Simon Grix has previewed the Black & Whites trip to face London Broncos in the capital this weekend.
The Airlie Birds will be aiming to bring to an end their losing run when they face the newly promoted side at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Grix said: “Athough we’ve had some stuff go against us, like that suckerpunch before half-time against Warrington, I think we’re able to now get over it pretty quick. We didn’t start the half in great fashion, but we’re getting over our errors, which is a big thing.
“The mental side of the game can’t be downplayed, really. Everyone talks about mental strength, mental toughness, and resilience, and we usually do that when we’re struggling. It takes a lot on the other side, too, to stay up there and keep standards high all of the time.
“That’s something we need to build towards. I do think we’ve been getting better each week, but there hasn’t been a magic pill or potion thrown in. It’s just focusing on the hard work, putting some value on it, and trying our best to be happy. We’re feeling a bit better about coming to work now.”
Grix continued: “Our effort has been better in games. We were trying earlier on; don’t get me wrong, but I think we’ve been able to hang on for longer, and we got a bit of confidence off doing that.
“Each week so far has been a step forward, I think. We just need to keep doing that. I’ve said to the boys that just talking about effort is great, but it wears thin after a while, and we’re still coming in dirty that we’ve lost.
“We understood the situation at St Helens, but we’ve gone into the Leeds and Warrington games thinking we could win. That has grown in the boys in each of the performances so far, and that’s the only way we can attack this week. The effort has to stay where it is, but we want to get two points, and if we can tidy up a little bit, we’ve got a good chance of getting them this week.”
On the Black & Whites trip down to the capital, Grix added: “We’re going down on Saturday, which is a great opportunity for us to get together as a group. We have some new lads in there, and we’ll have a bit of time together on the bus. We can then chill out and spend a few hours with each other.
“We have to thank the club for that. They’re giving us the best opportunity again. It doesn’t always guarantee you success. I’ve done it all; driving on the day, staying down, and different methods, and none guarantee you anything, but as best practice goes, it’s probably the smartest way to do it. We’re looking forward to it.”
On the Broncos, he continued: “I think the majority of that London team were together last year, playing in a similar style, and they’ve carried that over to Super League. It was always going to be an uphill battle for them.
“They’ve got nothing to lose, whereas we’re this club with a pretty rich history, and the expectation is really high, so there’s always going to be pressure on us every time we play.
“It just depends on what you do with that pressure. We’re not going to build this week up too early and make it into a cup final that other people will make it out to be. There’s a long way still to go in this season, and we’re still building. We’re trying to get our performances up to the right level, and we’re getting there with it.
“We’ve had loads of new additions come in amongst that, and we haven’t gotten into a rhythm with it just yet, but we’ve got a longer turnaround to get people settled and add to what we’ve been doing. We’ll go and give it our best shot. If we win, is it the end of the world for London? No. And if London win, is it the end of the world for us? No.
“The noise will be there; it always is, but we’re just focusing on making sure we go and get better every time we go out there. If we do that, then we give ourselves a strong chance. The boys have been in a pretty good mood this week, and there is that healthy fear around them. They know that if they don’t win, then they’re going to get hammered, and I think you need that sometimes. You need that pressure. It’s not always a bad thing.”
Simon Grix is proudly sponsored by Rowe Freight.
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