South Sydney will unleash their version of the Avengers on the left edge this weekend, but Jack Wighton has warned the NRL to \u201cnot sleep\u201d on his side of the field even if everything is \u201cback to front\u201d in his new role. <\/p>\n
The horrors of last year\u2019s injury-hit campaign are behind the Bunnies who will have try-scoring machine Alex Johnston on the left wing, superstar Latrell Mitchell at left centre, key recruit David Fifita in the back row and veteran playmaker Cody Walker calling the shots at five-eighth. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s an edge that screams points, points and more points with an ensemble of modern stars, with Walker keen to see what it all looks like in an NRL setting after he battled his own injury demons last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to compare different edges but I think we\u2019ll just continually grow that,\u201d he said after some encouraging signs in the trials against Manly last month. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe weren\u2019t perfect in Mudgee. There is going to be that little bit of working out what works for each of us. I think (in the trials) we saw that if (the defence) stack that left edge, we\u2019ve got some really good strike players on the right edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really impressed with what the right edge is doing, just being ready if they do stack that side. Everyone\u2019s talking about the left edge and how they\u2019re going to defend it. But it\u2019s always important to have that strike on the right edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a difficult time for us over the past 18 months just in terms of injures and just getting the strongest team on the park. But we\u2019ve had a really good pre-season. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe focus for us just needs to be on the little areas of our game and not all the flashy plays early in the season. It\u2019s just about getting those little areas of the game that are so important in the grand scheme of things and so important to the results.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wighton has spent pretty much all of his career on the left edge but will run out at right centre on Sunday afternoon, with the former Raider conceding he\u2019s still getting used to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like walking on your hands every week. Everything\u2019s back to front,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they told me I was jumping over to the right, obviously I\u2019ll do whatever\u2019s best for the team. It takes some real adjusting with your footy. Your passing, your stepping, palming is all back to front. I feel like I\u2019ve settled but there\u2019s still a lot of work to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t sleep on us (on the right). We\u2019re the workers. We\u2019ll do all the work and the left can score all the tries. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if we\u2019ll see the ball outside our 20m line. We\u2019ll do all the hard carries and they can do all the freaky stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Jamie Humphreys out suspended, youngster Ashton Ward will fill in at halfback where he held his own last year under difficult circumstances. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a great young kid. It can be a little bit daunting to be playing next to such a dominant half like Cody,\u201d Wighton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he\u2019s talking and growing. He\u2019s organising the team, he\u2019s pushing the forwards (around) and he\u2019s getting repeat sets as well. It\u2019s been really good working with him.\u201d<\/p>\n