Players motivated to lift game for JT
WHEN I suffered my season- ending biceps injury against the Warriors, the first thing that went through my head was I realised I wouldn’t play with JT again.
After I had the scans which confirmed my year was over and I was no chance of playing with him before he retires at the end of the year, I was pretty upset.
The biggest reason why I felt so bad that my days playing alongside him are over is I can’t help out to ensure he has some success in the last few games of his career.
We probably need to win nine of our last 10 games to play finals. It’s an unfamiliar situation for the club as we haven’t missed out since 2010, but I don’t feel that putting too much pressure on ourselves to send JT out a winner has been a factor.
It could be several reasons why the season hasn’t gone as planned. We spoke during pre- season how it was going to be a year of lasts for him, but unfortunately it hasn’t been the season we would have hoped for.
Even if making finals becomes impossible, there should still be plenty of motivation for the group to step up for JT.
Regardless, it’s about having respect for the jersey you’re representing and the players who have gone before you, the club’s members and fans.
How much it means to other people should be inspiration alone, let alone sending one of the all- time greats out on a high.
I may have hurt my arm, but I was more concerned for my Cowboys teammate Sam Hoare, who suffered an ACL injury for a third time in the same game.
When he came off it put things in perspective for me. My injury pales into insignificance compared to his.
Our next opponent on Sunday in Cairns, South Sydney, are one of the premiership favourites after winning their past seven games, and I’m not as surprised as many are about their improvement this year.
I was coached by their rookie mentor Anthony Seibold in Queensland Cup with Mackay Cutters, and he was also the Queensland Origin side’s assistant coach before taking on the Rabbitohs post.
One of his strengths is he always lets the players have a lot of input and asks their opinions of things, but still sticks to his own philosophies.
They’ve been attacking really well and when teams are playing with a lot of confidence, you can tell players see opportunities and want the ball.
Their five- eighth Cody Walker has relished that situation and their forward pack is very similar to that which won them a comp.