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Message: [QUOTE="1910, post: 2707224, member: 8272"] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]BELIEF.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]It is often spoken about, but so few of us really possess it.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]But without real belief, nothing can be achieved, particularly in the field of high level sport.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]After watching the Ipswich Jets for the past five years, it is abundantly clear to me that the quality of true belief permeates each and every member of the playing group.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]I don't think I have met two coaches, in Ben and Shane Walker, with more genuine belief in themselves and their players.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]There is a quote from J.M Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, which is worth considering: "The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]The Jets coaches and players believe they can fly, in the context of a rugby league match.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]If I had a dollar for every time pundits, and they include former Origin and NRL players, said to me "the Jets are great to watch but their style of footy won't work in big games" then I could retire.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]They were referring to the use of short kick-offs for restarts, the Jets penchant to throw the ball around inside their own quarter and innovations such as 'the run backwards move'.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]Basically, they were referring to the Jets determination to play rugby league without a straitjacket on.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]How wrong the pundits were.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]Case in point was the start of the second half of the Intrust Super Cup grand final against the Blackhawks, where the Jets scored inside a minute through captain Keiron Lander after a short kick-off by Marmin Barba.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]The belief involved in attempting that in a grand final is impossible to quantify.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]Short kick-offs don't just pay dividends on the back of luck.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]The practice involved behind the scenes to enable Barba to produce a short kick-off in the highest pressure game of the year is not seen by the casual spectator.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]There is also an art to retrieving the ball from such kicks which has been practised diligently.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]It is worth considering another quote from J.M Barrie: "Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]And sacrifice is what the Jets have done.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]There is no fitter team in the competition, and that is due to the intense training sessions that are conducted each pre-season which have seen those not prepared to make the required sacrifices ordered to their cars.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]The quitters drive away from North Ipswich Reserve never to be seen again.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]Shane Walker says "there is no quit in our boys".[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]To wear a Jets jersey, that never say die quality is a pre-requisite.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]It was fascinating to listen to Jets fullback Carlin Anderson tell me how he became more confident under the high ball, after self-doubt plagued some early efforts when he switched to the number one jersey.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]A natural talent, Anderson said he would take 50 to 100 bombs at each training session to fine tune his skills.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]For a young man born with abilities few possess, he has realised talent will only get you so far and that sacrifices must be made.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]Billy McConnachie, who once had limited ball skills to say the least, can now throw spiral passes and pop balls with the best of them.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]He has put in the hard yards to take his game to another level.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]My favourite quote after the Jets' 32-20 grand final win came from McConnachie.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]He won the Duncan Hall Medal as the man of the match after a ferocious display in attack and defence.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]I said to him it was a great effort considering he was up against former NRL premiership winning forwards Neville Costigan and Glenn Hall.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]He looked me straight in the eyes and said: "Names mean nothing to me."[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]It spoke to me about the belief that resides within the man they call 'Madness'.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]He would have taken the same approach had he been up against star NRL props like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves or Matt Scott.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]Going back to that original quote from J.M Barrie… you would have to say the Jets are flying now.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]They are certainly flying to Sydney on Saturday, before taking on the Newcastle Knights in the interstate challenge clash on NRL grand final day.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]It didn't happen overnight, but I am true believer now myself.[/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR=#505050][FONT=Open Sans]And I am backing them to fly back on Monday with another trophy in the cabinet. [/FONT][/COLOR]http://www.qt.com.au/news/belief/2792182/ [/QUOTE]

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