Steelers Gain Form Players

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday July 24, 1999

By DAVE MURRAY

The return of Jason Hooper and Craig Fitzgibbon has given Illawarra a strikepower boost for tomorrow's NSW First Division rugby league match-up with Manly at WIN Stadium.

Hooper and Fitzgibbon failed to win a seat on the plane for St George Illawarra's clash with Brisbane at ANZ Stadium last night despite impressive form with the high-flying Dragons over the past month.

But their bad luck is the opposite for Illawarra coach Brian Johnson.

The Steelers were in great form and leading the competition prior to last week's disappointing 34-20 away loss to Balmain.

Illawarra started that game with a rush and led 6-nil after just three minutes. But the wheels fell off, especially after full-back Ben Hornby and, later, prop Jason Ryles were ordered from the field by the referee.

Hornby was let off with a warning this week but Ryles, who was also sin-binned against the Tigers, was handed a one-week holiday for his high tackle.

``I still thought we could have won with 12," Johnson said yesterday.

``But we got off the tracks losing two players."

Johnson said Fitzgibbon (second row) and Hooper (five-eighth) were ``big pluses" against a Manly outfit on the improve.

The Sea Eagles crushed North Sydney 44-24 at Bear Park last Sunday and have a number of players with NRL experience.

Former international Graham Mackay lines up in the centres with Luke Phillips named at full-back.

Phil Adamson drops back from the Sea Eagles' NRL squad to start in the front row while ex-first grade back Alf Duncan was named on the bench.

``They're (Manly) a side on the bottom end of the ladder that has picked the back end of the season to make a charge," Johnson said.

``Manly is competent, well organised and well coached. We'll have to work hard on Sunday."

David Walsh is back to take Ryles' spot with James Wynne and Brad Hughes moving from last week's run-on side to the bench.

First Division kicks off at 2.30pm, 90 minutes after the Flegg.

ILLAWARRA: 1 Ben Hornby, 2 Daniel Kimber, 3 Nigel Daniels, 4 Matt Cooper, 5 Adam Blake, 6 Jason Hooper, 7 Mark Simon, 8 Michael Cross, 9 Paul Dalsanto, 10 David Walsh, 11 Craig Fitzgibbon, 12 Terry Lamey, 13 Andrew Bobbin (c), 14 James Wynne, 15 Nathan Hodges, 16 Brendon Tunbridge, 17 Luke Bailey, 18 Brad Hughes.

MANLY: 1 Luke Phillips, 2 Jamie Bennett, 3 Nathan Black (c), 4 Graham Mackay, 5 Brent Byrne, 6 Adam Hayden, 7 Josh Smith, 8 Phil Adamson, 9 Josh Butcher, 10 Leigh Krilich, 11 Dragan Durdevic, 12 Phil Bailey, 13 Steve Crouch, 14 Tim Donovan, 15 Wes Doyle, 16 Ji Hill, 17 Adam Peters, 18 Todd Eadie, 19 Alf Duncan.