Carney vows to make Australia pay

[OJ]

Presume he means at the turnstiles! :conf: According to this report in the sporting life he's going to get his own back - we're okay then!

Under-fire winger Brian Carney has promised to take out his frustrations on Australia when Great Britain's Tri-Nations campaign resumes at Wigan on Saturday evening.

The 29-year-old Irishman produced a string of defensive errors before being substituted in the Lions' 42-26 defeat by New Zealand.

But he insists he is relishing the challenge of taking on the world champions at his home stadium.

"We've all been in situations before where we haven't had a good game but you have an opportunity in this sport to put things right the next week," said the Britain vice captain, who is leaving Wigan to finish his career Down Under next season.

"If we were boxers and you had a shock in the boxing ring, that might be the end of it or it might be six months before you fight again. But I personally have the opportunity to put it right on Saturday,"

With Wigan failing to make the play-offs for the first time, Carney had not played a match since September 18. He puts a lot of his problems down to that

"I think a lot of it was ring rustiness," he added. "You've got to be up to match speed and that's probably where I wasn't up to scratch.

"I've been delighted with the way I've been going in training but there are some things you can't train for and that's match sharpness and alertness.

"There's no substitute for the experience of a match and I'm hoping that debacle on Saturday night will help me."

Coach Brian Noble has a full strength squad available and has hinted he may make changes to his 17, but Carney insists he is not worried about losing his place, despite being taken off at Loftus Road.

"If you're not injured and the crook comes out for you, you know you've had a bad one," he said.

"But Brian knows what I am about as a player and what I can do and that I have the mental capacity and the physical capacity to improve my performances. That's what I've got to do."

[superleague]

if i was noble i wouldnt even hav him in the team but its noble isnt it he doesnt learn, the aussies are goin to humiliate him even more than the kiwis did.

[Matthew]

Carney is a confidence player - apparently in the pre match warm up he dropped every high ball he tried to catch. A trend that continued through out the match. He looked slow, predictable and poor defensively - Valuvent (I think that's what he's called) could have had a hatrick.

He shouldn't have been in the squad in the first place and if he keeps his place then heaven knows what Noble is thinking - actually I wouldn't be all that surprised if he installs him as stand off and puts Sinfield on the wing

[Martin Taylor]

Totally agree with you. Never understood what all the rave was about with Carney at Wigan, you only have to look at his try scoring record with Wigan. He seems to have a magnet which pulls him into the middle of the park and right into the arms of the biggest opposition forward. I think his reputation has been created by his two tries against Leeds some seasons ago. I feel sorry for Calderwood, the guy scores 27 or 28 tries making him the leading scorer in super league and can't even make the squad. Is anyone else baffled by this?

[mrs_carney]

The australians really rated carney after last years brilliant tri nations. He has a great international record but that was a stinker of a game against NZ, hopefully he'll have a better one against aus.

[heydude]

OJ posted:


With Wigan failing to make the play-offs for the first time, Carney had not played a match since September 18. He puts a lot of his problems down to that

"I think a lot of it was ring rustiness," he added. "You've got to be up to match speed and that's probably where I wasn't up to scratch.

maybe carney could put the problem down to only playing a handful of games for the last two seasons than wigan not making the playoffs.

I bet Newcastle and Gold Coast are rubbing their hands in excitiment to having such a brillant player in their team or they have got their heads in their hands going DOH.

[robjoenz]

Martin Taylor posted:
Totally agree with you. Never understood what all the rave was about with Carney at Wigan, you only have to look at his try scoring record with Wigan. He seems to have a magnet which pulls him into the middle of the park and right into the arms of the biggest opposition forward. I think his reputation has been created by his two tries against Leeds some seasons ago. I feel sorry for Calderwood, the guy scores 27 or 28 tries making him the leading scorer in super league and can't even make the squad. Is anyone else baffled by this?

All the hype about Carney was justified when he was fully fit, all of which was before the ill-fated Grand Final of 2003 when Leon Pryce rammed his head into the Old Trafford turf.

He had the great ability to pull out of the tackle at the last minute leaving opposition players bewildered. He is also fast, strong and is good at evading tackles. As mentioned above, he is a confidence player (as most players are) and with all the injuries he's suffered his confidence is low, this is reflected in his game, especially his catching of the bomb on Saturday.

Over the last couple of seasons we have struggled with our pack. We've either had no props on our books or they've all been injured (Farrell at prop wasn't tactical). When you play with little or no props you don't draw opponents away from play or cause disorder in their line, then your centres and wingers go from looking superb playing alongside Craig Smith, O'Conner and Pongia with Lammy making the opportunities to very lack lustre. They get no space to play with, run straight into tackles and get all their energy taken out of them scooting from dummy half for most of the match.

Carney is by no means a bad player, he's a valuable asset to any team, he's just been unlucky with injuries and poor recruitment around him. The same goes for Martin Aspinwall and Brett Dallas, both have proved to be good players in previous years but in their 'favoured' positions appear to have gone off the boil lately.

[willie c]

i know carney had a stinker on saturday but what about the try they scored when they kicked to pryces wing and there guy out jumped him and senior there is a few gb players who want to have a good look at themselves after that game

[Martin Taylor]

Carney does have strength, but he has no direction to his game. It's okay bouncing off players, but he makes no meters forward. All he does is bounce off the defensive line like a crab. He has become far too bulky for a winger. Dallas makes far more meters by running straight with the ball, unlike Carney he seems to understand how to contribute from the wing. Unlike carney, Dallas has always scored tries no matter what the team is around him. He takes his opportunities, where Carney can't.
I also think you seem to have forgot what a centre should possess. Pace, skill, balance, power, and the ability to provide good ball to his wing. Non of which Aspinwall has.

[jinkin jimmy]

Martin Taylor posted:
Carney does have strength, but he has no direction to his game. It's okay bouncing off players, but he makes no meters forward. All he does is bounce off the defensive line like a crab. He has become far too bulky for a winger. Dallas makes far more meters by running straight with the ball, unlike Carney he seems to understand how to contribute from the wing. Unlike carney, Dallas has always scored tries no matter what the team is around him. He takes his opportunities, where Carney can't.
I also think you seem to have forgot what a centre should possess. Pace, skill, balance, power, and the ability to provide good ball to his wing. Non of which Aspinwall has.

Yes. Rob, please don't mention Aspy in the same breath as Dallas and Carney. I know you have an agenda or an axe to grind, but that was plain silly.