thehektikwolfpack
Waterboy
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- Nov 13, 2018
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Kieran Foran is sick of walking out of the change rooms at the end of every match with the same, glum feeling. Week after week, it's the same old story for the Bulldogs.
They make basic errors, concede soft tries and only Foran appears a hope of cracking the opposition defensive line, such is their lack of attacking spark.
"It tests you mentally and I’m sure all of the guys are going through that," he said. "We have to find our way out of it – that’s the reality of it and that’s the way it is. As an experienced player, I have to rally around the boys and try to help them through this tough patch."
Trying to drag teams from lean trots is a relatively new concept for Canterbury's chief playmaker.
Manly missed the finals just once – in 2015 – during his successful seven-year run at the club and he has struggled to stay on the field enough to make a meaningful impact in the years since at the Eels, Warriors and now, Bulldogs.
He is learning how to cope with prolonged losing streaks on the fly and urged his teammates to take lessons from every poor performance.
Bitter blow: The Dogs were hammered by the Dragons on Sunday.CREDIT:NRL PHOTOS
"At the moment we aren’t making sides earn it," he said. "We are letting sides get ahead and then they are just dictating to us for the rest of the match. We have to rock up each week, take the lessons from those losses and then try and get better as a team but also as individuals."
Those "lessons" must translate onto the field soon, as the Roosters, Sharks and Knights – three of the best teams in the competition – await the wooden spoon favourites in their next three starts.
"I have no doubt that everyone is trying as hard as they can to improve their game every week and to try and get a win," Foran said. "We are doing whatever we can but it’s just not happening for us. We just have to stick together as a club and as a playing group. We will fight our way out of it."
They make basic errors, concede soft tries and only Foran appears a hope of cracking the opposition defensive line, such is their lack of attacking spark.
"It tests you mentally and I’m sure all of the guys are going through that," he said. "We have to find our way out of it – that’s the reality of it and that’s the way it is. As an experienced player, I have to rally around the boys and try to help them through this tough patch."
Trying to drag teams from lean trots is a relatively new concept for Canterbury's chief playmaker.
Manly missed the finals just once – in 2015 – during his successful seven-year run at the club and he has struggled to stay on the field enough to make a meaningful impact in the years since at the Eels, Warriors and now, Bulldogs.
He is learning how to cope with prolonged losing streaks on the fly and urged his teammates to take lessons from every poor performance.
Bitter blow: The Dogs were hammered by the Dragons on Sunday.CREDIT:NRL PHOTOS
"At the moment we aren’t making sides earn it," he said. "We are letting sides get ahead and then they are just dictating to us for the rest of the match. We have to rock up each week, take the lessons from those losses and then try and get better as a team but also as individuals."
Those "lessons" must translate onto the field soon, as the Roosters, Sharks and Knights – three of the best teams in the competition – await the wooden spoon favourites in their next three starts.
"I have no doubt that everyone is trying as hard as they can to improve their game every week and to try and get a win," Foran said. "We are doing whatever we can but it’s just not happening for us. We just have to stick together as a club and as a playing group. We will fight our way out of it."
