Simon Grix has previewed Friday’s Betfred Super League Round 12 clash against Castleford Tigers in his pre-match press conference.
The Black & Whites are aiming to end their losing run when they travel to the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
Looking ahead to Friday’s clash in his pre-match press conference, Grix said: “Discipline and defence are the cornerstones of Rugby League, and if you’re a very good defensive team, I’d argue you don’t have to be great with the ball. You can earn a lot through your defence, and I think that’s something we can definitely improve on.
“I’ll always be trying to base our game on effort, getting it where it needs to be along with our concentration around how we finish sets and where we finish them, and while it sounds basic, we can’t be turning that ball over as cheaply as we did on plays one or two against London if we want to have a chance.
“We’re not playing well at the moment, and we’re not where we want to be, but there’s still some very good players in that team, and we need to get them playing at a level that we know they are capable of. We can certainly get better than we have been playing, but it’s one game at a time.”
Reflecting on the last fortnight, Grix added: “We had a tough review after London, and some harsh words were said, but we have to be open and honest if we’re going to get better. There have to be harsh truths, and it’s up to the lads how they take them.
“We all want to be part of the solution, not the problem, so we have to have these conversations to try and move forward. Any criticisms in that room the other day were pretty well received, and there’s nowhere to hide. It’s all on screen. We’ve moved on from it, and as a group, we just have to be better.
“That goes for us as staff as well, making sure we’re doing our job properly and, again, doing better. All these tough times pass; the good times come and go pretty quick; this feels like a long slog at the moment after the last eight weeks, but we have to dig in and show that toughness that we’ve been calling for all year.
“We’re going to come out of it, but it’s how steep the curve is, I suppose, and how hard we work and how much people are going to get on board with what we’re asking them to do. We are going to make some choices around performance over the coming months, but everyone has an opportunity now to impress.”
On the Tigers in 2024, he continued: “I think they’ve been what they’ve said they’re going to be. In the off-season, they anchored expectation around what they’re spending, who they’re signing, and how they’re using their money around IMG.
“I think they’ve been a team of try-hards but they have got some quality as well in Joe Westerman. Sam Wood is showing some great form for them in the centres as well. They’re a good side and they play very well at home as well so we’ve got a tough fixture in front of us.”
Simon Grix is proudly sponsored by Rowe Freight.
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