Rocky Balboa
Juniors
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<span>Saints to have a final chance </span>
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<span>02aug03</span> <span>ST GEORGE Illawarra State of Origin star Shaun Timmins believes the Dragons can still make an impact in the finals â but first they have to qualify for them.
The Dragons five-eighth has called on his teammates to win four of their remaining six matches to steamroll into the serious end of the season in September. Making their task even more difficult is the fact they will have to do so without star Test trio Trent Barrett, Jason Ryles and Mark Gasnier. Barrett and Ryles are both gone for the season with ankle and shoulder injuries while Gasnier is out for the next four weeks with strained quadriceps. Timmins returns to strengthen a St George Illawarra outfit desperate to upset competition frontrunners Penrith at WIN Stadium tomorrow. "We're pretty desperate for a win down here at Wollongong," Timmins said. "If we can win our next couple of games it might take a bit of pressure off. "We're not getting too far ahead of ourselves we're just hoping to get a couple of wins on the trot. "We'd prefer not to be in this position, we'd prefer to be in the top eight already. "We all know we just have to keep winning to be a chance of getting in the finals. Once we get in there we know we are capable of performing. "But we don't really want to get to the second last round and have to win games and be relying on other teams to lose. "We need to win four [of our next six] to be safe and definitely be in there. You could maybe win three but then you would be relying on other teams." The Dragons were extremely disappointing last weekend against Parramatta, allowing the Eels to score two early tries and then never really recovering. Coach Nathan Brown has given his team some much-needed rest and recuperation time this week, calling just two light training sessions, in an attempt to try and freshen them up for one final assault at the finals. The Dragons will train lightly again this morning at WIN Stadium before tomorrow's clash with the Panthers. "I really needed a couple of days off. I was buggered after the last eight weeks. Being away from home all the time and the intensity of the footy really takes it out of you," Timmins said. St George Illawarra fullback Ben Hornby, who has been the Dragons stand-in captain in the absence of injured stars Trent Barrett and Lance Thompson, has called on his teammates to become more consistent over the final six rounds. "We've got a pretty tough run leading into the finals but that will stand us in good stead if we win the games we need to to qualify," Hornby said. "It will be a good challenge for us. I'm confident we can win most of them." Hornby said coach Brown has told the Dragons to forget about missing injured Test stars Barrett and Ryles and focus on the fact the season in not yet over. "He's just telling us to stay positive and not to think that the season is over just because we haven't got Trent Barrett, Jason Ryles and Mark Gasnier," Hornby said. </span>
<span></span>
<span>02aug03</span> <span>ST GEORGE Illawarra State of Origin star Shaun Timmins believes the Dragons can still make an impact in the finals â but first they have to qualify for them.
The Dragons five-eighth has called on his teammates to win four of their remaining six matches to steamroll into the serious end of the season in September. Making their task even more difficult is the fact they will have to do so without star Test trio Trent Barrett, Jason Ryles and Mark Gasnier. Barrett and Ryles are both gone for the season with ankle and shoulder injuries while Gasnier is out for the next four weeks with strained quadriceps. Timmins returns to strengthen a St George Illawarra outfit desperate to upset competition frontrunners Penrith at WIN Stadium tomorrow. "We're pretty desperate for a win down here at Wollongong," Timmins said. "If we can win our next couple of games it might take a bit of pressure off. "We're not getting too far ahead of ourselves we're just hoping to get a couple of wins on the trot. "We'd prefer not to be in this position, we'd prefer to be in the top eight already. "We all know we just have to keep winning to be a chance of getting in the finals. Once we get in there we know we are capable of performing. "But we don't really want to get to the second last round and have to win games and be relying on other teams to lose. "We need to win four [of our next six] to be safe and definitely be in there. You could maybe win three but then you would be relying on other teams." The Dragons were extremely disappointing last weekend against Parramatta, allowing the Eels to score two early tries and then never really recovering. Coach Nathan Brown has given his team some much-needed rest and recuperation time this week, calling just two light training sessions, in an attempt to try and freshen them up for one final assault at the finals. The Dragons will train lightly again this morning at WIN Stadium before tomorrow's clash with the Panthers. "I really needed a couple of days off. I was buggered after the last eight weeks. Being away from home all the time and the intensity of the footy really takes it out of you," Timmins said. St George Illawarra fullback Ben Hornby, who has been the Dragons stand-in captain in the absence of injured stars Trent Barrett and Lance Thompson, has called on his teammates to become more consistent over the final six rounds. "We've got a pretty tough run leading into the finals but that will stand us in good stead if we win the games we need to to qualify," Hornby said. "It will be a good challenge for us. I'm confident we can win most of them." Hornby said coach Brown has told the Dragons to forget about missing injured Test stars Barrett and Ryles and focus on the fact the season in not yet over. "He's just telling us to stay positive and not to think that the season is over just because we haven't got Trent Barrett, Jason Ryles and Mark Gasnier," Hornby said. </span>
