Players Need To Take A Good Look At Themselves, Admits Stunned Mason
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday June 13, 2008
NEVER the diplomat, Blues forward Willie Mason has blamed a poor attitude for their State of Origin defeat on Wednesday.
After a near-perfect preparation, Mason was forced to lament a near-perfect performance by the Maroons. However, that didn't spare the Blues from the wrath of Willie."It was the best I've ever prepared for a game as a team," Mason said. "The effort and the preparation was second to none. We just didn't take the right attitude out there. It was the whole team. Something was missing. The effort and everything was there, and the preparation. Some little ingredient that makes everything click [was missing]. They were really enthusiastic - I think they did to us what we did to them in game one. It was like a total reverse."We're going to be ready for that in game three. I can't wait."Mason admitted the players had to take a "good look at themselves" before the decider at ANZ Stadium on July 2, although he was adamant the 30-0 scoreline at Suncorp Stadium - equalling the Blues' worst Origin defeat - was not a true reflection."We knew it was going to be a different Queensland side, but I don't think the 30-0 scoreline was an indication of how hard the game was," Mason said. "They scored four tries and we scored four tries in the last game. They played a perfect game."But we're not panicking. It's one-all, and we get to go back and have a good look at ourselves, and have a good look at our game ... and hopefully get picked for the third one and get the job done. We still know we're a very capable side, and we're a tight team for the small amount of time we've been together. It's disappointing because I don't think any of us deserved the 30-nil headline."Our effort was there the whole time. When you're down like that, you're trying everything and then the mistakes start happening, and you're just getting a never-ending vicious cycle. "It's just one of those things we have to learn - if we do get into that situation again we have to learn how to get out of it because they had momentum from the first set and they didn't lose it."We have to really take a look at that area of the game." Mason suggested the Maroons could not improve significantly in game three - and certainly not as much as his own side."I see it as, all the cards have been shown, in both attack and defence," the Roosters forward said. "The third game, they can throw anything at us. I don't think there's going to be any more tricks up the sleeve. "They got us with a few plays with Greg Inglis. He played outstanding, I thought. Gasnier really played all over him in that first one, and it just shows the champion player that he is. To come back like that and play as well as he did, in the situation like that, is a great test of character."I think they can improve but we can improve. We can get a lot better. If we do take the right attitude out there, we can compete and give it a good shake - not a 30-nil flogging."Mason's back-row partner, Paul Gallen, admitted the Blues were "rattled" in attack after they became the first NSW side to fail to score a point in an Origin encounter since 1995. "They out-enthused us," the Sharks lock said. "It didn't feel like a 30-point loss. I don't think we'll take a hangover from it. We had a cry about it and a talk about it as a team, but it's done now. Hopefully the same side's picked and we can get a chance to make amends."Assistant coach Steve Roach said game two would probably "not even be mentioned" before game three. "The whole series with [coach Craig Bellamy] has been about the now, not what happened yesterday, not what happened two years ago," Roach said. "The only thing we can control is what happens in the next one. Rugby league players have got plenty of pride, and all of us in the NSW camp, our pride was dinted. We'll just march on."
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald