NRL Tigers just need to relax: Sheens - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

NRL Tigers just need to relax: Sheens

Adrian Warren 15/07/2011 05:05:05 PM Comments (0)

Wests Tigers' coach Tim Sheens says his out-of-form team needs to relax and avoid panicking about their NRL finals prospects heading into Saturday's clash with North Queensland in Townsville.

Three successive losses have shoved the Tigers out of the top eight, albeit just on points differential.

The veteran coach wasn't fazed by their recent form slump heading into a clash with the Cowboys, who have lost just once at home this season.

"The main thing is to stay relaxed and concentrate on execution, completions, the simple things in the game, not to panic about the situation," Sheens said on Friday.

"We're still in the race so there's no issue about panicking and that's been a very important message this week, is to just relax and play our football."

Sheens wasn't stressed by the unflattering statistic that the Tigers have totalled just 16 points across their past three games.

"It's simply execution. Our defence has been very, very good, but overall our offence has stalled," Sheens said.

"That's not an issue I'm particularly worried about, I know that it's there.

"We saw the Roosters last week come back and score over 30 points after having struggled for a little period there.

"A lot has go to do with injury issues. We had (Benji) Marshall out and he got hurt in the game before.

"At the moment I'm comfortable with the way we've rehearsed this week and we're ready to go."

Determined only to focus on Friday's game Sheens didn't want to talk about the signing of Melbourne's New Zealand representative forward Adam Blair for next year, the players who are leaving the Tigers at the end of this season, or Kevin Moore's departure from Canterbury.

However, captain and hooker Robbie Farah stressed the Tigers wanted to send departing stalwarts like Bryce Gibbs and Todd Payten out on a high note.

"As a playing group it's our last opportunity together so we've got two months to make something of it," Farah said.

"If we don't, come the first week of the semis, we'll be sitting in a pub somewhere having a beer and be pretty disappointed, but we're not thinking about that yet.

"I'm still confident that we can do something in this competition this year."

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