Blair on #BraggingRights win

The centre/second rower has had a brilliant start to the 2020 Super League season scoring a try in the Tigers’ last three matches which has seen him already beat his tally from his maiden season.

“It’s completely different than last year eh? We had a bit of a hiccup last week on the road, and so we had a hard training session in the week to fix things up and our boys turned up today and did a good job,” Cheyse said with a big cut under his chin.

“I got it split last week and the doc has said it’s opened up again, so I needed it to get re-stitched. I should be sweet for next week though, just hope it doesn’t open again!”

A classic rugby league cliché is that it can take an overseas player coming to play in England a season and pre-season to get settled and find their best form, but Cheyse doesn’t buy into that myth as he felt comfortable very quickly but unfortunately missed a lot of the ‘proper pre-season’.

 “I only had a few weeks of a proper pre-season recovering from an injury but worked really hard and had still been around and learning a lot more, last year when I first came I was thrown in at the deep end and started playing straight away when I didn’t know players 100% yet but I was made so welcome and felt great, same as now.”

WATCH highlights of the #BraggingRights match here

Joining from the Melbourne Storm last May, Blair was signed as a big powerful centre to add to the Tigers edges but due to injuries he was asked by Head Coach Daryl Powell to stand into the second row for the season opening fixture against Toronto, and he did not look out of place. Cheyse has relished playing in the pack when called upon and shined there against Wakefield Trinity on Friday night.

“It’s a bit different, obviously a bigger work rate and a lot more tackling compared to the centres but I’m enjoying it really at the moment and I think I’ve got the frame to do it.”

“We’ve got such a good group of lads and all us boys are getting on well, rocking up to training with a smile on our faces despite the weather which has not been good but we’re just getting on with our jobs, we’re all hanging around with each other and kicking on.”

Two wins from the opening two home matches at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle and the atmosphere in the second forty minutes of the derby was a lot more enjoyable once the Tigers got rolling and began pulling away from Trinity on the scoreboard. Blair compliments the Cas crowd for getting behind the team and helping the player to get the all-important two points on the league table.

 “The first half was a little quiet because we didn’t start too well, bit like last week, what’s let us down these past couple of weeks has been our starts which lets teams into the game early and we’re then on the backfoot. Headed into the second half we had a talk at half time to fix things up and we were just too good for Wakey in the end and obviously the crowd helped us and they’re such a big part of our wins here.”

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