Blake Green: Why the Warriors haven't given up on NRL finals dream

The most important thing is to stay positive, especially those of us in the leadership group, writes Blake Green. Photo / Photosport

COMMENT:

This season has been tough at times but I've been around long enough to know things can change quickly.

I've been relatively lucky over the years, with success at Wigan and then two good seasons at Melbourne.

At Manly in 2017, we finished sixth, and last season was obviously a memorable one for the Warriors.

We are working hard, trying new things and doing all we can, but as a team, we haven't been consistent, which has left us on 12 competition points.

We're not happy with where we sit but I am confident we have the squad to turn things around and go on a bit of a run.

At the moment, we're two wins outside the top eight, which shows the closeness of the NRL.

You find out a lot about yourself and the people in your footy club when your backs are against the wall.

The most important thing is to stay positive, especially those of us in the leadership group.

I'm conscious I need to make sure I bounce into training.

As a senior player, if I've got a panic button, everyone else does. I have to ensure I stay calm and be energetic around the boys.

The way you behave and feel is infectious and rubs off on the rest of the squad.

As a team, we need to make sure we stay in the moment and play each match set by set rather than get caught up in thinking about the overall result.

But that's easier said than done.

Our last couples of games have been on the edge, tight contests, because we are fully aware of the situation we are in.

It's the same for all teams outside the eight, and they are the kind of games we are going to face over the next 10 weeks.

But we can't afford to lock up and worry about results, we need to go out there and play freely, stick to our processes and hopefully we get what we are after.

It was a tough review of the Penrith game and we were all quite deflated. It's always difficult when you lose a game like that, especially the way they scored.

There were positive signs last Sunday, though, especially in the way we completed in the second half.

For the most part, we defended well, but we missed a few moments, and they scored a couple of tries against the run of play.

The Knights, who we play in Newcastle tonight, are missing some players — David Klemmer, Mitchell Pearce, Kalyn Ponga and a few others — but that doesn't mean anything really.

We've seen it plenty of times over the years in the NRL, as young guys rise to the occasion when some bigger names aren't there.

It can galvanise teams, as we found out the hard way at Penrith last year.

George Burgess. Photo / Getty Images

It's sad there has been another eye gouging case and most people would agree the George Burgess ban was appropriate.

It's not a good look for the game and I'm sure it is something he regrets doing — by all reports, Burgess is a good bloke, and he has a young family.

Sometimes you just can't explain things that happen out there and it was obviously a brain snap in the heat of the moment.

But hopefully we don't see it again and the significant suspension and scrutiny Burgess has been under will be a massive deterrent.