WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
ORIGIN star Jarrod Wallace has opened up about the frustration at the Gold Coast Titans’ inability to lock down eighth on the NRL ladder in the wake of the Cowboys’ miracle run from the final playoff spot to the grand final.
JARROD Wallace says watching the Cowboys’ amazing finals run has been bittersweet given the Titans could have made a similar impact if they had pushed into the eight.
Wallace was disappointed to be watching the action from afar rather than competing deep into September.
They were in contention to make the eight until late in the year despite a wretched run with injury and Wallace laments the fact he and his teammates were unable to make it to the finals.
“I think that was what was so disappointing,” said Wallace, who linked with online food delivery company Deliveroo this week to help spruik the company’s footy finals free-delivery campaign.
“No matter the amount of injuries we had during the year, no matter how many games we lost or could have won, once you make finals, it’s a whole different ball game.
“I think that a lot of guys like myself and Peatsy (Nathan Peats) and Kevvie (Proctor) that have played in so many finals, know once you’re in there, it’s completely different.
“And that’s what’s disappointing. I know that if we’d got there we could have given it a good crack.
“There were a few games during the year that we should have won that we didn’t that let us down and hurt us.
“We should have been sitting on the table a lot better than we were. But that’s footy and obviously now we’ve just got to prepare for next year.”
Wallace will watch on with great interest on Sunday as many of his Queensland Origin teammates line up against one another in the decider.
“To see so many Queenslanders playing in the GF (grand final) is really good and to have a Queensland side playing is always good to see,” he said.
“There’s so many more NSW teams in the comp, so when a Queensland team makes it, it’s obviously exciting for Queensland.
“I think Melbourne will be too good for them but the grit and the determination have played with the last couple of weeks, anything could happen.
“It doesn’t matter how bad you’re playing during the year or how many players you’ve got out, when it comes to finals, if you’re on your game and the other team doesn’t turn up, that’s what happens.”
Wallace believes the bitter disappointment of this year’s Gold Coast campaign and the Cowboys’ gritty finals display will help fire the Titans through a torturous preseason campaign.
“After the boys had a bit of a taste of the finals in 2016, we wanted it so bad this year that it did hurt us that we knew we could have been in it” Wallace admitted.
“That’s good. It makes us more hungry and more determined to get it next year. We train from November, the last thing you want to do is get knocked out in the 26th round.
“As football players, that’s all you want to do is play semifinal footy and hopefully make the grand final.
“I definitely think it will make us more hungry and ready which is always good.”