Foran urges T-Rex to flex muscles
Michael Chammas August 21, 2012
MANLY five-eighth Kieran Foran has taken it upon himself to awaken the sleeping giant that is Tony Williams.
In the midst of Barba-mania, last year's flavour of the season - the man they call T-Rex - has been dormant.
Statistics supplied by Sportsdata revealed Williams has been guilty of falling in and out of matches for long periods this year.
He has played the entire 80 minutes in 10 of his 11 games this season, but on 15 separate occasions he's been inactive in attack for more than 12 consecutive minutes.
It is a long time between runs, especially when you weigh in at 118 kilograms and your teammates are relying on you to provide the grunt and go-forward needed to win football games.
Williams was at his barnstorming best in the first half against Newcastle at Brookvale Oval on Sunday, but he was virtually unsighted in the second half.
In fact, he made just three runs for 15 metres in the second 40 minutes, a complete contrast to the two tries, one try assist, eight runs and 112 metres he amassed in a dominant opening half of football.
But, on the eve of the finals, Foran has accepted operation unleash the beast, vowing to get the best out of the enigmatic back-rower in their bid for back-to-back premierships. ''Because he's down on match fitness having not played too many games, I feel it's important that I make sure his head's in the right place,'' Foran said.
''I know how important he is to this side. When he's running the ball like he is and breaking first and second tackles and getting our boys on the front foot, everyone seems to play off the back of it. I know how important he is, that's why I'm constantly into him and reassuring him he can take this football team forward.
''I have a very good relationship with Tony. We're very good mates on and off the field. For me, it's just about reassuring him just how important he is to this footy team. He's a massive part of our success.''
Williams didn't take a run for more than 20 minutes in matches against Cronulla (round three) and the Warriors (round 21). They are alarming figures for coach Geoff Toovey, who will be hoping to get the best out of the 23-year-old before he leaves for Canterbury at the end of the season.
Foran, who was spotted trying to rev up Williams on numerous occasions last Sunday, doesn't believe Williams's lack of involvement is a reflection of a confidence crisis, but has pledged to boost the ego of the Australian international to remind him of how devastating he can be.
''He knows within himself what he can do, it's just a matter of trying to get him to do it every time,'' Foran said. ''[But] he does get tired. He is confident in his own ability, he knows what he's capable of when he's out there. I just bring it upon myself to make sure he knows that even more, just know how good of a player he really is.
''Everyone saw how destructive he was last year. Everyone knows how damaging a ball runner he can be when he's at his peak fitness. With back-to-back games he's getting fitter, and that's the sort of footy he can produce week to week.''
Since returning from a back injury in round 16, Williams has struggled to regain his match fitness. He has made a habit of clocking off after half-time, making a combined 43 runs in eight second halves compared to 69 runs in the opening 40 minutes of matches.
Despite conceding Williams lacked match fitness, halfback Daly Cherry-Evans described him as the ''X-factor'' heading into the play-offs, labelling his power-packed runs as inspiration for the rest of the team.
''When he pulls out a performance like he did [on Sunday], it's very exciting,'' he said. '' You also feed off that excitement in regards to your own game. He's an outstanding player and will be a sad loss for the club.''
http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/foran-urges-trex-to-flex-muscles-20120820-24ipg.html
