Newcastle Knights centre Sione Mata’utia says the team's attitude has remained upbeat as players works diligently on making improvements before Saturday’s game against the Wests Tigers.
The importance of resilience and maintaining belief has been at the forefront this week following Sunday’s downfall to the Cronulla Sharks at home.
“We want to move on as quick as we can from the last game and keep trying to improve. I think that’s the only thing we can do to stay tight as a team,” he said on Wednesday.
“We just have to look forward to the next week…we can kick stones for only so long.
“It’s a part of the game and you have to learn to improve and take it sweetly because learning makes us better as a team and makes me better as a player as well."
Mata’utia chose to embrace the positives of the Knights’ situation in the fact the side has ample time and opportunity to redeem their season’s slump.
“I think with the boys around us we need to keep tight and think the beauty of the game at the moment is there’s still hope for us and we are trying to get up in the top eight,” he said.
“If we don’t believe we can make it, we shouldn’t be playing.
“That’s the most important thing as a Club, we need to believe we can make the eight.
“Each week you strap on your boots to win, so of course the top eight is in our minds for sure.”
He sees Saturday’s rematch against the Tigers as the perfect chance to prove the side is hungry for success.
“The last two games we have played them we have beaten them so we are feeling pretty confident,” he said.
“We just have to keep trying and the win will come soon enough.”
Although, he expects the opposition to come out firing after their Round 6 loss at Hunter Stadium.
“Beating the Tigers the last game around, I think they’ll have something behind them this week,” Mata'utia said.
The recent representative round has ignited additional passion in Mata’utia to challenge himself to be at his best.
“Missing out on the Country City game was a little bit disappointing but it was good to know my name was tossed around a bit,” he said.
“That Blues jumper has always been an aspiration of mine.
“The Aussie boys on the weekend were also pretty good so it definitely added fuel to the fire to make it back in there.”
