Southern Districts have begun the 2018/19 NTFL season with two impressive victories

SHANNON Rusca is a more relaxed coach these days with the weight of an 11-year premiership drought off his shoulders.

SHANNON Rusca is a more relaxed coach these days with the weight of an 11-year premiership drought off his shoulders.

“The pressure is relieved now,” the long-serving Crocs mentor told the NT News.

“The last couple of years we had been around the mark and last year’s (one-point grand final win over the Darwin Buffaloes) put us at the top of the game.

“All of our good work over a few seasons got us the ultimate glory. The pressure is now relaxed and my coaching style is the same.

“You have got to remember why we play the game. We all started because we played with our friends and we had fun.”

Rusca’s laid-back demeanour has had a positive impact on his troops during the opening two rounds of the new season.

Back-to-back victories, against Darwin and St Mary’s respectively, sees the rural club as the bookies’ favourite to snatch the 2018-19 flag.

“You can’t ask for more than that — two wins from two starts,” Rusca said.

“They are knuckling down and doing what is being asked and required. They are there playing for each other, which is a good thing this early on.

“That’s what we’re trying to build towards the end of the year, everyone knowing their roles and playing their roles and playing for each other. The support they have been giving each other ­already is phenomenal.”

And the scary thing for the other seven premier league teams is there is so much ­improvement left in Districts, according to Rusca.

“We’ve got a lot of outs and eventually they have to earn their spots back,” he said.

“They have to make sure they put their best foot forward to take their positions back, there is a lot of pressure from below. The 18s kids are playing some great footy as well.”