byrne_rovelli_fan82
First Grade
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Some people might consider Newcastle a one-man rugby league team, but New Zealand Warrior Micheal Luck isn't among them.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck says the Warriors will have to be alert to threats apart from champion halfback Andrew Jones when the Knights come calling on Sunday in the latest round of the National Rugby League. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"He's a very dangerous player, but they have great players all over the park," he said, pointing to the likes of Kangaroo forward Steve Simpson and Great Britain winger Brian Carney. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"So we've got to be a pretty complete football side this weekend. We can't take any of their players lightly or they'll cut us to shreds." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck also cited New South Wales skipper Danny Buderus as a danger, but the hooker has pulled out of the trip to Auckland after emerging from the Blues' State of Origin loss on Wednesday with a sore back. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Also out is fullback David Seage with a hamstring problem. Seage will be replaced by first-grade debutant Nathan Hinton. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Newcastle lost 26-22 at home to the Warriors in round four, but were without Johns, who was a late withdrawal because of injury. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]However, Luck believed the Warriors were on target to grab the two points that day, with or without Johns opposing them. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"That was one of our better performances and we really gutsed it out," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I think even if `Joey' had been there, it would be have been tight, because we were right on our game. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"We have to do that again on Sunday. They'll start fast, so we have to come ready to go straight away." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck, who will be on the interchange bench, is one of seven Warriors who have played in all 13 matches so far this season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]The second rower admitted he was surprised to be an ever-present, having joined the club in the summer from North Queensland with the simple goal of making the most of the opportunity. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I didn't expect to be here every week," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I knew I would get a shot in the trial games and I just said to myself, play as well as you can and just do the little things right. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I did okay and got a spot in the team and it's not gone too bad since then." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck, 24, has caught the eye with his ability to stiffen up the Warriors in the middle of the park. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]But he has also shown he can produce flashes of brilliance, not least his superb offload for one of prop Ruben Wiki's two tries against Brisbane at home two rounds ago. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]The Warriors lost that one after a tight struggle, but got back to winning ways last weekend away to the Sydney Roosters. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]While that result had boosted confidence, Luck said what the Warriors needed was consistency, recalling what happened after they beat premiers Wests Tigers last month. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"That's been our fault this year - consistency," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"We had a great win over Wests and then got belted by Cronulla. Once we can start stringing three, four, five games together, that's when we'll build into a good side." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Consistency, however, is seen as a one of Luck's chief strengths. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"You could definitely say he's consistent," coach Ivan Cleary said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"He's consistent every day here. Pretty much in every game he just tries his butt off. He does the little things well and he's also adding a little bit to his game." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Cleary said what Luck was doing was a lesson to others - get the basics in place before moving up to the next level. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"You build a really solid foundation before you start trying to add the second or third storey." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck says the Warriors will have to be alert to threats apart from champion halfback Andrew Jones when the Knights come calling on Sunday in the latest round of the National Rugby League. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"He's a very dangerous player, but they have great players all over the park," he said, pointing to the likes of Kangaroo forward Steve Simpson and Great Britain winger Brian Carney. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"So we've got to be a pretty complete football side this weekend. We can't take any of their players lightly or they'll cut us to shreds." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck also cited New South Wales skipper Danny Buderus as a danger, but the hooker has pulled out of the trip to Auckland after emerging from the Blues' State of Origin loss on Wednesday with a sore back. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Also out is fullback David Seage with a hamstring problem. Seage will be replaced by first-grade debutant Nathan Hinton. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Newcastle lost 26-22 at home to the Warriors in round four, but were without Johns, who was a late withdrawal because of injury. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]However, Luck believed the Warriors were on target to grab the two points that day, with or without Johns opposing them. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"That was one of our better performances and we really gutsed it out," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I think even if `Joey' had been there, it would be have been tight, because we were right on our game. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"We have to do that again on Sunday. They'll start fast, so we have to come ready to go straight away." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck, who will be on the interchange bench, is one of seven Warriors who have played in all 13 matches so far this season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]The second rower admitted he was surprised to be an ever-present, having joined the club in the summer from North Queensland with the simple goal of making the most of the opportunity. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I didn't expect to be here every week," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I knew I would get a shot in the trial games and I just said to myself, play as well as you can and just do the little things right. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"I did okay and got a spot in the team and it's not gone too bad since then." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Luck, 24, has caught the eye with his ability to stiffen up the Warriors in the middle of the park. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]But he has also shown he can produce flashes of brilliance, not least his superb offload for one of prop Ruben Wiki's two tries against Brisbane at home two rounds ago. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]The Warriors lost that one after a tight struggle, but got back to winning ways last weekend away to the Sydney Roosters. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]While that result had boosted confidence, Luck said what the Warriors needed was consistency, recalling what happened after they beat premiers Wests Tigers last month. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"That's been our fault this year - consistency," he said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"We had a great win over Wests and then got belted by Cronulla. Once we can start stringing three, four, five games together, that's when we'll build into a good side." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Consistency, however, is seen as a one of Luck's chief strengths. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"You could definitely say he's consistent," coach Ivan Cleary said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"He's consistent every day here. Pretty much in every game he just tries his butt off. He does the little things well and he's also adding a little bit to his game." [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]Cleary said what Luck was doing was a lesson to others - get the basics in place before moving up to the next level. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, MS Sans Serif]"You build a really solid foundation before you start trying to add the second or third storey." [/FONT]
