Israel Folau confident Waratahs can emerge from mid-season slump, citing his Storm stint as evidence

ISRAEL Folau is confident the Waratahs can recover from a mid-season slump, citing his 2008 season at the Storm as evidence of how things can turn.

Israel Folau caught up with old teammates Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith during the Kangaroos recovery session at the Allianz Stadium pool. pic. Phil Hillyard

IT was a case of dejavu for Israel Folau in more ways than one.

The NSW fullback walked into Waratahs HQ on Monday morning recalling how he’d been in a similar situation.

NSW started the Super Rugby season with comprehensive bonus-point victories but have not won back-to-back games since.

They’ve fallen from the bookies’ competition favourites after the first six rounds to third in the Australian conference after 11.

“When I was at Melbourne, during the period before the [2008] finals there we had a bit of a slump,” Folau recalled.

“But there is no need to panic at this stage, we need to focus on this week, get the win and then slowly turn things around.”

Moments later, he wandered over to the SCG Trust swimming pool where he bumped into several of his former Storm teammates including Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith, who had gathered with the Kangaroos rugby league team for a recovery dip.

Also in the pool were Buddy Franklin and his Swans teammates, who Folau knows well from having played them during his AFL stint in 2012.

Three-code star Folau must wield all his athletic prowess this Saturday to revive the Waratahs’ top-two hopes with victory against the high-flying Hurricanes.

Folau, the competition’s top try-scorer, is up against the team with the most tries in the tournament.

For the first time this season, Folau could not score a try in a game as Auckland’s Blues stifled NSW at Eden Park last Friday - aided by the Waratahs’ atrocious propensity to fluff numerous try-scoring opportunities.News_Rich_Media: Fox Sports rugby union commentator reviews all the weekend's action.

Folau will be keen to add to his nine tries from just six matches this weekend at Allianz Stadium to equal the Waratahs’ all-time record for most tries in one season, held by Peter Hewat (10).

Folau said there was good reason why the Tahs remain confident of scaling the overall ladder from sixth place.

“You can look at our past performances, we know how we can play,” Folau said.

“We can’t go into our shell, we’ve got to be free and open to play the game we’re confident in playing.

“We’ve still got that confidence within the team and all the boys have that confidence when they go out and play.

“That’s not something that we’re missing, it’s just the execution and doing it at the right time.

“In some respects we’re not respecting the ball when we have it, we’re giving it away too easy.”

Folau’s teammate Jacques Potgieter was certainly not short of confidence, declaring the Tahs would win the premiership in 2014.

“I just want to lift that trophy and I still think we’re going to,” Potgieter said.

“Just the way the guys are there for each other — maybe it’s not showing yet — but the games that it will show, the boys will pull it through.

“I’ve been in a couple of teams, this is a really special bunch of guys that want to play for each other and play for their families.

“The way the guys are there for each other, maybe it’s not showing yet, but I know in the games coming it will show and the boys will pull through.”