SAM Burgess has gone into more detail about the progress he feels his Warrington Wolves side have made over the first three rounds of the season.
And he feels the players are starting to notice their development as they prepare for one of the biggest tests the competition can offer – a trip to Craven Park to take on Hull Kingston Rovers on Thursday.
Having lost in France to Catalans Dragons in Round One, The Wire have responded with back-to-back home wins over first Hull FC and then Castleford Tigers.
The two victories have come despite star half-back George Williams being missing with an ankle injury, while his partner Josh Drinkwater has also been carrying a thigh issue which may rule him out of Thursday’s game.
With absences in other areas through injury and suspension also to deal with, Burgess is largely happy with what he has seen thus far.
“I want to be proud of the team after each game and there are certain areas that I’ve been really proud of,” he said.
“There’s still things we can improve on but I don’t think you’re ever going to be the complete finished product.
“One thing I do like about the team is our effort – we’re showing that every week and that’s what I’m asking them to bring.
“I can’t really fault the guys – they’re doing everything I’m asking of them – but we’ve just got to smarten up in some areas.
“I think they’re enjoying the progress as well and are starting to feel it.
“It’s going to be a slow burn and it’s a bit disjointed at the minute with George being out and Drinky possibly being out.
“Amidst the change-ups, we’ve handled it quite well.
“We have a “next man up” mentality – no matter who it is, we back them to come and do the job.”
'Seeing the best' of Dufty
Particularly with the ball, there were clear signs against Castleford that the players are starting to get to grips with the structures being put in place by assistant coach Martin Gleeson, whose chief responsibility is to coach the team’s attack.
At the heart of that was full-back Matt Dufty, who assisted both of Matty Ashton’s first-half tries before crossing himself after the break, with Burgess saying small tweaks to his game are starting to unlock another level from the Australian.
With Williams to add to the mix when he returns to the fray, the head coach is excited to see where things can go.
“George is a special player, but I think Drinky and Leon (Hayes) have been really calming and Matt Dufty has been outstanding,” he said.
“He’s done a lot of little things he’s probably not done before which has kept him more connected to the game’s flow.
“We’re seeing the best of Duff but he’s only getting started – there’s plenty more to go.
“George really complements all of that – he brings his own edge to the team.”
Defensive improvement to be tested by Hull KR
On the other side of the ball, an impressive feature of Wire’s opening three games has been an improved ability to absorb pressure and defend their try line.
It is an area that had been a cause for concern throughout Daryl Powell’s reign as head coach and as such, improving their durability had been a key pre-season focus for Burgess.
That means he does not see the encouraging signs in defence as much of a surprise, but he insists a talented Robins side will certainly put their improvement under stern examination.
“I’ve been happy with parts of the defence but there’s things I’d like to change,” he said.
“We’ve let in a couple of soft tries but we’ve fixed that up with coaching in that certain area.
“We’re managing to handle pressure a bit better and the guys are really buying into that protection of their own try line. We’ve done a lot of practice there so it’s no real surprise.
“We’ll get tested this week in that area so we’ll see how it holds up but we’ve conceded six tries for the year and four of them have been from kicks.
“The other two have been in the corner and if we’re going to concede, I’d rather it be there.”
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