While it wasn’t enough to change the result, Nick Holman’s role in Saturday’s match against GWS is not to be understated. 

Playing on Lachie Whitfield in a shutdown role for the first time this year, Holman successfully held the Giants star to just 17 possessions after he had averaged 35 disposals in his last two games.

Speaking to SUNS Media, Holman said it was a challenging assignment that he was pleased to tackle. 

“He’s obviously a really good player and well-respected in the league,” Holman said of Whitfield.

“He’s a good runner, I knew that was going to be the challenge and I got a bit of help from the teammates so I think it went pretty well.

“That was the hardest thing, he runs high intensity across the whole ground so that’s the  most challenging I’ve found it.

“It wasn’t so much limiting his disposal, we knew he was going to get it a bit - it was just trying to have an impact on his impact on the game and try to stop his influence.”

It isn’t the first time Holman has played a defensive role for the team.

In 2018, Senior Coach Stuart Dew deployed Holman on multiple occasions against other influential players, including his former teammate Patrick Cripps. 

Holman says it’s a role he’s confident in taking on but admitted it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence each week.

“I think we’ll just take every week as it comes,” he said.

“Obviously there’s a lot of good players in opposition teams and if that’s my role in the team then I’m happy to play it.” 

The SUNS take on the Kangaroos at home this weekend and Holman sees it as an opportunity to make amends for a disappointing fourth quarter against the Giants.

“We obviously didn’t turn up in the last quarter and that’s what everyone remembers not the first three quarters where we played well,” Holman said.

“We’re looking to rectify that this with four quarters this week. 

“North are going well, they’ve won their last two so it’s going to be a good game and hopefully we can get the win.”