Quote: knockersbumpMKII "Well it shouldn't and that would be down to the coach if our focus is other than on the next match and I don't believe that is the case, just that we aren't mentally prepared well enough.
This 'big team' mentality is just guff, I've watched plenty of times as 'big teams' or great individual athletes whom have imploded because mentally they weren't prepared.
Yes the mentality comes from within to a degree but it's predominantly down to the coaches and one would hope sports pschologists just as all professional outfits do, players are just tools. It's the same in a family group, your parents teach you about how to deal with scenarios, sportspersons are no different at all.
You prepare them to act out your plan, you instill in them everything you want along with the right attitude/mental fortitude and target those players that are more experienced and/or leaders to help you as the coach on the field. We lacked leaders tonight, Ellis is always a big miss and losing Mini too compounded that.
We are clearly a confidence team more than most in this league and it has nothing to do with 'believing' in how we derserve to be at the top or a top team, that's complete rubbish. It's about being mentally focussed enough to carry on acting out the plan that you've trained for when under duress, carry on targetting your mini goals in each given period of time etc.
A game is a game is a game is a game, labelling it as 'x' and giving it more importance than any other has negative consequences, a semi final, a final should be no different to the first game of the season, trying to say having a big team mentality just because you have been to a final before (or half a dozen finals) doesn't equate to not cracking under the pressure/performing well because invariably that isn't how we deal with things.
Ask any of the top sports coaches/sports psychologists.'"
Straight back on the coaches back, how transparent.
Rugby league is too high impact/octane to perform at a high level week in, week out. You have to target certain games/stages of the season. It's about peaks and troughs. Teams that try to hit the ground running and sustain it all season ALWAYS come unstuck (see Huddersfield over last few seasons). The best teams still win when in a trough as they build to the next peak (see Leeds most years, Wigan and us this season).
We've managed it well this year up until last 2 weeks, but could have won both. I wouldn't put a full team out this week either. Anyone with a niggle or looking tired in training, give em a week off. We've got bigger fish to fry and the guys deputising aren't mugs and could play themselves into the cup semi team
