DRAGONS coach Paul McGregor has launched the Kurt Mann Project 2.0, in a bid to cope with losing in-form captain Gareth Widdop for six weeks.
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Faced with the selection headache after the Anzac Day golden point loss to the Roosters, McGregor had the option to turn to young Jai Field or moving ball-playing forward Jack de Belin to replace Widdop.
But he has instead entrusted Mann, who was dropped after two games at fullback last year and returned to score 10 tries in 11 games on the wing.
Mann has played six games this year, including two on the wing, one at centre and three as a bench utility, spending time in the halves after Widdop was injured on Tuesday.
Admitting Mann will be ‘learning on the run’, McGregor backed the 24-year-old to play a key role in maintaining St George Illawarra’s early-season momentum.
“Kurt’s a quality NRL player and that’s the best thing about who we’re bringing into the side,” McGregor said.
“He’s certainly a player the guys have got a lot of respect for and put a lot of trust in. His versatility right for the start (since joining the Dragons from Melbourne) has been great for the team.
“He’s played fullback, he’s played left centre, he’s played on the wing, he played five-eighth on the weekend. He’s been a feature for us in different positions.” Conceding top spot on the NRL ladder to Melbourne after the Storm edged out the Warriors hours after St George Illawarra’s loss to the Roosters, McGregor is adamant they still have enough firepower without Widdop.
“You know when you’re playing Melbourne, you get a very clinical team to play against, certainly they don’t give you too much,” McGregor said. “They’ve got to play us too though, we’re not going too bad on our own.
“For us, it’s just about going out there and playing our brand of footy, our style has been good to us in this opening part of the season.” Widdop is the NRL’s leading pointscorer this year with 87, with six tries to his name.
He suffered a medial ligament strain just before half-time in the 13-12 golden point loss to the Roosters, where Mitchell Pearce snapped the winning field goal.
“He’s our captain, he’s our leader,” McGregor said.
“He’s obviously got a skill level that other don’t and he’s at the top of his game, he’s playing the best football of his career. But, one down and another one steps in and Kurt will get that honour this weekend.”