Dragons eyes firmly on on Penrith as State of Origin approaches
Local Sport
Team-first: Dragons halfback Ben Hunt. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.
St George Illawarra’s clash with Penrith on Saturday night may be shaping as a final Origin audition, but Dragons players won’t be treating it that way.
Played just two days before the NSW and Queensland State of Origin team announcements, as many as 12 Origin players will feature in the top of the table clash at Panthers Stadium.
For the Dragons however, this weekend is about returning to the form that sent the side to the top of the competition ladder.
With Ben Hunt set to feature for Queensland and Tyson Frizell, Jack de Belin, Euan Aitken, Cameron McInnes, Paul Vaughan and Tariq Sims all NSW contenders, St George Illawarra will likely be undermanned throughout the upcoming six weeks.
A victory over Penrith could see the side skip four points clear at the top of the table, should South Sydney defeat the Warriors, providing the Dragons with added breathing room heading into the Origin period.
“Any wins around this period of the year, they’re always really important, especially around Origin time,” Kurt Mann said from Wollongong Hospital ahead of this weekend’s Beanies for Brain Cancer Round.
“The way a few of our boys are playing, we’re likely going to lose a few of them during Origin period, and any wins you can get around this time of year are always good.”
Typically a backline utility, Mann has taken on a new role for the Dragons this season, coming off the bench and playing as a forward through the middle of the field.
It’s a role he has enjoyed, but there is every chance Mann will find himself back in the number seven jersey should Ben Hunt receive a Queensland call up as expected.
“I haven’t really spoken to Mary about anything around Origin, it’s week by week at the moment and once the time comes, I’m pretty sure we’ll have a chat about it.
“I did a little bit of training in the halves in the preseason, but not much now. If Benny gets injured I’ll do a couple of sessions there, depending on how he’s pulled up from the weekend.”
While Hunt is likely to feature for the Maroons, the Dragons will come up against a potential Blues halves pairing in James Maloney and Nathan Cleary, not that Maloney is treating the match as an Origin audition.
"I think my footy has been good all this year,” Maloney told Sky Sports Radio on Tuesday morning.
“I don’t think I've got anything to prove this week, I think the footy I've played over the last 11 rounds is good enough to show what I've got to offer. Most people know what I've got to offer anyway.”
Origin audition or not, Dragons centre Tim Lafai knows the team will have to deliver an improved performance this weekend to shut down Maloney and Cleary.
“It was a messy game from us against Canberra,” Lafai said. “To get the two points was a good feeling. We’re just focused on this week and fixing a few little things we need to work on.
“We made too many errors against Canberrra, against the good teams like Penrith, you can’t afford to give too much ball away, that’s one focus we’ve got to work on.”
“They’ve got a good backline and there’s a reason why they’re in the top four on the ladder, so we’ve got to do our homework on them all across the field.”
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au...ly-on-on-penrith-as-origin-approaches/?cs=302
