Ball control will be top of mind for the Steelers as their Harold Matthews side aim to reverse a two-game losing slump on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Aaron McDonald's team have had a tough start to their junior representative campaign, conceding back-to-back heavy defeats at the hands of Cronulla (30-10) and the Roosters (26-0).
However, the task doesn't get any easier for the Steelers in round three, with the side hitting the road to face reigning premiers Manly at Aubrey Keech Reserve.
The Sea Eagles were thrashed 32-6 by the Raiders in their season opener before receiving a bye last week.
"Manly have been up there for the last couple of years and they're always fairly competitive, so I'm expecting a tough game,'' coach McDonald said.
''We'll both be desperate for a win, considering where we are on the table. It's going to be a physical game and one we need to aim up in to get the result we want.
"It's been a tough couple of weeks with a lot of errors in our football, and we're hoping this week to work on a few of those small effort areas and try to win those so we can head in the right direction with our win-loss record. A lot of it [points conceded] has come down to our ball control. We've been forced to make double or triple the amount of tackles that the other teams make and you're eventually going to miss some.
"So I think it comes down to making sure we get the fundamentals of the game right. If we get those right, our defence and attack will take care of itself."
The Harold Matthews clash will be a curtain-raiser to the Manly versus Steelers' SG Ball game on Sunday afternoon. Converse to their younger clubmates, the Steelers have enjoyed a perfect start to the season.
After beating the Sharks 28-16 in round one, Glenn Buffolin's side backed up that result by claiming a 34-18 win over the Victorian Thunderbolts last weekend.
Illawarra will look to bank their third straight win when they face the Sea Eagles.
Back home, the Steelers' Tarsha Gale side will also aim to continue their winning ways when they face the Panthers on Saturday morning at Sid Parrish Park. Alicia-Kate Hawke's team opened their junior rep account with a 36-22 victory over Canberra before defeating the Sharks 22-4 last weekend, and will look to make it three from three against Penrith.
In other rep footy, the Illawarra South Coast Dragons Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns Cups sides will face the Colts in Moruya on Saturday.
The Dragons Laurie Daley Cup team has had a win and loss to start 2022, while their Andrew Johns Cup outfit remain undefeated.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
