Kristian Woolf says challenge is to back win up
Kylie Knight Moreton Daily
Dolphins NRL Head Coach Kristian Woolf says while a dominant win over the Titans last week was a big confidence booster for his team, it would count for little if they did not back it up with a strong performance against the Panthers tomorrow night.
The Dolphins take on Penrith at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow (7.50pm kick off), after their first win of the season in last week’s round-five clash against the Titans (36-10).
“It (the win) just gives everyone a little bit of belief in what we’ve doing. I’ve been saying for a number of weeks that we know we’re on the right track,” Woolf says.
“We know that we’ve got a plan in place that we’re sticking to. It’s great when you can actually watch that and watch yourself getting a little bit of reward for what you’ve done. That’s what the players have got this week.
“It certainly puts a smile on the face, it certainly lifts the mood around the place and it does give you some real confidence in what you’re doing, going into another big game.
“At the end of the day, if you don’t back that performance up, it counts for very little. That’s the challenge for us now.”
Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa was one of the players who impressed in last week’s win, but he faces a big challenge this round up against Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary.
The last time the two sides played, the Dolphins held their own only to be beaten by a two-point Cleary field goal in golden point.
It came shortly after Katoa had chosen a high bomb over the chance to kick a game-winning field goal.
Woolf says his side will take lessons learnt from the experience into tomorrow night’s clash.
“It was a great game. We played really well that game. We put ourselves in a great position but couldn’t quite finish the job,” he reflects.
“I think for a young playmaker, that’s an important part of his development. He (Katoa) has been outstanding, one of our best over the first five rounds. I thought he was outstanding last week.
“He continually getting better, he’s continually showing more improvement and more confidence in what he can do.
“I also think that sometimes the things that you don’t quite get right … that’s what you learn the most from. That was certainly one of those experiences for him.
“He’s going to be better for that experience, he’s going to be better for a whole lot of experiences he’s had since then. It’s a great challenge for him.
“They’re a great team and we know what sort of challenge it’s going to be. They’ve got some really impressive players back this week too.”
Woolf says Katoa is “owning” the team and their attack at present, and he expects the 21-year-old to take this mindset into his 50th NRL game this week.
With Captain Tom Gilbert back from suspension to “lead from the front” and bring his strong work ethic and competitive nature, and Max Plath playing lock, Woolf says they’re ready for the Panthers.
“It helps coming off a win. It makes the mood better through the week. Our session today was obviously short and sharp, but I like the speed that we’re moving at,” he says.
“I like the look on our faces, I like the energy … that we’ve got so that says to me that we’re ready to go again. It says to me that we’ve handled the week really well.”
He is wary of Penrith who have only won one of their first five games and are coming off a 22-18 loss to the Cowboys last week.
“They’ve had a rough trot, but they’ve had some of their best players out at different times as well. Your best players are your best players for a reason,” Woolf says.
“They’ve got a lot of those back this week as well and that makes them a different team. I believe they’re the benchmark of the competition and that’s the way we’ll approach them.”
Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards is one of those returning this week from injury.
“He’s an impressive player. I don’t think any fullback in the game works as hard as he does and he does that both sides of the ball,” Woolf says.
“He’s a big part of their success over the last four years. He’s a great inclusion for them and one that we’re going to have to do a really good job on.”
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