Mal Meninga column: Why Queensland NRL fans must keep the faith

It has been a rollercoaster start to the season for our three NRL clubs but it would be a silly move to write any of them off as premiership contenders, writes MAL MENINGA.

Keep the faith.

That’s my advice to Queensland rugby league fans after a rollercoaster start to the season for our three NRL clubs.

From a Titans point of view, we haven’t had the best of starts to the year with a few crucial injuries in key spots. But the players’ efforts have remained full of spirit.

We know we have still got a bit of work to do but if the players’ desire remains where it is then success is possible.

There are a lot of little things from an execution point of view that have been letting the Titans down.

We have been unable to apply constant pressure on the opposition because of too many errors or the ball would go to ground and stifle our attack.

We also had patches of ill-discipline by giving away penalties at crucial times of the game. That’s the difference between teams at the top and those at the bottom, it’s a fine line.

The tough draw to start the season has not helped our cause. In our first game against the Raiders we lost halfback Ash Taylor in the lead up and five-eighth Tyrone Roberts after 13 minutes in terrible weather conditions.

Titans coach Garth Brennan and Ash Taylor at Gold Coast training. Picture: Getty Images

Then we had a trip to Cronulla, followed by another tough away battle against the Rabbitohs and now we have a five-day turnaround before facing the Warriors in New Zealand tomorrow night.

We will come up against a Warriors team that was a bit embarrassed last week by Manly in Christchurch after such an emotional time for their country. They will want to make amends.

If playmakers Taylor and Roberts return from injury tomorrow as hoped it will help our cause. But they are also not going to be the saviours.

They will give the playing group a lot of confidence, but I have seen it too many times that when your best players come back the rest of them relax and become a bit complacent.

I know coach Garth Brennan will be aware of that and talking to them about it.

While the Titans’ biggest issue has been confidence in their execution and not attitude, for the Cowboys it has been the reverse, as players intimated that it’s an attitude thing, not a confidence issue.

But they know what they have to do, they have the experience in the forward pack to lay a platform for Michael Morgan and they just need to run harder and tackle harder.

Broncos prop Tevita Pangai Jr struggled to fire against the Dragons last week. Picture: Getty Images

With the Broncos, their attitude and confidence is up but with all those young players in their forward pack, keeping the consistency was always going to be the main thing for them.

That is where the art of man management comes into it. It is going to be a test for coach Anthony Seibold but undoubtedly he has the skills to do so.

In the NRL there can’t be much difference between your best game and you worst game, particularly in the forwards.

Preparation and playing consistency is the key. Once the Titans, Cowboys and Broncos do that, the fans’ faith is sure to be repaid.