Farah Tells Tigers To Stay Sharp
Sun Herald
Sunday August 10, 2008
WESTS Tigers skipper Robbie Farah has warned his surging team cannot afford to relax, with their bogy side Parramatta looming in the next chapter of the scramble for NRL finals positions.
The Tigers joined sixth-placed St George Illawarra on 24 points after their 18-10 win over the Dragons at WIN Stadium on Friday night. It was the third time this year the Tigers had completed back-to-back victories, but they have yet to win three in a row. The triumph proved the Tigers could tough it out as well as blow teams away with the razzle-dazzle they produced in their 56-4 slaughter of the Bulldogs last weekend."We've had two good wins in a row, but ... we've got to continue that," halfback Farah said. "We can't turn around next week and rest on our laurels; Parramatta is a team we haven't beaten in a while."I haven't beaten them in my first-grade career so it's going to be tough. "We've got to back it up. Every loss from now on is one game closer to the end of our season."With a few injury niggles troubling them, Tigers coach Tim Sheens was happy his side didn't have to play until tomorrow week."It's tough at this stage of the year, everyone is carrying a few bumps and bruises, but we're looking forward to the long week with the Monday game, so guys can lick their wounds a bit," Sheens said. "This was another step towards the semis. It was a big game. It's the first time for a while [we've gone] back-to-back and made the most of the last week's game, and beat a credible side away from home, so that's a step in the right direction." Dragons captain and centre Mark Gasnier said his team faced a hard run to the finals. "There's no other way to put it," he said. "I think that's the way the competition is, there is a big clump of teams on 22, 23 and 24 [points], so we are well aware of where we sit and what the coming four weeks hold."Dragons coach Nathan Brown felt it was basically a case of his team needing to lift their attacking game. "They [the Tigers] scored a try from a kick and a try from our kick, so defensively I think we are right up to the mark, as good as anyone," he said. "But we need to obviously do something in our attack which will hopefully help us get over the line a little bit more."Brown expects to lose veteran hooker Simon Woolford for a few weeks with a knee injury. Referee Shayne Hayne put three players on report - Dragons forwards Lagi Setu and Dean Young and Tigers prop Todd Payten.
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