It's a strange feeling after you win when all you see looking around the dressingroom are sombre faces.
That's what it was like last Sunday after the Cowboys game because of Blake Green's injury. Everyone was gutted for him. He's only been at the club a short time but he's made a massive impression on everyone.
It definitely put a bit of a dampener on things. But just like we have done all season after being kicked in the guts by injury, we rebound and get ready to go again with Greeny's injury opening the door for Mason Lino to get a well-deserved crack at playing alongside Pearcey in the halves against the Warriors on Saturday.
I can only imagine how frustrated it's been for him, turning up each day, training his heart out and not getting to play any footy.
It's a real credit to him the way he has gone about it and handled it. I see him every day at training and he's always competing really hard. When we are playing opposed, it's Mase who is running the show for the 'opposition'. He's testing us, putting us under pressure.
Just from observing the way he's been going, I know he's ready and I'm so happy for him to get his chance because he deserves it.
He's coming in at probably the most important part of the season and I'm more than confident in what he is going to bring to the table for us. The thing probably driving him as well is he hasn't got a contract for next season and it's hard to impress when you are not playing. The next best thing when you are in that situation is to train the house down and that's what he's done week in, week out.
I reckon within himself, he'll be thinking he has a point to prove but he doesn't need to prove anything to me or any of the boys.
Like I said, all the boys believe in him and are really confident in his ability and having him there because we know how hard he has worked for it.
Going bush
All the boys have an emotional attachment to Tamworth after the week we spent in camp there prior to Christmas so we can't wait to go back again for the game. I'd like to think we will have some local support on the day. During our camp, we trained really hard but also spent time in the community, helping out during the drought. We met some really tough people going through some terrible times with the drought and bushfires and we took a lot out of that with regards to building our own culture and what we want to stand for as a club.
We talked about our core values as a footy club and gained plenty of inspiration from the never-say-die attitude of the farmers and people in the community who were all feeling the pinch.
We can't wait to get back up there and play in front of them all.
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