Eelementary
Post Whore
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I agree with almost everything you say here and I would be wrong and you would be right if I said perfectionism was my goal, but I didn't and haven't, but sure post what you like.
I'm sure Fitler never mentioned perfectionism either. What you, Pou and others don't seem to get is that when observing Parramatta and we are only referring to Parra in this discussion because all teams are at different stages/levels of psychological development, they have over a great length of time, years shown that they have been mentally weak in addressing adversity and or any mild to solid success. It hasn't mattered who has been in the team or coach either.
We have been very poor in bringing in the people with the right qualities needed to mentally toughen our club up as a whole so as to play consistent semi final football, which would then give us a great chance at winning that elusive premiership. Fitler knows this, most other clubs know this, most fans know this and that is why someone like Fitler is just stating that he doesn't want to see the Parra players rest on their laurels and feel like they have had a successful season, job accomplished approach from here just because they have gone from last to 5th.
Complacency is the kernel of most failures. The players as a whole need to feel filthy(just like Pricey or Bozo would have) that they got knocked out of the Semis and have in their minds that they can do much better and win the GF next year. They need to believe it as much as they believe that they will wake up every morning. It needs to be their mind set and feel gutted if or when they don't win it.
We all know we have the players. Our roster is a top four roster even this year ability wise, I have no doubts about that. What I have great doubts and concerns about is our mental abilities and preparation. This has been a concern for many many years even when we had great teams under Brian Smith and how we would falter under pressure situations.
We need to change this as a club or any success we have will be very short lived. What could fix this very quickly is if we could sign an 18 year old player by the name of Ray Allan Price, but since that is not going to happen any time soon, the best possible outcome is to try and find the best available substitute with similar traits. Who that is, I wouldn't know, only because all the best ones are signed already.
So short of that we need to train like the best and that would be the Storm. We need to make them mentally tough and by physically pushing them to their absolute limits and beyond is a great place to start. Did anyone see the The Professor's Late Hit when Hindy had his 40th birthday and he jokingly said that they wouldn't train as well as they should have in their off season and the other former Parra player laughed? I don't remember the exact words, but it was to that effect. Who is surprised? Anyone?
We hear every year that we have trained the house down and that this is the hardest training ever, but their performances don't lie. Even when we have a good or great roster we still look gassed or not switch on in to many games. You don't do that if you have been trained like the Storm, at that level and that sort of commitment, attitude, professionalism and ownership of the result. I don't mean to be too negative because we did have a good season, but the point I am making is that it isn't good enough and that we will need to be much, much better next year to go all the way.
As Gould said, it's easier to go from 16th to 5th then it is to go from 5th to 1st. We should have the players, baring injury to go all the way or at least make the GF, then anything can and usually does happen. But the only way onto that road to glory is attitude and mental superiority, underlined by the highest level of physical fitness currently possible.
Perfection no, but you can spin it anyway you like mate. I just want the right mental attitude by all our training staff and players. Ignore all the back slappers(Alfie hated them with a passion, he understood the poison that they bring and would talk to Bennett at length to remove those Demons from his head. Fitler too had Gus) and our players should HATE them too.
Well lets wait and see which Parramatta 2020 brings us this time around. We have the team on paper, but as we all know it isn't won there, it's won in between the ears.
I'm confident that our next short-term goal is to finish in the Top 4 in 2020.