Carnegie players encourage return to attacking stance

Captain Ryan Burrows has 
revealed how, in the wake of the club’s defeat to Nottingham five weeks ago – their third reverse in five games – the players approached head coach Gary Mercer about changing their style.

Former New Zealand rugby league international Mercer 
arrived on the eve of the season vowing to tighten up Carnegie’s porous defence.

While Burrows accepts that is vital and remains a work in progress, the players are keen to rediscover their attacking flair.

“The players sat down as a team with the coaches and we came up with how we want to play going forward,” said the 26-year-old.

“As Gary says, it’s the players on the pitch who have to take responsibility and we are happy to.

“The discussions were very much player-led. We wanted to go back to how we were last year. We played a lot more expansively last year; we could score tries from 100 metres out.

“The players we have brought in were recruited to play that way.

“We have got to go back to what we are good at and not let opponents dictate to us.

“We know we have to find the balance between attack and defence and the last three weeks has been like an extended pre-season for us.”

Carnegie welcome Burrows’s former club Rotherham for tonight’s Yorkshire derby, having lost to Lee Blackett’s side in the opening round of B&I Cup fixtures a month ago. Carnegie finished the B&I phase with an 85-0 win over Aberavon last week, and Burrows said: “The biggest sign of our development was not necessarily the 85 points we scored but the fact that we kept them to zero.

“Last season we would have conceded a few points. That shows how much we have come on defensively under Gary.

“The defensive system Gary has brought in is different to what we had before. It is a good system, it just takes a bit of time to bed in.

“We were still learning it going into the season. We could have done with starting pre-season with that system, but it’s now up to the players to produce.”

Blackett’s team go in search of a first regular-season win at Headingley since 2007.

“We’re always underdogs going up to Carnegie,” said the Titans chief.

“They’re one of the top four teams, have weapons all over the field and are well-drilled.

“But this is a massive game for us, not just because it’s a derby, but because they’re a rival of ours for the top four and we cannot 
afford to go there and get beaten.

“We’ve won six out of eight games this season and we’ll give 100 per cent as always.”

Doncaster Knights, who are currently the highest-placed Yorkshire team in the Championship, visit a Bristol side who have begun the season with five straight wins.