Mr Patwa
Kennel Participant
- Joined
- May 17, 2008
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"TALK, tackle, kick." It's the Brett Kimmorley blueprint that saved NSW from a State of Origin whitewash in game three last year.
As he goes into the blockbuster against the unbeaten Roosters at ANZ Stadium, the Bulldogs No. 7 has told how he intends to call on his Origin battle plan to revive his team's season.
The Bulldogs have struggled to find the cohesion that inspired their finals run last season. And predictably, Kimmorley has been left to shoulder the blame.
But rather than get bitter, the wily 33-year-old plans to get even with a performance that could also reignite his 2010 Origin claims against Roosters hopeful Mitchell Pearce.
"My strength as a player is steering a side around, kicking, and experience," Kimmorley said.
"And that's probably what NSW lacked in game one and two. I suited the mould for game three, I suppose.
"Craig (Bellamy) and Joey (Andrew Johns) said to me we just want you to talk and kick. I was there as an organising seven as opposed to a ball-playing seven.
"I told them that's great because that's my role at Canterbury and the reason why I've felt the most comfortable I have in a long while.
"Talking, tackling and my kicking game is something I felt worked for us last year at the Bulldogs, but I probably went away from that last week. So it's about getting back to that role."
Kimmorley added that any hope of returning to the Origin arena would be determined by the Bulldogs' form come selection time.
"If around that time of the year we're near the top of the table again and we're being consistent, I'll get a reward again," Kimmorley said.
"I think I only got in the side last year because we were consistently good every week."
Off contract at the end of this season, Kimmorley said the pressure is no different to the past 15 seasons.
"I don't think I feel like I'm under pressure because I'm off contract this year," he said. "I'm putting myself under pressure because we haven't won the first two games.
"But that hasn't changed the fact that the club and I will sit down in a month to talk.
"It's more about the fact that I just want to play good football again."
Today's clash pits Kimmorley up against young pup Pearce, who has started the season in rousing form with the Roosters.
And the old Dog can't wait.
"It's a big challenge, individually, because we've been a little bit off this week and playing against Mitchell, I think it's just a huge challenge," Kimmorley said.
"He's playing awesome. It's exciting to come up against a side that's red hot at the moment.
"These are the games we couldn't wait to play last year. You know what you're going to get from them, you know how good they're travelling.
"The feeling around training has been really excited.
"We never went back-to-back losses last year, so for a group of people that have only been together for 18 months this is the biggest challenge we've experienced as a football team.
"That's what this club has always been built upon - how you react under pressure and how tight we play as a football unit through hard times."
As he goes into the blockbuster against the unbeaten Roosters at ANZ Stadium, the Bulldogs No. 7 has told how he intends to call on his Origin battle plan to revive his team's season.
The Bulldogs have struggled to find the cohesion that inspired their finals run last season. And predictably, Kimmorley has been left to shoulder the blame.
But rather than get bitter, the wily 33-year-old plans to get even with a performance that could also reignite his 2010 Origin claims against Roosters hopeful Mitchell Pearce.
"My strength as a player is steering a side around, kicking, and experience," Kimmorley said.
"And that's probably what NSW lacked in game one and two. I suited the mould for game three, I suppose.
"Craig (Bellamy) and Joey (Andrew Johns) said to me we just want you to talk and kick. I was there as an organising seven as opposed to a ball-playing seven.
"I told them that's great because that's my role at Canterbury and the reason why I've felt the most comfortable I have in a long while.
"Talking, tackling and my kicking game is something I felt worked for us last year at the Bulldogs, but I probably went away from that last week. So it's about getting back to that role."
Kimmorley added that any hope of returning to the Origin arena would be determined by the Bulldogs' form come selection time.
"If around that time of the year we're near the top of the table again and we're being consistent, I'll get a reward again," Kimmorley said.
"I think I only got in the side last year because we were consistently good every week."
Off contract at the end of this season, Kimmorley said the pressure is no different to the past 15 seasons.
"I don't think I feel like I'm under pressure because I'm off contract this year," he said. "I'm putting myself under pressure because we haven't won the first two games.
"But that hasn't changed the fact that the club and I will sit down in a month to talk.
"It's more about the fact that I just want to play good football again."
Today's clash pits Kimmorley up against young pup Pearce, who has started the season in rousing form with the Roosters.
And the old Dog can't wait.
"It's a big challenge, individually, because we've been a little bit off this week and playing against Mitchell, I think it's just a huge challenge," Kimmorley said.
"He's playing awesome. It's exciting to come up against a side that's red hot at the moment.
"These are the games we couldn't wait to play last year. You know what you're going to get from them, you know how good they're travelling.
"The feeling around training has been really excited.
"We never went back-to-back losses last year, so for a group of people that have only been together for 18 months this is the biggest challenge we've experienced as a football team.
"That's what this club has always been built upon - how you react under pressure and how tight we play as a football unit through hard times."
