started.
