Barrett: Don’t take this grand final for granted
PENRITH assistant coach Trent Barrett has issued a warning to his exhilarating young Penrith side: “Don’t take this grand final for granted.”
The future Bulldogs coach has also opened up on how the Panthers’ amazing success this year had made him “hungry and driven” to succeed at Canterbury next season.
Despite a glittering career, Barrett couldn’t win an NRL premiership over a 235-game NRL career and played just one grand final – for St George Illawarra against Melbourne in 1999.
“We have been stressing to them that they can’t take this for granted,” Barrett said.
“They ask me if I played in a grand final or did I win one? I played in one (grand final). I was only 21.
“It was the same scenario. I thought it would happen every year and it didn’t. I’d never make another one. It’s something we’re trying to drill into their heads.
“It would be a shame not to finish this season off.
“In the back of their minds, they know it’s a big game. I think they understand that and they are a pretty level-headed group. They won’t need too much motivating, the occasion will motivate them.
“They just love playing footy and we’re not going to stop them. We don’t want them to tighten up because you have to play footy to beat Melbourne. You can’t go into your shell.
“We’ve been willing to chance our arm through the year, albeit they know when to pull back and when to go. They have found a balance.
“Nathan (Cleary) is playing a really calming role but he knows when to pull the trigger as well.
“We have to pick our moments and make them count because they don’t give you too many.”
Barrett will start at Belmore in just 10 days time, his task to lift the batting Bulldogs from 15th place on the NRL competition table.
“I have certainly picked up a lot of things along the way this year which has made me hungry for success and driven to make it work at Canterbury,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to it and it will be a totally different set of circumstances this time around.