Dyldam Parramatta Eels five-eighth Corey Norman says the boys couldn’t have made a better start to the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines, with a confidence-boosting two wins from two attempts on Day One.
We caught up with Normz back at our team hotel after our second win over the Bulldogs, to see how he felt about his first games wearing the Blue and Gold.
“It’s been good, I got one of the boys to take a photo of my first time in Parra gear, which was good,” he said.
“It was a good feeling running out there, and the way the boys are going now, it’s even better.”
Despite not spending too much training time specifically working on Nines tactics, Norman says being told to play attacking football has opened up the boys’ talents.
“Everything’s coming together for us, and we’re all playing well, and up-tempo and we’re controlling the ball well which is good for us,” he said.
“[It probably comes down to] our training all pre-season, we’re really priding ourselves in being sharp in everything we do, and now it’s paying off in the Nines.”
Corey scored one of the Eels’ five tries against the Bulldogs, off a beautiful flick pass from a barn-storming Fuifui Moimoi.
“It was good eh - I wanted fro score a couple of tries this tournament so I’ve got one now, hopefully now I get a couple tomorrow!”
That ‘tomorrow’ he mentions is today’s clash with the Brisbane Broncos, which happens to be Corey’s former side.
“I can’t wait - talking to the boys today there was a bit of banter, as there would be, but when we get out onto the field, there probably still will be [banter] but I am pumped for that game,” he laughed.
The Parramatta Eels play at 1.15pm today (11.15am AEDT) and are a chance of making the quarter-finals to follow.
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