Crusaders have improved remarkably says prop Adam Peek - Daily Post
Crusaders have improved remarkably says prop Adam Peek
Jun 16 2010
by Rob Griffiths
ADAM PEEK has issued a stark warning to reigning Super League champions Leeds Rhinos they will face a vastly improved Crusaders side this weekend.
The two sides met on the opening day of the season at the Racecourse back in January in front of 10,000-plus fan,s with the Yorkshire outfit eventually claiming a 34-6 win, despite being held to just 6-6 with an hour gone in the encounter.
Crusaders head to Headingley this Sunday (3pm) for the reverse fixture on the back of their first win in six matches having seen off Bradford Bulls 44-20 last Sunday to get their bid for the top eight back on track.
While Crusaders have improved from their opening day loss at home to the Rhinos, Sunday’s opponents have also found their form after a difficult start to the season. They have won their last seven games and sit in fifth place.
And Peek, 32, believes Crusaders are now better equipped to deal with the threat posed by Brian McClennan’s men.
“There are no easy games in Super League,” said Peek. “Leeds have come back and are now hitting a bit of form.
“A few of their guys played in the test against France last weekend and they will be keen to get them back. We’ve just got to make sure we show the same desire and commitment that we did against Bradford and make sure we take our opportunities. Leeds don’t give you much so when we have a chance to score we have to take it.
“Last time we played Leeds we hung with them for 65 minutes – we’ve got to make sure we match them for the whole 80 on Sunday. We are a better team than the one that played opening day of the season, we know each other better and the combinations are coming together.”
Head coach Brian Noble will be looking for more of the same from his Crusaders side following the convincing win over the Bulls.
And former Cronulla Sharks prop Peek says there is a great feeling in the camp after a morale-boosting win on Sunday.
“It has been a few weeks since our last win,” he added. “It was a big game for us on Sunday, obviously being at home there is that extra element of expectation on your shoulders. But it was a good performance and we’re delighted that we got the win over Bradford.
“It gives us a lot of confidence. Things haven’t gone our way in recent weeks so we have gone back to basics.
“Against Bradford we went through our sets, worked hard for each other and put in a big shift defensively. In recent weeks, our starts haven’t been great, but in the first 20 minutes on Sunday we were ahead and I think that proved the difference.”
Peek added: “It’s a funny game is rugby league. Last game against Harlequins we left too many gaps in defence but against Bradford we worked together and hopefully we can take that confidence into next week.
“Leeds are probably the most dangerous attacking team in the Super League.
“Players like Danny Maguire and Brent Webb can create an opportunity out of nothing so we realise we will have to be really sharp defence-wise.
“We just take it week by week. Obviously it’s becoming a bit of a cliché but if we can just get a few back-to-back wins who knows?
“It would be nice to go to Leeds and beat them on their home turf but it is going to be a challenge – they’re defending champions so we’ve got to make sure we go there and compete. Brian will be happy with that.”
And Peek was also keen to praise his fellow teammates following the victory, which put Crusaders back up to 10th.
“I thought our half-backs were magnificent,” he said. “Obviously it is a big blow when the team is missing Michael Witt and Jarrod (Sammut) but Rhys Hanbury and Peter Lupton really stepped up to the mark.
“They did a really good job and considering they haven’t played together on a regular basis, their combinations were outstanding. If Witty and Jarrod are going to be missing for a while, it is important that they play regularly and get the team going forward.
“Tony Martin is a very experienced player. He is very good in defence and he is a great organiser, he is always talking on the field.
“He is a great link between the outside backs and forwards and having him back gives the rest of the guys a huge boost. We’ve also got Lincoln Withers in the middle, he’s only a little bloke but he keeps going for 80 minutes and takes us around the park.”
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