Super Freak
International Captain
Forum Staff
- Jan 25, 2014
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JAMES Roberts says he is primed to terrorise rivals in the NRL finals after coming to terms with the pressure to succeed champion Broncos centre Justin Hodges.
A fortnight after being smoked by Broncos reject Dale Copley, Roberts faces another torrid centre battle against Eels speedster Michael Jennings on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.
But after his dangerous display in last week’s 12-8 defeat of the Dragons, ‘The Jet’ says he has overcome the burden of expectation and is ready to hit top gear.
Roberts endured the toughest week of his career at the Broncos when his baby son Kirk was admitted to hospital three days before last Thursday’s clash against the Dragons.
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett gave Roberts time off training and the speed demon repaid his faith at WIN Stadium, amassing 140 metres, one line-break and six tackle busts in wet conditions.
Former Broncos centre Hodges rated NSW Origin flyer Jennings his toughest centre opponent, but Roberts says being outclassed by Copley was the wake-up call he needed.
“I’ve never played finals football before so I want to be at my best if we make the playoffs,” said Roberts, who controversially replaced Copley at the Broncos this season after the Titans contract-forgery farce.
“Being the new signing, I felt the pressure at the start of the year, but now I have settled in at the Broncos and I’m starting to build a combination with Darius Boyd and Matt Gillett.
“The other week (against the Roosters) was personally disappointing. I felt like I let the boys down a bit, but my main focus (against the Dragons) was to keep it tight on the right side.
“Wayne (Bennett) and Steve Kearney (assistant coach) have been good for me. They’ve said if I get my defence right my attack will come and that’s the plan for the next few weeks going into the finals.”
Roberts suffered a scare in the lead-up when his son was rushed to hospital. The three-month-old was cleared to return home by doctors just 24 hours before the Dragons clash.
“He had a viral infection, but he’s OK now so that’s a relief,” he said. “Because he’s only three months old, we couldn’t get antibiotics into him so we had to tough it out and wait it out.
“He was too crook to have his bottle so he had to be fed through a tube for a few days. I was definitely worried, it was the first time he’s ever been sick and he’s only a newborn.
“They had him on oxygen machine for a little while, but he’s home now ... it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Roberts has struggled to find open spaces for much of the season, but Broncos fullback Boyd believes he is ready to unleash the form that saw him crowned Dally M Centre of the Year last season.
“He can be the X-factor in the finals,” Boyd said. “He’s deceptively strong and hard to bring down. It’s now our job in the halves and the fullback role to give him some ball with space to bring out his best.”
No Cookies | The Courier Mail
A fortnight after being smoked by Broncos reject Dale Copley, Roberts faces another torrid centre battle against Eels speedster Michael Jennings on Friday night at Suncorp Stadium.
But after his dangerous display in last week’s 12-8 defeat of the Dragons, ‘The Jet’ says he has overcome the burden of expectation and is ready to hit top gear.
Roberts endured the toughest week of his career at the Broncos when his baby son Kirk was admitted to hospital three days before last Thursday’s clash against the Dragons.
Broncos coach Wayne Bennett gave Roberts time off training and the speed demon repaid his faith at WIN Stadium, amassing 140 metres, one line-break and six tackle busts in wet conditions.
Former Broncos centre Hodges rated NSW Origin flyer Jennings his toughest centre opponent, but Roberts says being outclassed by Copley was the wake-up call he needed.
“I’ve never played finals football before so I want to be at my best if we make the playoffs,” said Roberts, who controversially replaced Copley at the Broncos this season after the Titans contract-forgery farce.
“Being the new signing, I felt the pressure at the start of the year, but now I have settled in at the Broncos and I’m starting to build a combination with Darius Boyd and Matt Gillett.
“The other week (against the Roosters) was personally disappointing. I felt like I let the boys down a bit, but my main focus (against the Dragons) was to keep it tight on the right side.
“Wayne (Bennett) and Steve Kearney (assistant coach) have been good for me. They’ve said if I get my defence right my attack will come and that’s the plan for the next few weeks going into the finals.”
Roberts suffered a scare in the lead-up when his son was rushed to hospital. The three-month-old was cleared to return home by doctors just 24 hours before the Dragons clash.
“He had a viral infection, but he’s OK now so that’s a relief,” he said. “Because he’s only three months old, we couldn’t get antibiotics into him so we had to tough it out and wait it out.
“He was too crook to have his bottle so he had to be fed through a tube for a few days. I was definitely worried, it was the first time he’s ever been sick and he’s only a newborn.
“They had him on oxygen machine for a little while, but he’s home now ... it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Roberts has struggled to find open spaces for much of the season, but Broncos fullback Boyd believes he is ready to unleash the form that saw him crowned Dally M Centre of the Year last season.
“He can be the X-factor in the finals,” Boyd said. “He’s deceptively strong and hard to bring down. It’s now our job in the halves and the fullback role to give him some ball with space to bring out his best.”
No Cookies | The Courier Mail
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