Backrower Ned Hanigan produces one of his best games for Waratahs in win over Reds
One of the most likeable blokes in Australian rugby, Ned Hanigan wants to shed that tag and establish himself as enforcer this season.
Rugby
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WITH his long blonde hair and slow country drawl, Ned Hanigan is regarded as one of Australian rugby’s nice guys, which is a real shame for him because it’s not helping him at all.
It’s fine to be considered a good bloke when teams are winning but when they’re not, it quickly becomes a curse because that’s when everyone wants to see players with a bit of mongrel. Just ask Australia’s cricketers.
The penny dropped for Hanigan when he was dumped from the Wallabies’ starting line-up at the end of last year and so the big backrower had a heart to heart chat with Michael Cheika about what he needed to do to get back in and the coach gave it to him straight.
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“With my position, you need that physical dominance on the field and I’ve definitely probably lacked that in the past,” Hanigan said.
“So coming into this year, just getting around the field and just dominating in contact areas, particularly around the ruck, is something that I’ve worked on.”
To prepare himself for a new role as an enforcer, Hanigan trained harder than ever over the off-season, adding more muscle and strength so he could impose himself in the forward battles.
On Saturday night, he showed everyone what he can do when he’s fired up with a barnstorming run to score a try under the posts for the Waratahs in their 28-17 win over the Reds.
The Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson was impressed, singling Hanigan out for “revelling in the hard stuff,” while five-eighth Bernard Foley said the challenge for him now was to dominate every game.
“He’s definitely made a decision to work on his body and physicality to be a bigger body to win those collisions so credit to him,” Foley said. “He’s got to continue that, one game just doesn't make it.
“The other guys in the pack will thrive off his energy and his impact and his influence on games can give everyone a lift.”
Rushed into the Test side in 2017, Hanigan has already been capped 20 times by the Wallabies even though he’s still just aged 23.
He copped a lot of criticism early on with complaints he was promoted too early but is the first to admit he’s still learning his craft and maturing and work on his weaknesses.
“I feel like I’m becoming a little bit more experienced in what works for me,” he said.
“My set piece I feel is not too bad, so it’s definitely the defensive side of things and the ruck side of things (that need improving)
“Cheik and I have pretty open conversations about that and he sort of says if you dominate in that area ‘yeah I’ll pick you’ so it’s definitely something I’m working on.”
Originally published as Backrower Ned Hanigan produces one of his best games for Waratahs in win over Reds