Wanderers defender Matthew Jurman says the team’s recent mentality shift has the potential to build momentum ahead of the Finals Series.
Unbeaten in their past four games, the Wanderers are the League’s most in-form team at the moment having secured 10 points from a possible 12 since Jean-Paul de Marigny was installed as interim head coach late in January.
For Jurman, the biggest change in the Wanderers’ performances recently has been the way in which they approach their matches.
This shift in mentality has seen the Wanderers fight for every ball until the final whistle has blown, putting them into serious contention for the Finals Series.
“I think in the last month or so there has been a big difference. We’ve been a lot better coming into training and it rubs off onto your whole life,” said Jurman.
“Everyone is happy and enjoying their football so going into two away games now, we need big results there so hopefully we can keep the run going and stay undefeated for as long as possible.”
The defender who joined the club at the start of the season says the focus has been on building on the team’s confidence and getting the team into the Top Six as soon as possible.
“I think we are gelling a lot better now and we have played a lot better out of the back in the last month or so. We are all on the same page and I’m feeling a lot fitter as well,” explained Jurman.
“I think the boys now know what they want from each other and we’ve won a few games.
“But we haven’t done anything yet so we need to forget what’s happened in the past and focus on the next few games to try and get ourselves into the Top Six as soon as possible.”
With the team leaving this afternoon for Brisbane, the Roar have proven to be tough customers for the Wanderers this season, securing an 0-0 draw and a 2-1 win in the two clashes at Bankwest Stadium earlier this season.
“Every game is a massive game for us now and going into every game is almost like going into a Final for us, especially with these teams that are just above us on the ladder,” said Jurman.
“If you look at the table, if we string a few wins in a row we can go straight up there and it’s a bit funny how the league ladder works sometimes.
“We know we need a result in Brisbane this week, we’re confident we can go up there and get a good result.”