Joseph Manu didn’t need to watch Tolu Koula’s match-winning try on Sunday afternoon to know the Manly centre has him covered in a sprint.
The Roosters veteran has long known he’s not the quickest player in the game, so Manu isn’t going to try and outpace Koula in Saturday night’s semi-final at Allianz Stadium.
Instead, the 28-year-old is determined to use every trick he’s picked up throughout a decorate nine-year career to shut down his opposite man and extend his time with the Roosters for at least one more
“I’m excited to go up against him,” Manu told NRL.com. “He’s a good player with a bit of speed so it will be a big challenge for me. I enjoy going up against good centres so I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s important I don’t give him too much space. There’s a lot of space out in the centres and if you’ve got speed and can find that bit of space it can be hard to defend so I have to get up with line speed.
“It’s not just me tackling out there, I’ve got a lot of boys around me. The whole edge needs to be on to make sure we’re shutting down their dangers.