St George IIlawarra Dragons halfback Michael Witt was honoured to have had the opportunity to play in his first ANZAC Cup match against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium, Moore Park on Friday.
The Newtown Lions junior is disappointed by the 34-14 loss but is certain the Red V will come back stronger after their long turnaround.
The 30-year-old is focused on improving himself before the Red-and-Whites clash with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday, May 11.
“It was a big occasion today and everyone was excited to play,” said Witt.
“I think we started off quite scratchy and we gave them a lot of ball and we made it hard for ourselves.
“To play on ANZAC Day gave me goosebumps and to see a massive crowd like that with all the veterans and hearing the Last Post before the game was really special.
“It was my first ANZAC Day match so I was really excited all week, we’re obviously disappointed with the result that we couldn’t come away with the win but it was something special to be a part of.
“We tried not to hype the occasion up too much because we didn’t want to get too distracted by the event; obviously we knew the importance of it, but we wanted to be ready to go out there and play.
“We need to recuperate a bit; we all have a few bumps and bruises, so we need to get those fixed up and get ready to take on the Bulldogs.
“More than anything, we need to get away and have a rest in this long turnaround after the six or seven weeks we’ve had on the field.”
