Coach defiant over decision to omit Nanyn

STEVE Deakin shrugged off the controversy which surrounded his decision not to field record points scorer Mick Nanyn.

The centre, fit again after a thumb injury had ruled him out for the last three games, wasn't selected to take on Doncaster after Deakin elected to go with continuity in his back division.

"I don't see it as an issue," said the Roughyeds coach on the call to omit a player who has amassed 346 points this season.

"There was no Mick Nanyn, but there was no Chris Baines and no Luke Sutton either. I picked the 17 for the game and that was it."

On the game itself, Deakin felt that a poor start to both halves let his side down as they fell to a first home defeat since the visit of Celtic Crusaders to Boundary Park last August.

He also felt that the three-week break the Roughyeds have currently experienced wasn't ideal in terms of the team finding its feet early on.

RIGOURS

"You sometimes miss the rigours of week-in, week-out football," he said. "While it had been a burden for us, it has also been a burden not having it today.

"We needed the break for people's bodies to recover but by doing so, we lacked fluidity at the start and it took 20 minutes to get into any sort of rhythm. That said, when we got rhythm to the game we played some good football.

"We made a couple of errors (after half-time) and early in the tackle count. We handed the momentum to Doncaster.

"Our goal line defence was outstanding, but in doing that we burnt a lot of petrol and it meant the quality of our last plays in our exit sets just weren't quick enough or good enough. We let them get on the front foot.

"It was a good play-off game and hats off to Doncaster. They came and played good, smart football and probably just about deserved it on the day.

"The boys know that we needed to start both halves a little better and if we can do that then we are a team that can still win the Grand Final."