NRL: Covell - Bring them on

Luke Covell's goal is consistency. 'That's all I want to do, it's the main part of my game, turn up every week and give it my best.' Photo / Getty Images

Cronulla's goal-kicking winger Luke Covell and his Sharks teammates have found this year pretty tough to handle. A flood of drama has surrounded the club.

There is the bad financial news; the emergence of sexual abuse allegations from a 2002 trip to Christchurch; captain Paul Gallen stepping down after being fined for racial abuse; Reni Maitua's steroid charge; the midweek resignation of the chairman of the board, Barry Pierce. To top it off, until last weekend they couldn't buy a win.

"We've tried to keep our heads down and keep working," Covell said. "We've tried to keep our minds off what's going on in the news but that isn't easy."

He praised coach Ricky Stuart for holding the side together and dismissed the suggestion that Stuart's intensity and the way he can rile to anger - as he did against Ashley Klein, referee of the World Cup final, when Australia lost to the Kiwis - had anything to do with their struggle to get competition points.

"If we didn't have Ricky, the team would not be performing as well as it has been. He's kept the team tight and kept us motivated," the wing said as he prepared for this Sunday's game against the Warriors.

The Sharks got just their second victory of the season in atrocious conditions at Parramatta Stadium last weekend when Covell scored one of two tries and kicked two goals and new captain Trent Barrett landed a wobbly field goal for a 13-10 result that came right at the end of the 80 minutes.

As the full-time hooter sounded, Covell took the ball out over the sideline and, followed by other players, ran to the few Sharks supporters at Parramatta Stadium to exchange hugs and high-fives.

"We're not kidding ourselves that that is the turnaround," Covell said. "The Eels haven't exactly been setting the world on fire. But hopefully we will take some confidence from that and push on against the Warriors."

He finds it hard to put a finger on the problem with the malfunctioning attack - they lack cohesion, execution and threat. "There were a lot of personnel changes in the off-season and then we've had some major injuries [prop Ben Ross and halfback Brett Seymour out long-term], we've had young blokes coming in as replacements and playing their first-ever NRL game. It just hasn't worked out so far."

It was one of the young blokes who steered them to the win at Parramatta. Scott Porter consistently found open space with his kicks and the Sharks benefited by being able to execute a good kick-and-chase and so play the game in the Eels' territory. Mistakes came from that pressure. Porter punted 21 times to gain 694m as well as producing the pin-point lob for Covell's try.

Covell was the NRL's leading points-scorer last year, despite the team being well down the list of try-scorers. The Sharks goal-kicker has featured in the top four every year he has been at the club from 2005 on, after transferring out of the Wests Tigers following a two-year stint where he played 22 games. He matched that number in his first season with the Sharks and now plays 80 minutes of most games.

For the left winger, the poor attack has meant few chances out wide. "I've had a bit of a drought so it was good to score last weekend," he said of his amazing jump over the taller Eels defenders to grab Porter's crossfield kick. Consistency is Covell's primary goal. "That's all I want to do, it's the main part of my game, turn up every week and give it my best. I'm not the guy who is going to score a 90m try or make the huge break that sets everything up. I just want to make sure I don't let the team down."

Covell is settled in Cronulla. His wife Jules runs a hairdressing business further south near Wollongong. He made the Kiwis in 2007, eligible despite being born in Australia because his father was New Zealand-born. It was not a happy experience. The side was hammered 58-0 in Wellington and he was one of several players who have since struggled to gain selection.

"You never say never, it's always a goal," he said when asked if he still had the desire and wanted to gain the black jersey again.

He has never been the fastest wing in the NRL and he knows he is likely going to be headed into the forwards if he wants to prolong his career. "I've already discussed that with my manager and coaches. I'm open to it but I wouldn't want to change mid-year."

On Sunday, Covell may have to contain the Tongan giant Manu Vatuvei and the side's new star Kevin Locke, given the pair switched sides on the field last week against Wests Tigers. He's ready.

LUKE COVELL
Born: 9/11/81 in Goondawindi, New South Wales
Junior Club: Murwillumbah Colts
Married: To Julie, daughter Jayla, aged 1
Height: 187cm
Weight: 98kg
Position: Wing
Debut for the Wests Tigers: 2003
Career games: 127. Sharks 2005 on. Total 109 games for the club for 43 tries and 318 goals, 816 points
Stats: NRL's top points-scorer in 2008 with 15 tries and 73 goals, 206pts; 2007, fourth on the points-scorer list; 3rd 2006; 4th 2005
Country Origin: 2005
Kiwis: 2007, 1 test