Garlick Hooking in to the Challenge
Garlick Hooking in to the Challenge
Bronson Garlick is relishing the competition for the number nine jersey, after spending 73 minutes on the field against Melbourne last Saturday.
Melbourne victory and Newcastle Challenge
Last weekend's emphatic win over Melbourne was particularly satisfying for Garlick, who faced his former club. While he was pleased to get the win over the Storm, the hooker stressed the importance of moving forward.
"It was a massive win, obviously for me personally going down there and playing against my old club, love to get the wood over them until next time so that was fun for me," Garlick said. "But I think the message out of here was yeah a really good game and lots to take out of it but we move on to next week now in Newcastle. We can't just look back to last week and rest on that. We've got a long way to go and it's a lot of improvement as well I think."
Looking ahead to Sunday's clash with the Knights, Garlick acknowledged they present a different challenge this year, particularly at home with strong crowd support. The team has confidence in their playing style but knows they need to maintain their standards especially in front a vocal Newcastle fanbase.
Hooker Rotation and Competition
Garlick is embracing the competition for the starting hooker role with Brandon Smith and Peter Mamouzelos, viewing the challenge as motivation rather than a threat.
"If we don't have anyone there to kind of push us and challenge us then you probably slip on your stands a bit, so to have us all kind of pushing for that starting nine spot I think it's gonna go a long way in making us all better players," he said.
The hooker appreciated the extra minutes he received against Melbourne and is focused on earning his spot each week. With Jye Gray progressing from injury but Matthew Dufty performing well in the fullback role, coach Wayne Bennett continues to manage his options across multiple positions. Garlick confirmed he is putting his hand up every week to keep pushing for selection and hopes to maintain his place in the side.
