All eyes on Wing and Gasnier
By David Hall
foxsports.com.au
February 29, 2008
THIS weekend's Charity Shield looks set to be important final pre-season trial for both St George Illawarra and South Sydney.
But FOX SPORTS commentator Warren Smith says although both teams will out to win the game, most of the attention will be on two of the game's biggest names: Mark Gasnier and Craig Wing.
Gasnier, who suffered a pectoral muscle injury in the same game last year, spent much of last season on the sidelines and his return will be key to the Dragons hopes of success this year.
Wing, the Rabbitohs star recruit from Sydney Roosters, has a lot to do to live up to expectations as he moves to half back for Jason Taylor's team.
Both Jason Taylor and Nathan Brown have said there won't be much aggro in the Charity Shield - is this just a sign of the times?
The days when teams were killing each other for the first 10 or 15 minutes have been gone for a decade or more. The game’s too fast, there’s too many cameras involved; the days when you could get away with something in a tackle are long gone.
Nobody wants to start the season with a suspension for doing something silly. It’s an important game for both clubs but it is still their final trial game. They’re thinking about getting ready for round one as opposed to making too much of a statement early in the game on Saturday night.
How serious will they take the game and what will they be looking for in their players?
They’ll take it pretty seriously; both coaches, I’m sure, will play their starting sides for about an hour, and they’ve got an extended bench, so there’ll be plenty of guys who are fringe first-graders who will get a run in the last half-hour of the game.
I’d anticipate for the first 40 minutes will have two starting sides the fans are very much familiar with and as a result, they want to see their team win. Winning breeds confidence and if you’ve got round one as your next game, going in with a couple of wins under your belt is better than going couple of losses under your belt they’ll both be there to win.
And there’s a bit of history in the Charity Shield, so both teams are keen to win as many of them as they can.
It's a big season for both teams; which players do you think will stand out?
For the Rabbitohs, their fans will be waiting to see what Craig Wing does at half-back. He played a bit of time in the trial game against the Sharks in Gosford, and he’ll get more game time against the Dragons on Saturday night.
There are a few question marks on him, as he’s been playing as a dummy half and hooker for the Roosters in his time there, so I’d anticipate he’ll be watched pretty closely to see how he performs at half-back.
Also David Kidwell for the Rabbitohs, who’s coming back from a knee reconstruction. He was one of their key off-season signings for 2007 and had the knee injury after only the first month of the season, so people will be hoping to see him get through a game. He’ll really add a lot to their pack as well, especially with his work around the ruck where he’s pretty strong, and the Rabbitohs missed that at time last season.
For the Dragons, Mark Gasnier had the pectoral injury in the same game last year and he’s been out for the whole season, so Dragons fans will be hoping to see him get through the game injury-free. I saw him play last week against the Bulldogs and he looked really impressive; he only played 40 minutes but he looked very impressive.
Also Dean Young, who’s had a wretched run in the last two ½ years or so with knee injuries and hasn’t been able to shake it off. He’s in the side for Saturday night. I don’t know how much game time he’ll play but they’ll be hoping he gets through it injury free.
He can be real boost to them; I know Nathan Brown's going to try and use him explicitly as a lock forward in 2008. But he’s one of those real gamers, he has the air of a winner, so any time he’s in the Dragons team they're a better outfit for it.
What will Souths and the Dragons be hoping for this season?
There’ll be different expectations for both teams. The Dragons, who usually carry so much expectation, given the fact they battled to avoid the wooden spoon last year, they’re going to be thinking the only way is up. If they can get their best team on the paddock they’re certainly a chance of being a finals team.
But the Rabbitohs are used to being at the other end. They normally carry very little expectation into a season, but given what they did in 2007 and having made the finals, suddenly people think there’s no reason why they can’t make the finals this year. That’s a vastly different mindset to what their supporters have had since readmission to the comp in 2002.
Both teams will be expecting to make the top eight. Realistically, the Rabbitohs have a better chance of doing that. But once again, injuries over the course of the season will play a role in that.
Is there more pressure on South Sydney this season in particular?
Definitely, Jason Taylor has already said there is more expectation but nobody puts more pressure on them than themselves.
They’re looking to try and do a bit more with the ball in attack this year. They were very good in defence last year at times, one of the better defensive teams in the competition. If they score a few more points, it might lead to a few more wins because I think their defence will hold up well again. It’s just a matter of what they can do with Craig Wing at halfback in this Rabbitohs side for the first time.
The 25th Charity Shield is live and exclusive on Fox Sports 3 from 7.30 EDT Saturday.
