Confidence Booster For An Ex-rooster
Illawarra Mercury
Monday July 9, 2007
ASSURING halfback Jamie Soward the St George Illawarra No 7 jersey belonged to him paid major dividends for the Dragons yesterday.
The mid-season signing from the Roosters starred in the round 17, 42-point win over Canberra at WIN Stadium.He equalled two of the joint venture club's individual points-scoring records - both held by Amos Roberts - by booting nine goals and scoring a try for a personal tally of 22 points. Soward and halves partner Rangi Chase are striking up a promising combination, one which left the Raiders quaking in their boots at times.The 22-year-old did well to score his try and also threw the final ball for Josh Morris' crucial try after half-time and for centre Matt Cooper's final four-pointer of the game.After the match, Soward revealed the faith shown in him by coach Nathan Brown had helped immeasurably."I've played six first grade games here and that's the longest I've played starting," Soward said. "He's (Brown) been really good."He's supporting me and he's just left me in there. He's said, 'we're not going to throw you back and mess you around on the bench'."He's been getting me to play a bit more footy, play a bit more off the top of my head, which I haven't really had before."Being a halfback, you want to be able to go and do what you want to do, but within the structure."If I see a chip-chase on then I can do it, whereas I haven't really had that confidence before."Delighted coach Brown compared five-eighth Chase, who scored two tries, to Gold Coast co-captain Scott Prince. And Chase, who was Prince's understudy at Wests Tigers, admitted he had indeed tried to model his game on the premiership-winning star."Princey's one of my favourite players to watch," he said. "I was under him at the Tigers and I still study and watch him and I'm still trying to copy what Scott does and bring it into my game."
© 2007 Illawarra Mercury