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- <LI class="byline first ">By Dean Ritchie <LI class="source ">From: The Daily Telegraph
- August 05, 2009 9:47PM
Set to be targeted by Manly...South Sydney halfback Chris Sandow. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
MANLY always place their "spot" player in a distinctive green shirt during defensive drills. That way, there can be no mistaking who they will target and terrorise.
This week though, they might not even bother with the green shirt.
There is only one player Manly will charge at all game this Saturday night at Brookvale South Sydney's Chris Sandow, the tiny halfback who stands 173cm and weighs just 78kg.
And The Daily Telegraph has the statistics to show why Manly forwards Brent Kite, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Jason King and George Rose will be queuing up to run at Sandow.
Sandow has missed the most tackles of any player in the NRL this year a whopping 122 at 6.8 per game.
"The big Manly forwards will be licking their lips," ex-Manly forwards coach Steve Roach said.
"The little bloke will have nightmares.
"Des [Hasler] has two starting props and three more blokes on the bench who can play front-row or second-row. They will go at Sandow all game. They will double-up on him, too. They'll make him do one tackle and then go straight back at him."
South Sydney stalwart Mario Fenech last night defended Sandow.
"Manly can run at him if they want ... he may have some technical and positional issues in defence but he has courage," Fenech said.
"That is what rugby league is all about and Chris knows that."
Other stats obtained by The Daily Telegraph include:
* THE Bulldogs' Brett Kimmorley (5.3 average per game) and Manly's Matt Orford (4.3) - key players in the coming finals - are running second and third for "most missed tackles";
* BRISBANE halves Darren Lockyer and Peter Wallace have missed a combined total of nearly eight tackles a match both being ranked in the top 10;
* DRAGONS five-eighth Jamie Soward has avoided a place on the "most missed tackles" list despite having his defence often questioned and ridiculed;
* CRONULLA outside backs Ben Pomeroy and Luke Covell have made a combined total of 56 errors;
* ROOSTER Mitchell Pearce and Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall have recorded the most errors with 34;
and
* PENRITH'S Trent Waterhouse and North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston have conceded most penalties, with 18, ahead of Kimmorley and Bulldogs teammate Michael Ennis (both 16).
Former St George centre and skipper Mark Coyne backed Soward's defensive game.
"From the games I have watched, Jamie has been quite strong defensively so I didn't expect to see him on that list," Coyne said.
"He copped a bit earlier this season where I thought he was harshly done by.
"Jamie has obviously gone out there to prove a few critics wrong and toughen up in defence."
Asked did Waterhouse have a discipline problem, Panthers chief executive Mick Leary said: "A lot of times Trent has deserved to be penalised but there have been other times when I thought the decisions have been harsh.
"But I am sure the coaching staff are aware (of the stats) and are actively rectifying it."
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ack-chris-sandow/story-e6frexnr-1225758382525