Watt makes Hay a Kangaroo
18 February 2006 Herald Sun
Damian Barrett
OF ALL the Kangaroos people happy with the recruitment of Jonathan Hay, Shannon Watt must be the most ecstatic.
For the past three years, Watt has been forced to battle against each opposition's key forward in a role that was largely unsuitable.
At Princes Park yesterday in the Kangaroos' intra-club hit-out, Watt's future was outlined.
With ex-Hawk Hay holding down full-back (against Sav Rocca), Watt was free to run hard and create drive with long kicking off a half-back flank.
Roos assistant coach Darren Crocker said after the scratch match Watt would be used similarly throughout 2006.
"Shannon has been asked to play full-back for this club for the last three or four years on the big fellas like (Fraser) Gehrig and (Warren) Tredrea and (Barry) Hall and it probably hasn't been ideal for him," Crocker said.
"With Jon Hay coming to the club and being able to settle in to that last-line role, that should free up Shannon to play the way he did today, very well."
Against certain teams, the Kangaroos are also likely to use Watt as a wingman this season. At 193cm, he would be the tallest of that type in the competition.
Hay played in an assured manner yesterday, giving hope to the Roos that his addition to the club can settle a backline that will suffer greatly from the retirement of Leigh Colbert.
"We know Jon's strength is not getting beaten in the one-on-ones, and that is the key to him," Crocker said.
Many of the Roos' stars were used off the bench, particularly big forwards Nathan Thompson and Rocca. Shannon Grant and Adam Simpson spent most of the second half there.
Only Glenn Archer (hamstring), Jess Sinclair (ribs) and Blake Grima (general conditioning) were missing from their best 22.
All should be right by Round 1, with Sinclair a chance for next week's NAB Cup opener against Sydney in Canberra.
Of the new Roos, Andrew Swallow impressed most with his hardness. "He was in the thick of the action, very good in close quarters," Crocker said.