Perennial NTFL finalists Southern Districts in danger of dropping out of finals contention

SHANNON Rusca’s philosophies on life are pretty simple, based around the effort you make equalling the rewards you take

Southern Districts coach Shannon Rusca in better times, celebrating his side’s grand final win in 2018.

SHANNON Rusca’s philosophies on life are pretty simple, most of them based around the effort you make equalling the rewards you take.

It was why Rusca was so animated at three quarter time with the Round 12 game against a rampant Darwin Buffaloes outfit slipping away from the 2017-18 premiers and last season’s losing grand finalists.

“I got into them because I’ve got to motivate them, they’re just happy to float along at the moment and we’ve all got to take some responsibility as a playing group to get the best out of ourselves,’’ Rusca told the NT News.

“It’s the same with me as the senior coach, I need to take a lot of responsibility by making sure I’m coaching them correctly and getting the best out of them.

“The way they were performing and executing their skills and picking and choosing when they wanted to do something was not the Crocodile way we breed out here.’’

Rusca wants his players to regain their focus in a hurry before they find themselves out of the top three race and battling for finals survival.

“The players I’ve got on the list have the right mindset and every one of them has the steel and determination to be successful, it’s why I’m looking at them to bounce back hard.’’

That challenge begins tomorrow afternoon when Districts face a St Mary’s side pursuing a fifth straight win since losing to the Tiwi Bombers in late November.

“Like I’ve said a million times, if you want to play finals football you have to play against the best and right now St Mary’s is a top two side,’’ Rusca said.

Key Crocodiles Sebastian Guilhaus, Ed Barlow, Sam Barnett, Jaden Clarke and Lionel Ogden are all expected to make their playing return in the next fortnight.