Cronulla say they will target Cowboys fullback Lachlan Coote in Friday’s prelim final
HE fumbled and bumbled his way through last weekend’s semi-final and now Cronulla have vowed to lay the boot into Lachlan Coote.
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HE fumbled and bumbled his way through last weekend’s semi-final and now Cronulla have vowed to lay the boot into Lachlan Coote.
North Queensland’s usually safe fullback endured a nightmare performance in his side’s 26-20 extra-time win over Brisbane, and every mistake was being closely scrutinised by Friday night’s opponents Cronulla.
Coote missed tackles when Corey Oates and Andrew McCullough both scored tries last Friday night. He threw a terrible forward pass on a kick return, dropped a kick in the 39th minute that led to another Brisbane four-pointer and then fumbled another kick in the 54th minute.
“We will be putting him under pressure,” Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said.
“It’s a tough situation at the back and he’s not the biggest fullback.
“He’d be expecting some traffic coming his way. We’d like to think we’d get into a position where we can kick to him and we do put him under pressure getting the ball coming off his tryline.
“It’s always the way with fullbacks — they are going to be put under a heap of pressure. He didn’t have a good week last week but’s not often he has two (poor games) back-to-back. We will put pressure on all of them.”
Coote admitted his mixed display against the Broncos would have alerted the Sharks kickers.
“They may target me but hopefully all the errors are behind me now,” Coote said.
“It was rocks and diamonds (against the Broncos) but hopefully I have got a bad game out of my system and can move forward.”
One player who has shown the resilience needed to bounce back from form struggles is Coote’s opposite number Ben Barba.
The Sharks fullback and former Dally M Medallist had a forgettable stint in Brisbane and took time to settle in Cronulla. But ahead of Friday night’s preliminary final at Allianz Stadium, the livewire No. 1 said he was finally settled and it had showed with his on-field performances.
“I’ve never been in a better (head) space,” Barba said. “I am going in the right direction and that has only helped my football. I’m in a great position thanks to the boys at this club, the coaching staff for helping me and the boardroom. It has allowed me to play the football I can and to give me the confidence back.”
Asked what made him tick, Barba said: “I guess my family. It rubs off on them when I am frustrated and things aren’t going right. I can feel it through them and see it through their eyes. I don’t like seeing my four girls upset, angry or sad. I know when I’m feeling right, they’re feeling right then I’m feeling happy.”
Coote was full of praise for Barba being able to turn his form around.
“Ben Barba has been unreal this year and it’s good to see him back at his best,” Barba said. “He’s one guy you enjoy watching, but it’s important to match what he will bring for his team.”
Cronulla will focus on Coote and, of course, the great Johnathan Thurston.
Thurston has been in sublime form and will pose a series of questions to Cronulla’s structured defence.
Flanagan knows his side cannot hand over cheap ball to Thurston and the Cowboys.
“You don’t want (to defend) too often so it’s really important for us is that we don’t waste possession and turn over possession too easily. I think the Storm showed a couple of weeks ago ... they were 29 from 31. That’s the sort of numbers you need to have if you are going to starve the Cowboys of possession and not give ‘JT’ too many shots at you,” Flanagan said.
Originally published as Cronulla say they will target Cowboys fullback Lachlan Coote in Friday’s prelim final
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