Joe Ofahengaue blocks out head noise and self doubt to produce stellar year for Broncos

FORWARD Joe Ofahengaue has revealed how he overcame his own self doubt to produce his best season yet in 2018 for the Brisbane Broncos.

Joe Ofahengaue has had his best year in the NRL with the Broncos in 2018. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

JOE Ofahengaue has revealed how he overcame his own self doubt to produce his best season yet in 2018.

The young Broncos forward has been one of the standouts for Brisbane this year, making a remarkable improvement on recent seasons where he was floating in and out of first grade.

Ofahengaue has been in Brisbane’s line-up every game this season — bar one through illness — and has embraced several opportunities to start, which is something he admits he struggled with in the past.

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Joe Ofahengaue has had his best year in the NRL with the Broncos in 2018. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

After he missed the back end of the 2016 season and the start of 2017 through form, Ofahengaue was his own harshest critic saying he let the excitement of playing NRL “get to his head”.

But, as he prepares to carry his rediscovered form into this year’s final series, Ofahengaue said his biggest lesson has been to put those mental demons aside.

While the 22-year-old wants to stay humble, he said he no longer criticises himself to the point where self doubt creeps in.

“I can be pretty hard on myself, the way I mark my performances but this year it’s been a big turnaround,” he said.

“If I missed a tackle or let an offload go, I would blow up on the field to myself. I have to learn to focus and let that stuff go and not let it affect my game.

Ofahengaue says he’s learned to block out head noise that impacted his game. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

“I’ve turned that around this year and blocked out that head noise and stopped putting too much pressure on myself.”

Ofahengaue’s form has not gone unnoticed either, with the Tongan international on the shortlist for the RLPA’s Players’ Champion award.

Now, the next focus for him is to help guide Brisbane to the 2018 grand final.

Ofahengaue was part of the side that lost the 2015 premiership decider to the Cowboys but said he has learnt plenty since that heartbreaking defeat.

The forward has his mind focused on premiership glory in 2018. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

He said as long as the young pack don’t get too far ahead of themselves, the Broncos can cause a few upsets in this finals series, starting with the Dragons on Sunday.

“We have to keep level heads and meet each challenge week by week but hopefully we can shake things up a bit,” he said.

“It’s anyone’s premiership this year. Last year you look at teams like the Storm and they were powerful the whole season. But everyone’s had an up and down season.

“For a young side, all of us have to learn to not let that (momentum) play with our heads a bit. If we stay humble, we can do something special. I’m hoping we can go all the way.”

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