The pain of another close loss cuts deep but Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has urged his players not to lose sight of the big picture, adamant the benefits gained from playing in tight tussles will blossom in the future.
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Canberra's players are absorbing the frustration of losing another thriller to Cronulla 21-20 on Saturday, the fifth home loss this year by seven points or less.
The Raiders (7-10) are tenth on the ladder and realistically must win at Penrith on Sunday to keep their finals hopes alive.
Stuart said the only way to learn to cope with the stress of playing in crunch time was in the heat of battle.
"The one thing I know is the more you're in those close battles the more you learn – and the closer you get to winning them," Stuart said.
"A lot of these boys, because they're so young into their careers they haven't been in these positions before.
"We've got a very young group of players, especially in specialised positions and this is a wonderful education for them, albeit we're not getting the result today.
"Any real fan of this club would see that.
"As disappointed as we are, I have to have an eye on the future and this is a very valuable education."
Canberra practise scenarios at training that replicate the dying minutes of tight games as close as possible. But one thing that can't be reproduced is performing under pressure on game day when it counts.
"The only way you learn how to win tight games, is being involved in tight games," Stuart said.
"We do a lot of pressure and scenario drills but you can't replicate how it is on game day. We know it's not the results we're after at the moment, but it's a wonderful education.
"You can't fully replicate the scenario at training. On game day there's a lot of anxiety, nervous tension and pressure at the end of a close game, and you're only going to get better by being involved in it."
The players were shattered after the Sharks game, Canberra's seventh home loss in nine matches this year.
But Stuart said he had not noticed any mental letdown at training and praised his players' fortitude. "We've got such a tough group of guys here, a real committed bunch," he said.
"I see the heartbreak after the game against the Sharks where we didn't play as well as we have this year and still could have won the match.
"The first half we were trying to win the game in the first 20 minutes. It took us off our game plan a bit and I'm in awe of the commitment and effort the boys have put in since.
"The group is just so resilient to the adversity we've been hit with.
"We're probably in the top three or four teams in the competitions in regards to consistency of our performance throughout the season.
"I'm excited about the future, I'm proud of how they're handling the adversity of that [Sharks] game and what's been happening."
LOSSES BY SEVEN POINTS OR LESS THIS YEAR
Canberra: 5
Melbourne: 5
Gold Coast: 4
Sydney Roosters: 4
Newcastle: 4
St George Illawarra: 4
New Zealand: 3
Canterbury: 3
Cronulla: 3
Manly: 3
Parramatta: 3
North Qld: 2
Penrith: 2
Wests Tigers: 2
Brisbane: 1
Souths: 1
