HEADING into a bye week, most coaches would spout the usual rhetoric about being chuffed to have an extra week to get things right or for players to recover from niggling injuries.
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Orange City Lions mentor Steve Hamson isn’t most coaches.
He maintained his typically candid approach leading into his side’s Blowes Clothing Cup bye this weekend - the first of four they’ll have, including the two general byes - saying his feelings are the opposite, in short, he’s not particularly pleased.
“It’s frustrating, ideally we’d be playing but with the way the draw is us and other sides will play a few weeks then have one off and then do it again,” Hamson said.
“I mean, we have a few injuries, we have guys who are recovering like [Tatafu Na’aniumotu] from a dislocated shoulder and Chris Barrett has a muscle tear, but I’m a big believer in keeping any momentum you have and just dealing with those injuries, they’re a part of rugby.
“Those guys being out also gives other guys a chance to step up and show what they’ve got in the top grade.”
That momentum Hamson spoke of is something the Lions have, or had, in spades after their 64-0 thrashing of Dubbo Rhinos last weekend, which maintained their unbeaten start to 2016.
Although Hamson said the side has been run off its feet with a brutal fitness session on Tuesday night, he said they’ll basically need to start again next weekend against Forbes.
“I’d like to think with the game being at Pride Park we could keep a bit of that momentum and take care of it,” Hamson said.
“Logan Brockmann’s mother put the boys through a pretty tough session, she bases it on a lot of resistance training and that sort of thing. The All Blacks are big on a similar type of fitness training.
“But who knows [what will happen next weekend], Forbes have had a good start to the year although I think they’ve beaten sides they’d be expected to beat. They haven’t played the likes of Orange Emus or Bathurst Bulldogs yet.
“But they’re an unknown quantity so [going in on the back of a week off] isn’t ideal.”
Hamson said his side was put through a far less strenuous session on Thursday night and will come together on Saturday for another fun-based session, to try and continue gelling.
matthew.findlay@fairfaxmedia.com.au
