The Editors Desk!
Adversity & Expectations
Like many of you, I am a proud Queenslander and look forward to State of Origin every year. I have to admit that this year I was a bit tentative about how we would go. NSW seemed to have all the best and most experienced players, and we seemed to have everyone either recently retired, injured or in the case of Crocker, suspended.

Quite a few conversations on our back balcony focused on what we were going to do this year, double guessing the selectors, arguing over potential choices, as all good lounge room experts do! Though when Origin stalwart Mal announced who was in the team, the 'discussions' went up a notch or two. Youth versus experience, tossing newbies into the fire too soon, wishing Webke wasn't retired, did we really have any choice but youth? We have test games, but we all know that State of Origin is really the pinnacle of Rugby League, and the idea that 7 young blokes could really 'hack it' when it came to the crunch was my particular concern. Would they make mistakes and get despondent? Would they be over-awed and choke? Worse yet just not cope with the intensity?

The first half of the game seemed to confirm a lot of our worst fears, and you could hear others in the neighbourhood echoing the frustration we were feeling in our lounge. Though, I should have listened to my Dad, he was right, the boys would do us proud. We didn't win the game, though came excruciatingly close. The 2nd half proved the mettle of the team and can only stand them in good stead for the next game. The half time score didn't dispirit them, they didn't give up, they got over the mistakes and lifted to perform to the standard we expect in a Queensland State of Origin side.

I get very concerned when media harps on about 'heroes' and 'role models' in sport, a personal bugbear of mine, I mean, they are paid sportsmen, they aren't saving lives or changing the world! For once though I was proud and could actually see where a sporting team could be an inspiration (not just athletes to be admired for skill). They proved that with enough belief in yourself, working together as a team, and pride in what you are doing that you can overcome adversity.

There is a lesson here that I am always trying to impart to my daughter. You don't necessarily need to win to be a 'winner'. As long as your heart is in the right place, you do the best you can and most importantly, don't just walk away and give up when something is too hard, you can be proud of yourself and what you achieve. You don't need a medal to validate your hardwork and perseverance, facing yourself in the mirror and 'knowing' that you have honestly done your best and learned from the experience to use in the future, should make you proud of yourself and then the success will come...
Next time the Queensland Boys will bring it home!

Best Wishes, Noely, Community Site Co-ordinator

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