WESTERN Storm coach Mitch Hills has told his players to prepare for the toughest game they have every played in their State League grand final clash with North Launceston tomorrow.
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Despite a long and hard season including travelling interstate to play two Foxtel Cup matches, Hills believes his side has one more victory left in it.
‘‘The boys understand it is going to be the hardest game they have ever played – North are playing good football and have the momentum behind them and probably have the wood over us at the moment,’’ he said.
‘‘The players are really reinvigorated and the two losses to North sent us back to the drawing board a little bit.
‘‘We really felt like there were two ways we could go: either fold and go out in straight sets or make sure we get ourselves right and get back on the map.
‘‘The boys feel like they’re back and feel fresher and ready and enthusiastic, and there is a real belief in the group that they can get the job done.’’
Hills said there was no talk of soreness or injury within the group as they plotted a way to turn around their previous losses to the Northern Bombers.
‘‘We’ve had a solid focus on recovery and we have done that as best we can before these big games and it seems to be working, and we will do the same again.
‘‘We will have to have a different plan this weekend because the last time the one we had didn’t work, so we will have some different tactics.
‘‘I feel like we match up a bit better this time with Cody (Thorp) back in the ruck and Jacob Huett and Braden McGee back with some more experienced players who didn’t play last time.
‘‘The boys have played better football since those guys have been back in the side.’’
Hills expected to take an unchanged side into the grand final despite sweating on the fitness of some players after last weekend’s bruising preliminary final against Clarence, including Bart McCulloch, who suffered a corkie to the quad.
‘‘There are a couple of guys we are waiting on but we’ve got a little bit more experience in the team which has helped us get back to playing the kind of footy that took us to the top of the ladder, and we’ll take a bit of form into the grand final which we are really happy about,’’ he said.
‘‘Bart is very professional about the way he recovers and he is doing everything to get himself right, but he will be right to play.’’
Hills said the Northern Bombers had been getting contributions from a string of players and the Storm would have to replicate that in order to win.
‘‘They’ve played really good team football, and if we’re not able to do that and match that on grand final day we won’t win – it’s about getting 22 contributors for us and getting the match-ups right.’’