Wests Tigers co-captain James Tamou has implored his young team to stay positive despite their horror start to the NRL season, stating it is a mission of the club's leaders every week.
The Tigers remain stuck to the bottom of the ladder as the only winless team so far this season, going 0-3 for the first time since 2007.
The team have been in a position to win two of their opening three games against Melbourne and the Warriors, sandwiching a poor outing against Newcastle.
The Tigers have a rough run going forward with Gold Coast on Thursday night, followed by Cronulla, Parramatta and South Sydney as life becomes no easier for under-fire coach Michael Maguire.
But Tamou said it was a job for the team's five-man leadership group each week to attempt to keep players upbeat and not overthinking the team's form slump.
"It's so important because this instance was a short turnaround if we're already training to think about the Titans," Tamou said.
"If you're still thinking about the game and kicking stones and dragging your lip, you're a passenger to us, you're no good right now to us.
"So, we need you to be focused and really need you to do your job. We don't need you to think about what you didn't do in the past. You can't change that.
"As a leader, I wouldn't say it's a challenge but that's something that's definitely a mission every week."
Tamou's comments come after he admitted in the pre-season one of his jobs as captain last year was to try and stop players from reading into media around Maguire's future.
Likewise, the Tigers were laughing off claims on Monday of a spat between Robbie Farah and Maguire.
Farah posted screenshots of an inquiry from a radio station to social media on Sunday about the incident, arguing it showed the Tigers had become a media target and insistent he was behind Maguire and instead yelling at sideline staff.
Meanwhile players are also well aware that the pressure surrounding not only their poor start to the season but 10-year finals drought is adding to their challenges.
"We've been chasing success for the last few weeks and for how many years?" The boys want to win so badly we're just over-trying our hands," forward Joe Ofahengaue said.
"We've just got to trust the process."
