Two losses in three games haven’t shaken the belief of Temora coach Jake Wooden but – with just four games left in the regular season – he is demanding a finals-worthy performance this weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Kangaroos host East Wagga-Kooringal on Saturday in a game that could determine whether they’ll finish in the top three.
As well as chasing the crucial double-chance in finals, a convincing win would put the coach at ease with the business end fast approaching.
“This is like a little grand final for us, to make sure we end up in that top three. But look we want to start to play some good footy too, at the back end of the season,” Wooden said. “We want to start to bring a bit of confidence to the group and it starts this week here with East Wagga. I think our team is still strong enough to give this competition a really good shake but it’s just making sure we’re all on the same page.”
They need to all be on the same field, firstly, with the Roos’ bid set back by a hamstring injury to backman Rob Grant which could keep him out until finals.
“He’ll be out for about a month which is huge because he gives us a lot of run off half-back and that’s something we’ve been sort of lacking this year,” Wooden said.
On the upside, ruckman Anthony Atkin and forward Mark Breust return against the Hawks while Colby Poole is set for his first senior game since a knee reconstruction. But midfielder Tim McAuley remains troubled by a shoulder injury and Chase Grintell and Max Harper are unavailable.
After the Hawks, Temora travel to The Rock and then North Wagga before a home game against Barellan and the bye in the last round.
They’re a win and percentage ahead of fourth-placed EWK, whose final three games are against Coleambally, Charles Sturt University and Barellan.
“I think we’d just been coasting, just been doing enough, and we haven’t really hit our straps yet,” he said.
“We had a meeting and the big thing was attitude… we’re not pushing each other at training, we’re not trying to get the best out of each other. I suppose CSU beating us, it was a big wake-up call. And it’s frustrating that we haven’t beaten Marrar or North Wagga this year, who are above us on the ladder.”
Wooden certainly wasn’t disparaging the Bushpigs. He said they were simply outplayed by a better team.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” he said.
“Last year we only just got the win across there and they’re becoming a lot more competitive. Geez, they’re going to give it a good shake. I’ve always thought this year they’d be a bit of a dark horse.
"And they just wanted it more. They were fighting for fifth spot more than we were fighting for that third spot, I suppose. They just outplayed us right across the field. So it was a bit of a reality check that we’ve still got a lot of work to do to get to where we need to get.”
The Hawks are attempting to arrest a three-game losing streak, but are in the midst of their own injury crisis with the recent casualties including Fynn de Bono, Luke Cuthbert, Harry Fitzsimmons, Brenton Roberts, Joe Banks, James Hodges and Ben Absolum.
