Paul Fletcher tries to smile but the pain and frustration of a season of missed opportunities is too evident on the face of the Wests Tigers NSW Cup coach.
A week out from the finals, Wests Tigers sit in seventh place on the ladder a position Fletcher knows his side shouldnt be in but admits his men only have themselves to blame. Wests Tigers will finish the regular season in either seventh or eighth place.
I am very frustrated. There have been opportunities throughout the season where we had chances to fully entrench ourselves in the top four and we missed them, Fletcher said, drawing on strength from a strong cup of coffee.
Momentum is a big thing going into the finals and we have only won two out of our last five matches. We are not playing for each other.
I am really hoping we turn it around this week against Mounties and play to our potential and get the result and look positively to the weeks ahead.
Our attention to detail on the little things is not there and that has got to come from within.
We are going to be in a position come finals time where there is no tomorrow. We cant say we will look at the video next week and try to fix it. We have to fix it now.
Fletcher hasnt missed a finals series in six seasons as a coach in the NSW Cup. Last year, the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers came from eighth place under Fletcher to only be beaten in the grand final.
We have got to get some pride in our performance, pride in ourselves as individuals. It is a major worry heading into the finals, he said.
People have said to me I have done it before (come from eighth) but this is a different competition now. It is my biggest fear. I told the boys last week that on current form, we are just making up the numbers the way we are playing. It is not good enough.
Forwards Ava Seumanufagai and Shaun Spence are the only players available from the Wests Tigers NRL side that have played enough NSW Cup games to qualify for the finals series.
Match Info
Rd 26 NSW Cup
Saturday, September 7
3pm Aubrey Keech Reserve
Wests Tigers v Mounties
.
A week out from the finals, Wests Tigers sit in seventh place on the ladder a position Fletcher knows his side shouldnt be in but admits his men only have themselves to blame. Wests Tigers will finish the regular season in either seventh or eighth place.
I am very frustrated. There have been opportunities throughout the season where we had chances to fully entrench ourselves in the top four and we missed them, Fletcher said, drawing on strength from a strong cup of coffee.
Momentum is a big thing going into the finals and we have only won two out of our last five matches. We are not playing for each other.
I am really hoping we turn it around this week against Mounties and play to our potential and get the result and look positively to the weeks ahead.
Our attention to detail on the little things is not there and that has got to come from within.
We are going to be in a position come finals time where there is no tomorrow. We cant say we will look at the video next week and try to fix it. We have to fix it now.
Fletcher hasnt missed a finals series in six seasons as a coach in the NSW Cup. Last year, the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers came from eighth place under Fletcher to only be beaten in the grand final.
We have got to get some pride in our performance, pride in ourselves as individuals. It is a major worry heading into the finals, he said.
People have said to me I have done it before (come from eighth) but this is a different competition now. It is my biggest fear. I told the boys last week that on current form, we are just making up the numbers the way we are playing. It is not good enough.
Forwards Ava Seumanufagai and Shaun Spence are the only players available from the Wests Tigers NRL side that have played enough NSW Cup games to qualify for the finals series.
Match Info
Rd 26 NSW Cup
Saturday, September 7
3pm Aubrey Keech Reserve
Wests Tigers v Mounties
.
