“I think our test defensively will start at the PTB (play the ball),” Crawley said.
“Both of their hookers (Tyson Smoothy and Kurt Baptise) have NRL experience and they also have several Storm allocated players who will handle the footy long before it gets to McGavin on the flanks.”
“Hopefully if we are good at the ruck we can limit his chances on the end of the line.”
Mackay has also benefited from the development of key youth prospects this season, under the tutelage of former NRL talent.
“Sean Mullany, Josh Smith and Blake Paskins are all in their first ISC season, and have made the step up strongly,” Crawley said.
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NRL Rd 1 - Storm v Rabbitohs
Rugby League by Nick Campton 17th Mar 2021 2:41 PM Wayne Bennett has rung in the changes for South Sydney with off-season recruits Josh Mansour and Jacob Host both dropped from the Rabbitohs side to play Manly on Saturday. After the Rabbitohs opened their season with a 26-18 loss to an understrength Melbourne, Bennett has relegated Mansour and Host to the reserves, with Jaxson Paulo and Keaon Koloamatangi replacing them respectively, while Patrick Mago slots in on the bench. Mansour has been named for South Sydney s NSW Cup side to take on Blacktown Sea Eagles in the curtain raiser.
The 18-year-old has been named at centre. Howarth comes from a rugby union background in Brisbane and has represented the Australian Schoolboys and Queensland Under 18s in 2019. The decision to fend-off career prospects with the Queensland Reds and Wallabies, then sign a contract with the Melbourne Storm was a big one, but is paying off with the teen set to be unleashed this weekend. Mawhinney said Howarth was definitely an up and comer in the game. To let him unleash will be pretty exciting, he said. He ll be a handy one for us - I haven t seen too much of him but I ve kept an eye on him coming through the grades.
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