Group 20 rugby league
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ANOTHER slow start from Tullibigeal-Lakes United on Sunday could help play the Black and Whites back into form, Sharks captain-coach Brent Pike believes.
TLU was the surprise loser at the weekend, falling 26-22 at home to Darlington Point-Coleambally after giving up an early 14-point margin to the Roosters.
Despite Griffith's lowly ladder position, Pike is fearful of what could happen if the Sharks produce another sluggish effort early on at EW Moore Oval.
"The Black and Whites at home are going to be a confidence team," he said.
"If they get a roll on they're going to be hard to beat.
"Our slow starts are killing us - we had another one on Sunday, Point got 14 points up and we couldn't run them down.
"We haven't really played good since West Wyalong - we really need to get the basics right again and get back to the pattern that we know instead of going away from it.
"But the best thing about footy is there's always next week - if you have a terrible game the week before, you get to make up for it, and that's what we'll hopefully do."
The Sharks will likely take an unchanged side to Griffith for the match against the Black and Whites, who have not played since the start of the month due to the Queen's Birthday long weekend and then the bye last round.
Griffith captain-coach David Milne has declared himself fit and raring to go after hamstring troubles plagued the first half of his debut season at the club.
With only playmaker Stephen Broome (quad) sidelined, Milne said the Black and Whites are treating the return from their two-week break as a fresh start.
"We're going to have to, really," he said.
"We're looking to just come out and put in a good performance and start enjoying our footy again.
"Because they've been a while out everyone's really itching for a game and the excitement is back in that sense.
"Our basic skills have not been where they should be and if we can get that right again, everything will flow on from there."
Milne said Griffith must be switched on from the outset with TLU likely to come out firing after its upset defeat against DPC.
"They're going to come ready to play and we have to be ready to match them," he said.