Coaching Insider: Round 18
Wests Tigers Head Coach Ivan Cleary says his side are certainly feeling refreshed after breaks in both the Representative Round and bye in Round 17, and ready to return to the resilient style of football that had them sitting inside the top four a third of the way in to the year.
While admitting that not having a break earlier in the year for the Representative Round or first bye did hurt, Cleary emphasised that fatigue wasn't an excuse for the performances delivered over the last month.
"It was tough with 15 consecutive games and the style of football we were playing," he said.
"It does take a bit out of us, but there's no reason why we can't be refreshed this week.
"The attitude from the guys and what we've seen on the training paddock definitely suggests that they are, so we're looking forward to the game and hopefully putting that in to practice.
"The last few weeks have definitely been disappointing," Cleary admitted.
"Every team goes through variances in form and that type of thing, so we're certainly looking to improve on what we've tossed up lately and that's down to playing for 80 minutes and giving us a chance to win.
"We had some good signs in our last outing, but just fundamental errors in that game really hurt us.
We've got some new players in key positions and having that week off will definitely help that.
"It's looking pretty good at training, but we're playing against a good team and that's the focus."
Despite having five players potentially backing up from Wednesday night's State of Origin Game III in Brisbane, Cleary said that the Dragons wouldn't be affected by any potential late team changes.
"It's not really my business to worry about how the Dragons are preparing," Cleary said.
"All I know is that they're a very good side and have been building for a number of years on that. They're a tough outfit and have some guys having their best seasons and we've got to be ready for that.
"It comes down to what's in front of us — a tough game, a great contest and a big opportunity."
See what Head Coach Ivan Cleary had to say about this week's game in full in the video above!
