Els confident over Furness prospects
Last updated at 16:49, Friday, 04 January 2013
FURNESS player/coach Corne Els believes his players a stronger, better unit as they enter 2013.
The Blues have enjoyed a strong run of form since Els and Gary Pritchard took over the coaching duties at the Strawberry Grounds and have won seven of their last nine matches going into tomorrow’s game at Silloth.
The North Cumbrian outfit are second in the league, two places and six points above Furness, and defeated their visitors during an early season run which saw the Barrow outfit win just two of their opening six matches.
But Els is confident things are looking up for his side as they head north for what he sees as a huge match in the quest to ensure a top-five position.
“It’s a massive game and we need to win it,” said the South African forward.
“Staying in a place in the top five is our main goal at the moment.
“Things are going good at the moment. The lads are getting together well and I think we have a good team going now.
“We’ve got a set of lads who are coming together usefully for the remaining games.
“We’re a lot more prepared for the games with Windermere, Silloth and Penrith. We played them at the beginning of the season as well and lost, but the team has settled a lot more since then, we’ve got a new style of play and we’re a bit more grown-up and closer.
“I think we will do a lot better this time round in the games at the end of the season.”
Furness have a near full squad to choose from tomorrow, though they are without prop Adam Pearce, who has a shoulder injury, and George Kennedy, who has work commitments.
The forwards will be an area where the Blues will need to be on their game, with Els expecting Silloth to take play up the middle of the park.
He added: “I think Silloth will try to put a big bunch of trundling forwards out again.
“The game will be played in the forwards, I don’t think they have a great back line.
“But we have pretty much a whole team, apart from Adam and we don’t know if our scrum half Sam Dutton is available yet ( he returns from holiday tomorrow morning).
“It will be a full team and I think we’ll have Joel Williams at 10 again – he did a good job against Kendal (whom Furness defeated 32-6 in their final match before Christmas).”
First published at 16:45, Friday, 04 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
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does young doherty not play anymore I havent heard any write ups about him.
Posted by dazza on 4 January 2013 at 17:43