RUGBY LEAGUE
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TOMORROW when the Bathurst Panthers walk out on Carrington Park for their Group 10 premier league match against Oberon, it will not only be the Tigers who they will do battle with.
According to player-coach Todd Barrow, they will also do battle with themselves.
Barrow claims his men have cost themselves in a number of matches this season and must reduce the amount of errors they make and penalties they concede.
Panthers go into the match with only one win to show from five matches and a bye, while the Tigers are yet to open their 2015 account.
Having their bye last Sunday might have seemed like bad timing for Panthers, who were coming off their maiden win against Mudgee in round four and another good, albeit losing, performance against Orange CYMS a week later.
But according to Barrow, the break was just what they needed.
“We had a really light week at training after the CYMS match, we had a lot of niggling injuries that were having a bit of an effect, so I think it was a good thing to have some time off,” he said.
“We’re not worrying too much about who we’re playing. We can’t afford to take any win for granted or be complacent against anyone, especially when you look at where we are on the ladder.
“I think in the four losses we’ve had. We’ve been our own worst enemy, so all the focus is on ourselves and fixing up the mistakes and lapses in our game that have cost us.”
Panthers have been improving each week, but frustratingly for their players and supporters that improvement hasn’t turned into success.
It seems hard to pinpoint a reason when their forward pack led by the resurgent Greg Behan, who plays his old side tomorrow, Brent Seager, Jake Betts and Luke Carpenter have generally been able to win or at least square the battle in the middle of the field.
There have been extenuating circumstances in the back line with Jeremy Gordon missing the first three defeats through suspension while Joey Bugg had his game against CYMS ended after five minutes.
Both will be back in the starting side tomorrow.
“Aside from those 10 or 15 minute periods where we fall away, I think we’ve been in each game for at least 60 minutes, we have just had this habit of making our errors at the most crucial times,” Barrow said.
“A lot of that comes down to experience. We have a lot of players who aren’t long out of under 18s football and on top of that, we’ve turned a lot of players over from last year as well so it is taking time.
“Everyone is putting in the effort, that’s something I’m sure of. I hope looking back that the Mudgee game was the turning point.
“I haven’t seen Oberon play at all this season, but they will be pretty desperate for a win too I’d imagine. We can’t underestimate them or any other team for that matter.”
The only possible change to the starting line-up from the contest with CYMS is Barrow missing the game with a knee complaint.
If he can’t take to the field, his spot in the back row will be filled either by Ben Gunn or Jarrod Seager, who was in the selection frame during the pre-season before a broken hand stopped his progress.
Panthers and Oberon do battle from 2pm tomorrow afternoon.
BATHURST PANTHERS: 1 Sandon Gibbs-O’Neill, 2 Josh Small, 3 Blake Lawson, 4 Chris Shephard, 5 Jay McLintock, 6 Jeremy Gordon, 7 Joey Bugg, 8 Brent Seager, 9 Luke Carpenter, 10 Greg Behan, 11 Max Wolfson, 12 Todd Barrow, 13 Jake Betts, 14 Jed Betts, 15 Ben Gunn, 16 Jarrod Seager, 17 Aaron Bell.