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HE celebrated as though he'd just won a grand final last time around, but Dragons halfback Jamie Soward faces a far greater test on Monday night - a full-strength Melbourne Storm.
The Storm's fired-up Origin stars will ask Soward to walk the walk after he talked the talk against a virtual reserve-grade Melbourne outfit in round 10. With Melbourne missing nine Origin players, Soward tormented the patched-up outfit, scoring a try, setting up another three and kicking six goals in a brilliant man-of-the-match performance.
The Storm, particularly their Origin contingent, are still fuming over what they considered to be over-exuberant celebrations by Soward. Privately, they feel he was over the top and didn't show their teammates sufficient respect in the 36-12 thumping.
Storm prop Brett White said last night: "We'll see how he goes this time."
White was one of three NSW players in the crowd that night - alongside Ryan Hoffman and Anthony Quinn. With Origin players stood down from club fixtures, the trio was unable to do anything to stop Soward, with the crafty playmaker steering the Dragons to the first of seven straight wins, a streak that lasted until last weekend.
"It's a different line-up to the last time they played," White said.
Soward immediately jumped to his own defence last night, describing his celebrations as an "outlet of emotions" having re-signed with the Dragons for two more years earlier that week.
"If you speak to any of my teammates, I'm not a person that carries on," said Soward. "For me, it's been a pretty torrid trip coming over to the Dragons. I haven't been in first grade consistently, so it wasn't any disrepect to Melbourne.
"It was the fact that it was just good for me to put in a good performance personally.
"And I'd just re-signed with the club. I'm not into disrespecting the team or anything like that despite what anyone else thinks. I re-signed that week and I guess it all came out. I was happy that night. It was good to get a win. For me it was pretty important.
"I guess it was just an outlet of emotions that night."
The Storm will be at full strength at Olympic Park with White (back) the only injury concern. They have won their past two games post-Origin and are starting to look more threatening each week.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24037376-5006066,00.html
Stupid storm. Hope soward has a blinder.
The Storm's fired-up Origin stars will ask Soward to walk the walk after he talked the talk against a virtual reserve-grade Melbourne outfit in round 10. With Melbourne missing nine Origin players, Soward tormented the patched-up outfit, scoring a try, setting up another three and kicking six goals in a brilliant man-of-the-match performance.
The Storm, particularly their Origin contingent, are still fuming over what they considered to be over-exuberant celebrations by Soward. Privately, they feel he was over the top and didn't show their teammates sufficient respect in the 36-12 thumping.
Storm prop Brett White said last night: "We'll see how he goes this time."
White was one of three NSW players in the crowd that night - alongside Ryan Hoffman and Anthony Quinn. With Origin players stood down from club fixtures, the trio was unable to do anything to stop Soward, with the crafty playmaker steering the Dragons to the first of seven straight wins, a streak that lasted until last weekend.
"It's a different line-up to the last time they played," White said.
Soward immediately jumped to his own defence last night, describing his celebrations as an "outlet of emotions" having re-signed with the Dragons for two more years earlier that week.
"If you speak to any of my teammates, I'm not a person that carries on," said Soward. "For me, it's been a pretty torrid trip coming over to the Dragons. I haven't been in first grade consistently, so it wasn't any disrepect to Melbourne.
"It was the fact that it was just good for me to put in a good performance personally.
"And I'd just re-signed with the club. I'm not into disrespecting the team or anything like that despite what anyone else thinks. I re-signed that week and I guess it all came out. I was happy that night. It was good to get a win. For me it was pretty important.
"I guess it was just an outlet of emotions that night."
The Storm will be at full strength at Olympic Park with White (back) the only injury concern. They have won their past two games post-Origin and are starting to look more threatening each week.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/sport/nrl/story/0,26799,24037376-5006066,00.html
Stupid storm. Hope soward has a blinder.
