Super Freak
International Captain
Forum Staff
- Jan 25, 2014
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BRISBANE stars will launch their finals campaign admitting they are still haunted by grand-final defeat — two years after having their hearts broken by Queensland archrivals the Cowboys.
One of Australia’s top sports psychologists, Phil Jauncey, will be a key figure in steeling Brisbane’s squad for a premiership assault, starting against the Roosters on Friday night at Allianz Stadium.
Jauncey has been a regular face at Brisbane training this season, with back-rower Alex Glenn praising his work at helping the squad’s younger core prepare mentally for the pressures of September football.
But the club’s senior nucleus are equally motivated to break Brisbane’s 11-year title drought, with Glenn revealing the Broncos’ gut-wrenching extra-time loss to the Cowboys in the 2015 decider still hurts.
Brisbane were just one tackle away from title glory when Cowboys pivot Michael Morgan slipped the magical pass that put Kyle Feldt over and sent the grand final hurtling into extra-time.
Glenn has not forgotten the moment Johnathan Thurston put the boot in, literally, with his matchwinning field goal. He is one of 11 survivors from that devastating defeat who will face the Roosters on Friday night determined to right the wrongs and clinch a premiership ring.
“It’s tough to be honest, I will never watch that game ever,” Glenn said.
“It’s hard to think about and even talk about because, to be honest, it still hurts us.
“I reckon it will hurt me until the end of my career and even past my career.
“To be so close to winning a premiership that you work your ass off for week in, week out ... it’s gut-wrenching.
“But we are working hard again this year and the good thing is we get another opportunity to do it again.
“We still have a little way to go yet, but I know myself and all the boys are hungry to get that premiership ring.”
Just four current Broncos have tasted premiership success — Sam Thaiday, Darius Boyd, Adam Blair and Benji Marshall. The latter two achieved glory at other clubs, Marshall with the Tigers in 2005 before Blair held aloft the NRL trophy at Melbourne four years later.
Teams regularly review footage of previous games to pinpoint areas of improvement but Thaiday insists he can learn nothing from watching a replay of the 2015 decider.
“That grand-final loss was tough, very tough,” Thaiday says.
“We couldn’t dwell on it forever. As a team, we just had to somehow move on.
“I haven’t watched the game since, I really wouldn’t get anything out of watching it again. I don’t need to be reliving the past.
“We were seconds away from winning that grand final, but hopefully we can put ourselves back there again.
“I believe we have the depth to go all the way, but we have to focus on one game at a time, starting against the Roosters this week.”
Glenn lauded the efforts of Jauncey in adding a harder mental edge to the Broncos squad.
“Phil brings a different perspective on looking at things,” he said. “For the younger boys, he has been great.
“The older guys have played a lot of games and we know what works for us, but for the younger boys, they go with the flow and sometimes you don’t feel like playing football.
“He talks about switching the computer on. That basically means knowing your role on the field and all the one percenters you have to do.
“He really simplifies things for the younger guys. When you aren’t playing well, you turn your computer on and go back to what you want to work on — one goal in attack, one in defence.
“In past years, when times got tough, I think we haven’t been mentally strong enough as an entire group, but that has changed this season.”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...t/news-story/959cb38cf1c49d7c806436c376d3508a
One of Australia’s top sports psychologists, Phil Jauncey, will be a key figure in steeling Brisbane’s squad for a premiership assault, starting against the Roosters on Friday night at Allianz Stadium.
Jauncey has been a regular face at Brisbane training this season, with back-rower Alex Glenn praising his work at helping the squad’s younger core prepare mentally for the pressures of September football.
But the club’s senior nucleus are equally motivated to break Brisbane’s 11-year title drought, with Glenn revealing the Broncos’ gut-wrenching extra-time loss to the Cowboys in the 2015 decider still hurts.
Brisbane were just one tackle away from title glory when Cowboys pivot Michael Morgan slipped the magical pass that put Kyle Feldt over and sent the grand final hurtling into extra-time.
Glenn has not forgotten the moment Johnathan Thurston put the boot in, literally, with his matchwinning field goal. He is one of 11 survivors from that devastating defeat who will face the Roosters on Friday night determined to right the wrongs and clinch a premiership ring.
“It’s tough to be honest, I will never watch that game ever,” Glenn said.
“It’s hard to think about and even talk about because, to be honest, it still hurts us.
“I reckon it will hurt me until the end of my career and even past my career.
“To be so close to winning a premiership that you work your ass off for week in, week out ... it’s gut-wrenching.
“But we are working hard again this year and the good thing is we get another opportunity to do it again.
“We still have a little way to go yet, but I know myself and all the boys are hungry to get that premiership ring.”
Just four current Broncos have tasted premiership success — Sam Thaiday, Darius Boyd, Adam Blair and Benji Marshall. The latter two achieved glory at other clubs, Marshall with the Tigers in 2005 before Blair held aloft the NRL trophy at Melbourne four years later.
Teams regularly review footage of previous games to pinpoint areas of improvement but Thaiday insists he can learn nothing from watching a replay of the 2015 decider.
“That grand-final loss was tough, very tough,” Thaiday says.
“We couldn’t dwell on it forever. As a team, we just had to somehow move on.
“I haven’t watched the game since, I really wouldn’t get anything out of watching it again. I don’t need to be reliving the past.
“We were seconds away from winning that grand final, but hopefully we can put ourselves back there again.
“I believe we have the depth to go all the way, but we have to focus on one game at a time, starting against the Roosters this week.”
Glenn lauded the efforts of Jauncey in adding a harder mental edge to the Broncos squad.
“Phil brings a different perspective on looking at things,” he said. “For the younger boys, he has been great.
“The older guys have played a lot of games and we know what works for us, but for the younger boys, they go with the flow and sometimes you don’t feel like playing football.
“He talks about switching the computer on. That basically means knowing your role on the field and all the one percenters you have to do.
“He really simplifies things for the younger guys. When you aren’t playing well, you turn your computer on and go back to what you want to work on — one goal in attack, one in defence.
“In past years, when times got tough, I think we haven’t been mentally strong enough as an entire group, but that has changed this season.”
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...t/news-story/959cb38cf1c49d7c806436c376d3508a
