St George Illawarra will again bank on the running game of makeshift five-eighth Chase Stanley when they look to re-ignite their sputtering NRL season on Saturday night against Penrith.
The Dragons have posted two wins from their past eight games amid the mid-season exit of former NSW No.6 Jamie Soward, leaving them 14th on the ladder and battling to stay in touch with the top eight.
Stanley and halfback Nathan Fien have been entrusted with the playmaking duties in the absence of disgruntled Soward, who was released by the club shortly after being dropped to reserve grade.
Hours before Soward makes his Super League debut with the London Broncos, Stanley will be calling the shots in his third hit-out at No.6 for St George Illawarra.
“One of his (Stanley’s) strengths is his running game and we need to do more of that at the right time and right part of the field, with the right players around him,” Dragons coach Steve Price said this week.
“… It’s important we’re playing to his strengths,” added Price, admitting Stanley was a totally different player compared to the man he replaced.
Prop Jack Stockwell said Stanley, warming the No.6 spot for Englishman Gareth Widdop who will join the Dragons next season, gave his side an attacking edge.
“He’s a playmaker with good eyes and, running off him, I expect a lot of go-forward, as he likes to run himself,” Stockwell said.
“I expect that will be one of our strengths this weekend.”
Trent Merrin will miss the match against the Panthers due to his one-game suspension for punching Brent Tate in State of Origin II, however NSW teammates Brett Morris and Josh Dugan are expected to back up for St George Illawarra.
The Panthers will regain prop Tim Grant (broken hand) and young back James Roberts (fractured eye socket) as they look to snap a two-game losing streak.
“Having them back will be a big boost, especially Tim in the pack,” Penrith winger David Simmons said.
“The boys filling in have done a great job but having Tim back in the prop rotation will be good for the team.”
Bazzio
Roar Guru
Sloppy ground conditions allowed the Tigers to put it into Storm. In these conditions, backlines rely more on the opposition slippng than their own slick footwork, & that will be a big test for Stanley AND Runciman having his 1st's debut outside 5/8. The poorer the conditions, the more likely that the team that kicks off and holds the opposition inside their own 25 from there will win (as the Tigers did), simply by doing the same thing over and over. Defending the line or running out from in-goal are next to impossible on a sloppy field. Unless, of course, the referees decide to play favourites. Again.