TAKE THE PRESSURE DOWN: TITANS CHANGE TUNE AFTER SORRY SEASON START
GOLD Coast enforcer Jarrod Wallace believes his team must put far less pressure on themselves in a change of tune for the club’s 2019 message to fans.
All pre-season, the Titans talked up their expectations of being a finals contender – and rightly so, given they have got their front office in good shape and compiled a competitive playing roster.
It’s why the side’s two losses to Canberra and Cronulla to open the NRL season have been even more disappointing, with the club one of four to be winless heading into Round 3.
Wallace says the time is now to dial down internal pressure.
“We definitely know we have got the team to do it and we definitely believe in each other,” the prop said.
“It just feels like we’re not gelling and not connecting because we’re putting too much pressure (on ourselves). When we have the ball, we feel like we need to score tries every time … we just need to relax and stay calm.
“At times it feels like we have got so much pressure on ourselves and we really don’t and we shouldn’t be putting that much on us.
“We’re only a young team and it’s early in the season; we should be building pressure rather than putting so much pressure on ourselves.
“Until we do that, it will just keep happening. If we can just take the pressure off ourselves and start playing our footy, we’ll be fine.”
Wallace indicated the required change was more about a mindset rather than necessarily altering pre-match routines – but he did note the relaxed approach of ace forward Jai Arrow is working.
Arrow ran for a phenomenal 280m in the 20-6 loss to the Sharks on Saturday.
“If we didn’t have Jai, the game runs away from us a lot further than it did,” Wallace said. “He’s pretty cruisy, he’s pretty relaxed. He just gets through his things.”
Although it’s been a tough start to 2019 on the field, Wallace has been buoyed by the recent news he has a third child on the way.