geyer to repay storm

[Super Cronk]

Melbourne Storm winger Matt Geyer vowed today to repay the club for his early season form rut with a strong performance in Sunday's NRL semi-final against the Bulldogs.

A humble Geyer said his recent form was a dramatic improvement on that shown earlier in the season, thanks largely to the perseverance of the Storm's coaching staff after he sustained a debilitating knee injury in round one.

Geyer has missed 37 tackles this season, the second-worst result among the wingers still involved in the finals series.

"Definitely through the year I really thought I wasn't contributing.

"I was just limping around out there.

"The coaching staff really stayed with me, which I have to thank them for," Geyer said.



The premiership-winning flanker was confident last weekend's error-ridden start to the qualifying final against the Brisbane Broncos, when the team spilled the ball 12 times in the first half, would not be repeated this weekend, instead believing it showed how well the Storm performed.

"It was a good start in the sense that we hardly had the ball but we only let the Broncos score one try in their home semi-final.

"Our defence was pretty solid all game."

That the more experienced players were largely responsible for most of early dropped ball while the younger players excelled suggested butterflies had nothing to do with the slow start, he said.

"Dallas Johnson played probably the best game he's played for the club, Ryan Hoffman been playing great for the last month.

I don't think the nerves were really there," he said.

Key to their 31-14 success over the Broncos last Saturday night was the team's ability to hold the ball for longer periods during the second half, Geyer said.

The presence of ex-Australian great Alfie Langer this week at the Storm's training should also help preparation.

Most of the former Test star's expertise was directed towards Storm halves Matt Orford and Scott Hill, a point the outside back emphasised.

"He (Langer) didn't give the wingers too much advice," Geyer quipped.

"It was just good to have a player of his calibre around the place, it was good for the young fellas to see him, to hear him and realise things don't change too much for the finals."

Asked what Langer spoke about, Geyer said he focused on how the team should approach this crunch game.

"He talked about the preparation, (how) you've got to make sure that you prepare the same way you do from round one to round 26 and the finals," he said.

As to whether his brother and ex-premiership winner Mark would perform a similar motivational role with the Storm to the one he undertook with North Queensland last Saturday, he wasn't so sure as he was yet to speak to him.

"He might be trying to stay away from me, he might have brushed me.

Loyalties could be tested though if the teams were to meet in the grand final, Geyer said.

"He'll have an interesting choice to make if we have to play the Cowboys," he joked.

On this weekend's opponents the Bulldogs, Geyer felt the team wouldn't alter the approach too much.

"Main thing we're doing is working to our strengths, and hopefully they have to change their game," he said

nrl.com.au