Listen to the little lady with one eye on the big picture
By Phil Gould
August 29, 2005
THE ANALYST
As I left Parramatta Stadium yesterday I was surrounded by hundreds of Eels supporters celebrating their big win over the Canberra Raiders.
Many were dressed in team colours; kids proudly waved blue-and-gold flags, and many shouted for all the world to hear that this was going to be their year.
I then felt a hand on my right arm and turned to be met by the steely-eyed stare of a lady no taller than PJ Marsh. I won't say she was elderly but, suffice to say, if she has been a Parramatta supporter all her life then she has lived through the embarrassment of the 1960s, the frustration of the '70s, the halcyon days of the '80s, the roller-coaster rides of the '90s and the torment of her team losing the 2001 grand final, along with its painful aftermath.
The lines on her face were a reflection of experience, and her wisdom became obvious when she finally spoke.
She said: "Now, Gus, don't you go praising us too much in the paper tomorrow. I don't want our boys getting big heads, and I want to keep our run through the finals low key, please."
As she walked away she maintained eye contact while waving her finger at me, rather like a teacher lecturing a student. Amid the laughter, excitement and rejoicing of the younger supporters around us, she provided the voice of experience.
While the majority of Parramatta fans already have their minds thinking about the grand final in five weeks, this lady was more concerned with how Nathan Hindmarsh's calf muscle injury pulled up after the game, and the fact that the Eels have only four days to prepare for Friday night's big top-of-the-table clash with the Brisbane Broncos.
As it should be.
This scenario will be mirrored in the dressing rooms and on the training paddocks at Parramatta over the coming weeks.
Young, wide-eyed Parramatta players excited at the prospect of playing in their first finals series and dreaming of glory will be steadied by the words and demeanor of senior players who have been in this position before and know the pain of defeat.
The only way to get there is one step at a time, and the only way to handle the pressure is to stay in the moment and not get too far ahead of yourself.
I said last week that Parramatta have an undeniable chance of winning this competition, and they confirmed their prospects with a five-star second-half performance yesterday to turn a 10-6 deficit into an amazing 48-10 victory over Canberra.
Mind you, they didn't play that poorly in the first half, either. They would be the first to admit that maybe they were a little off the boil in the early stages but a lot of that had to do with the Raiders, who know how to make you feel uncomfortable.
In fact, when the Raiders controlled the ball they were able to bend the Eels back around the play-the-ball area. Once in good attacking position, playmaker Jason Smith managed to test the Eels on the edges of the field and the Raiders' half-time lead was well earned.
In the second half, however, the visitors turned the ball over with too many unforced errors and the glut of possession allowed Parramatta to gradually play themselves into form.
The Raiders have held on valiantly this year trying to stay in the finals race but when they got too far behind on the scoreboard yesterday, it all became a bit too much for them and they finally cracked.
The Parramatta attack was brilliant. You can round up the usual suspects when handing out the platitudes. Halfback Tim Smith was great, as was big centre Ben Smith. And I thought the less-publicised member of the Parramatta bench players, Fuifui Moimoi, was able to provide some tremendous impact when he was injected into the game.
Parramatta's football is in great shape on the eve of the finals. But where are their heads?
If they don't get too far ahead of themselves and take it one day at a time, then they will find that living the cliche is the only way to go. In doing so they will keep coach Brian Smith and one smart lady very happy.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/listen-to-the-little-lady-with-one-eye-on-the-big-picture/2005/08/28/1125167551506.html
