The Wests Tigers' epic victory over Parramatta means many things to skipper James Tamou: it's one of the best wins of his career; evidence the club's plans are starting to work; and also a stark reminder of how far there is to go.
As the dust settles on Jackson Hastings' mighty field goal, which earned a 21-20 victory for the Tigers and ended the club's winless start to the season, Tamou is quick to point out it does not erase the five defeats that came before.
And with South Sydney waiting on Saturday night, Tamou believes the Tigers cannot rely on the same desperate motivation they employed on Easter Monday.
"The emotion of it all, it was right up there because of what we've been going through. Our coaches are spoken about a lot, our halves are spoken about a lot, and those things were trigger points for us to perform, to take those actions that caused the result," Tamou said.
"They set off a reaction that brought a real energy.
"So the challenge is to go again without those trigger points. We can't sit back and talk about how good we're going, cause we're really not. We have another tough side this week, even though that win was special.
"This week the monkey is off the back, we don't have those triggers, so we have to find our 'why', but it's obvious – it's the big rewards at the end of the year, but also to show how special this team is and how far we can grow."
Since arriving at the Tigers last year, Tamou has been adamant the club is on the right track, though that's rarely shown up in the results.
He has said he can see similarities with his former club, Penrith, which has since transformed into the best side in the NRL.
Tigers fans may need to remain patient; while the win over the Eels was the club's best under coach Michael Maguire, it could prove another false dawn if the Tigers don't show their best against the Rabbitohs.
But the resurgence must start somewhere and the Easter Monday miracle is as good a place as any.
"I've spoken about where this team is headed, the growth processes, the standards at training that we've put on this year. Even after the Cronulla game I was pretty positive, because it was only small things we weren't converting to the game from training," Tamou said.
"I know our training has been up there, on some of my past teams I've lived it and I know the standards they trained at. At the Tigers, what they're doing there is bringing that same intensity and intent I saw with those past teams.
"Transferring training to game day isn't easy, but that's what we did on Easter Monday. We can't sit around and pat each other on the back though, we need to go again."
As much as he's an advocate for the club's bright future, Tamou still isn't sure if he'll be part of it.
Off-contract at season's end, Tamou says he is yet to give much thought to his plans for 2023 but intends to keep playing.
"I'd love to stick around and be a part of this," Tamou said.
"As long as I can keep competing at a high level with my body, and it is a high level when you're giving it everything at training and the games have gotten quicker and more physical, as long as I feel like I can compete, I'll keep going."
