From Dimma's presser today:The Tigers are coming off a narrow loss to West Coast a fortnight ago, refreshed but aware there is still a long way to go to secure a top-eight spot.
“It’s a tough block,” Hardwick said. “I think the months get colder, it’s harder to get out of bed but we’ve got to get the whips starting to crack so to speak, so we’ve got to get our very best footy up and about.
“We’re hanging tough at the moment; we’re 7-6, we’re in the hunt. We’re not where we want to be; we know our best footy is certainly in front of us from that point of view, but we’ve got to start playing to the level we think we’re capable of.”
Hardwick said rectifying inconsistency in games would be his side’s key focus against the Saints.
“I think we’ve had, probably like most sides throughout the year, lapses every now and then and let some goals through in certain periods of time,” he said.
“I think we’ve dominated games but then we’ve let a side get a four-goal run on, which is something we don’t normally do, so we’ve got to eradicate that.”
Hardwick said he would be intrigued to see what brand of football the Saints produce, having noticed a change in their style since the two sides last met in round five.
“I think of their own accord, they’re a side when they play their very best, they’re hard to beat. Them at their best is what we’re expecting,” he said.
“They’ve been bashed around a little bit in the media but we know them at their best can be damaging, so we’ve got to be aware of how that looks.
“They’ve changed the way they play a little bit from the last time we met them; they move the ball a bit more ‘around the world’ type of movement ... so we’re interested to see what style of game they bring against us.”
Source: The Age
