Turning Slow Starts Into Fast Finishes Can Be As Simple As Getting A Grip

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday April 8, 2005

Brad Walter

Climbing out of an early-season rut is often just another one of the mental hurdles that rugby league throws up. Brad Walter reports.

After watching Penrith slump to their third loss from the opening four rounds last weekend, former Panthers star Scott Sattler phoned second-rower Tony Puletua with a simple message: Remember 2003.

That year, Penrith started the season in identical fashion and went on to win the premiership in one of the biggest form reversals of the modern era.

The previous season, the Panthers had finished second last - up one place from 2001 when they got the wooden spoon.

Other recent examples also provide hope for the likes of Penrith, the Bulldogs, St George Illawarra and Newcastle - four clubs unexpectedly sitting near the bottom of the competition ladder.

The Roosters were in a worse position in 2002 when they lost four of their first five before going on to win the premiership, while the Cowboys started last season with one victory from six yet fell just short of the grand final.

"We were running last in 2003," Sattler recalled. "We had one win and a bye in the first five rounds and we just snuck home with a minute to go against Souths in round six.

"Then we thumped the Warriors in Auckland the next week and the rest is history. We got in a position where we just didn't know how to lose.

"It's funny. I talked to Tony Puletua about in last Saturday morning after the boys lost to Parramatta the night before and he was a little bit down. He was saying they don't know what they're doing wrong but I reminded him of that.

"I don't think the Panthers need to change anything in their game because they've got so many class footballers, and if they beat Melbourne [tonight] I know there will be no holding them back."

But what makes sides appearing to be struggling for form suddenly turn into premiership-winning outfits as Penrith, the Roosters, South Sydney's teams of 1953 and 1955, Balmain in 1946 and Newtown in 1933 all did?

According to Sattler and former Roosters skipper Brad Fittler it all comes down to self-belief and luck with injuries.

The Roosters of 2002 won their opening game but endured a horrific early-season injury toll that included Fittler, halfback Paul Green, Test back-rowers Luke Ricketson and Craig Fitzgibbon and centre Ryan Cross, among others. Coach Ricky Stuart was under pressure to get results after the sacking of Graham Murray the season before, but he didn't panic.

"The Roosters are known not to be a very forgiving club but Ricky stayed positive and that attitude filtered down to the players," Fittler said.

"We all had confidence in what we were doing, and even though we lost those games the guys that were in there did a good job. Manly was our only bad loss, and two of the others were against Brisbane and Newcastle, so they were always going to be difficult games anyway."

As big a surprise as the poor form of teams that had been tipped to battle it out for the title has been the emergence of Manly, Canberra and Wests Tigers as leading sides, and the salary cap alone cannot explain their rise.

"Over the last few years, I think the Roosters, the Panthers and the Bulldogs have set the blueprint on how to win games and I think the other teams that were chasing their tails are now starting to take on the same approach and ideas," Sattler said.

"The teams that win often are the teams that go into games expecting to win, not just hoping to play well individually and compete.

"We were really only talking top six in 2003, which was a big achievement after two years of coming last and second last, but that was the situation we got ourselves into. Sometimes teams try too hard to get out of a rut and they end up digging an even deeper hole for themselves, but if any of those teams can grind out a good win they'll probably be away and could get on a roll."