Rhythm key to shaking off blues

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Thursday 3rd Mar 2005.

Too much thought and not enough action was the problem with the Bulls in their opening two and three-quarter matches, says club captain Robbie Paul.

The catalyst for the Bulls' dramatic come-from-behind 28-27 victory at Wigan, Paul produced a stunning display to cut the Warriors to shreds after emerging from the bench with his side trailing by 15 points heading into the final 20 minutes.

Surprisingly, after copping plenty of flack for his stuttering performances as a fill-in hooker, it wasn't his part in the fightback or even the victory itself that gave Paul the most pleasure.

"What I enjoyed wasn't the comeback or even the win, it was the fluency and rhythm that came back, which had been missing - everyone being in the right place at the right time," said Paul.

"That was what I enjoyed, that hunger to be in the right place and then everything just falling into place.

"When you are playing well it is all second nature. It is basically playing without thinking.

"The talk when we were behind by 15 points wasn't about winning the game, it was about playing well.

"We are an international-class team and we are eventually going to get it right. And that performance in the last ten minutes was what we had been searching for. Winning the game was a bonus. The important thing for us was that we finally found our rhythm.

"The real test for us is whether we are able to continue on with it on Sunday.

"London had a great win last weekend. They have thrown the gauntlet down but we can't afford to lose any more points or the whole season is going to be an uphill battle."

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