The Wyong Roos have endured a whirlwind start to their Intrust Super Premiership season but back-to-back comeback victories has instilled a magnitude of self-belief and head coach Rip Taylor is hopeful their short burst of success can re-ignite their season.
Struggling for consistency throughout the first half of the year, with just two victories in the lead-up to Round 11, the Roos responded with two valiant performances that has helped galvanise their 2018 campaign.
Heading into their clash against the Bulldogs, a side that boasts a vast array of talent and potential, Taylor declared the Roos' victory over the Jets last week as a season-defining performance that his players needed to embrace in the hopes of turning their season around.
It obviously hurts when you get beat in the last game of the year but it's all about going forward.
Rip Taylor
"Last week was a tough win and there was a bit of luck there, but we haven't had that little bit of luck that you need in games every now and then," Taylor told NSWRL.com.au.
"Hopefully that's a bit of a turning point in the season and I'm sure it is for some of the young players.
"I think they realised a bit of potential last week and hopefully they can kick on from that."
Although backing up their win with an enthralling 24-20 victory on Saturday afternoon, which saw them overcome an early 16-0 deficit in the first-half, the Roos still remain second-last on the competition ladder but can take an array of confidence from their character-building performance.
Following their successful 2017 season, which saw a 12-game undefeated streak inspire a maiden grand final appearance, Taylor says it's imperative his side focuses on the positives from their stellar year, but also move on from the heart break of their loss to the Panthers in the decider.
"I don't know whether anyone understands how hard it is to get to the last game of the year, but you don't use the pain [of losing] you've got to let it go,' he said.
"You just got to buy into the new year and try and get (those wins) and learn how to best do that.
"It's about the future...it obviously hurts when you get beat in the last game of the year but it's all about going forward and strangely enough [when] you get hooked up on it it's hard to turn it around but that's the way it is."
While their limited success in recent weeks is far from an ominous warning to the rest of the competition, it's undoubtedly a step in the right direction for a youthful side that holds significant potential.
With the likes of a hard-working Nat Butcher leading from the front and the formidable combination of Mitch Cornish and Luke Sharpe clicking into gear, Taylor has faith his side can return to form and amplify their premiership credentials in the coming weeks.
"The main goal is that the boys put in a good performance on the park and the rest will take care of itself," he said.
"In this competition we only need to string a couple of wins together so then we can ask some questions.
"I think we have the players that are able to do that and hopefully the players believe that."
