Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/14/Cronk_fired_up_for_Manly_rematch
14/02/2008 11:06:00 AM.
Friday night's grand final rematch is just a trial game. But try telling that to Cooper Cronk.
Melbourne's pocket-rocket No.7 insists that any time his men take the paddock - they do it with the sole intention of winning.
The Storm will square off against Super League champions Leeds for the World Club Challenge in a little over a fortnight, and Cronk says the Manly match is the perfect tester.
"We've been slogging it out for two or three months now," Cronk told News Limited.
"We've been working on things that we want to do well during the season and this is the perfect time to put those things in place.
"We want to perform well every time we step out on to the paddock.
"I don't see whether it's a trial game, a World Club Challenge match, Round 1 - it doesn't matter.
"We're out there to do the things we want to do well on the footy field and hopefully that makes us play well. We want to perform well, definitely."
Coach Craig Bellamy has named two complete squads for the Manly trial (which will be played in three 30 minute periods) - the second squad the most likely to take on Leeds in two weeks time.
With Cameron Smith out of the UK visit, club stalwart Matt Geyer will assume the hooking role in the premier squad.
Meanwhile, Manly halfback Matt Orford is keen to play down the significance of the trial match, dismissing suggestions that his men are gearing up for some grand final revenge.
"I don't know about that. It's just a trial," Orford told News Limited.
"We'll experiment with a few things we've been doing during the pre-season and give the young guys a taste of what it's like. A trial's a trial.
"It's a game of footy so there's always contact but I don't know if there will be any of that passion you'd see in the regular season."
14/02/2008 11:06:00 AM.
Friday night's grand final rematch is just a trial game. But try telling that to Cooper Cronk.
Melbourne's pocket-rocket No.7 insists that any time his men take the paddock - they do it with the sole intention of winning.
The Storm will square off against Super League champions Leeds for the World Club Challenge in a little over a fortnight, and Cronk says the Manly match is the perfect tester.
"We've been slogging it out for two or three months now," Cronk told News Limited.
"We've been working on things that we want to do well during the season and this is the perfect time to put those things in place.
"We want to perform well every time we step out on to the paddock.
"I don't see whether it's a trial game, a World Club Challenge match, Round 1 - it doesn't matter.
"We're out there to do the things we want to do well on the footy field and hopefully that makes us play well. We want to perform well, definitely."
Coach Craig Bellamy has named two complete squads for the Manly trial (which will be played in three 30 minute periods) - the second squad the most likely to take on Leeds in two weeks time.
With Cameron Smith out of the UK visit, club stalwart Matt Geyer will assume the hooking role in the premier squad.
Meanwhile, Manly halfback Matt Orford is keen to play down the significance of the trial match, dismissing suggestions that his men are gearing up for some grand final revenge.
"I don't know about that. It's just a trial," Orford told News Limited.
"We'll experiment with a few things we've been doing during the pre-season and give the young guys a taste of what it's like. A trial's a trial.
"It's a game of footy so there's always contact but I don't know if there will be any of that passion you'd see in the regular season."
