I do too.
CK, you tried to get me to change my mindset and explain to me that realism was not the way to go.
Now you see, that realism is an inevitability.
Hoping against hope? Denying that we're better than what we're displaying out there on the field? It's useless dude.
I've had a sleep on it ..... had some toast with the kids this morning and watched Dora cartoons to get it out of my mind, but one thought keeps eating away at me .....
IT WAS RIGHT THERE !!!!
"There" for the taking !!!
I was in total denial that this rut would last.
I remained hopeful we'd turn it around.
We played well to get ourselves in a position to win.
Then in the last 20 or so minutes ...
A Farah Try.
A Lui Field Goal.
... and without any resistance what so ever, we let them walk away with the chocolates !
Here IS the reality of the situation my good friend BEAR ....
You can't teach desire !
You can't teach heart !
(Massive blog coming on THIS later)
Sure, we had our share of bad luck, but those excuses ran out about 3-4 losses ago.
Josh Morris was ruled held-up early on.
Jamal's dead-ball grounding went against us.
Mick Ennis missed a try by millimetres too.
The opportunities WERE there and we did DOMINATE for most of the game.
But .... when the game was there for the taking .... the tank was empty !
Now I'm no first grade coach ... but I am a fiery f*cking competitor who you definetely want ON your team. You simply CANNOT teach what's required to get past this ugly habit of losing. You can skill them. You can drill them. You can give 'em a whole week off.
In the end it boils down to three things - Anger. Pride. Desire !
Anger - at the fact your in THIS situation and your f*ckign fed up about it.
Pride - in your own performances and results.
Desire - to put your hand up when the hard yards NEED to be made and take accountability for the situation immediately.
While there's light there's hope - The cold hard facts are we need 9 from the last 12.
Gold Coast (A), Canberra (A), Cronulla (A), Melbourne (A), Roosters (A), Parra (H), Souths (H), Knights (A), Canberra (H), Cowboys (A), Penrith (H), Manly (A).
So here's how it NEEDS to be ...
1. Win against Gold Coast at all costs. It is not negotiable. The season requires it.
2. Take THAT confidence and add bucketloads of desire. Grind out a win away at Canberra.
3. With renewed focus and vigor - Take THAT into Cronulla and make it 3-straight !
4. Now we have FORM going into Melbourne game - A win here galvanises the squad.
5. Roosters, Parra, Souths is where the season will be decided for us. - The BEST chance we can give ourselves going forward is the steps above, and in these three games we have given ourselves a fighting chance to still make it !