Craig “confident” ahead of Brothers major semi-final clash

Easts head coach Simon Craig says his side took away invaluable lessons from their last clash with Brothers and believes the Tigers are well positioned to beat the competition heavyweights in this weekend’s major semi-final.

The two sides split their regular-season meetings, with Easts winning at home earlier in the year before Brothers hit back on their turf last month.

Despite suffering an 18-point defeat in that return fixture – a result that ultimately secured the Brethren the minor premiership – Craig said it gave his side a clear picture of where they could hurt Brothers this week.

“We learned a lot when we played them a few weeks ago about how they like to operate,” Craig told Rugby News.

“The boys were disappointed, but straight after the game they all said, ‘we can beat them.’ They probably played their best footy of the year that day, and we probably played our worst for patches.

“If we turn up and play to the level we’ve shown this year, I’m confident we can get the job done.”

Asked what exactly those lessons were, Craig identified discipline as a key factor in the contest, pointing to Brothers’ clinical ability when given attacking opportunities close to the line.

“They’re a side that won’t usually hurt you from 90 metres, but if you’re ill-disciplined and give them A-zone entries, they’ll take them,” he said.

“Their conversion rate in that area is around 70–75%. If we can limit those opportunities and play in the right parts of the field, that will go a long way towards us winning.”

Easts are in strong shape heading into the clash, with powerhouse back-rower Nuku Swerling expected to return from injury.

“That gives us a fair bit of punch through the middle with his carry,” Craig said. 

“Outside of that, we’re in pretty good nick for this time of year.”

While Craig acknowledged Brothers’ wealth of finals experience – the side are chasing three straight premierships – he said his squad wouldn’t be overawed.

“There’s no doubt they’ve been here for the last few years and played a lot of finals footy, but this group has grown in stature and confidence as the year’s gone on,” he said.

“They know they can beat anyone on their day. They’ll be nervous – that’s natural – but the boys aren’t worried about reputations.”

Craig named Brothers fullback Tim Ryan as a player to watch, but stressed Easts’ focus would remain on executing their own game plan.

“You can’t give him space – he’s got all the skills and speed to hurt you – but they’re just a good footy team across the park,” he said.

“If we stick to our systems on both sides of the ball and play in the right areas, the opportunities will come.”

The winner will book a direct ticket to the grand final, while the loser will face a sudden-death preliminary final against the winner of Wests and Bond.