"You've got to have a short memory in this industry": Reds moving on quickly from Waratahs defeat
Liam Wright says the Reds need to move on quickly from a first half debacle in Sydney to ensure they stay in touch with the Super Rugby AU playoffs.
Queensland suffered a surprise 45-12 loss to the Waratahs last weekend, including a 38-0 opening half that all but put the game out of their reach.
The result saw the Reds drop to fourth overall on the Super Rugby AU table, behind the Waratahs on points difference.
This week they face the Rebels, who shocked the ladder-leading Brumbies at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night, in what is now a pivotal game for their playoff hopes.
Wright said the "uncharacteristic" opening 40 wasn't something they wanted to dwelling on too much.
"It was uncharacteristic - we can't hide from it, we didn't show much fight in that first half, we executed really poorly, didn't adapt to the conditions," he said.
"I think it's one of those ones you've just got to leave in Sydney.
"You've got to have a short memory in this industry and we can't ride that loss too long, we've got to get prepared for this week against the Rebels."
Last weekend's upset results give Wright confidence that a finals berth is still well within their grasp.
"It's open for everyone, this comp now. It's going to make for an exciting last few weeks for the fans, all the teams are really in contention," he said.
"To a degree, we're not abandoning ship for anything like that yet.
"We had one bad half, was a very bad half, we're not hiding from that, got a lot of things to fix up from ti but I don't think there's any guys too worried in this team.
"We know we can turn it around and we're confident in each other and we'll keep playing for each other, we've just got to fix up a few little execution errors."
Reds youngster Jordan Petaia is also in doubt for a second week after the sudden death of his father, Tielu last week.
Petaia pulled out of the Reds' clash with the Waratahs after his father's death, remaining in Brisbane as the team travelled to Sydney, and it is unclear when he will return to training or games.
Rugby might be the farthest thing from Petaia's mind at the moment but his potential return is also complicated by the strict biosecurity conditions surrounding teams at the moment, limiting players' contact with people outside of a select group.
Players aren't currently allowed to mix with people they don't live with outside of the "team bubble".
The Reds are working to organise a zoom or skype call for players who would have liked to attend Tielu's funeral but aren't able due to those restrictions.
Wright said the emotion of the days leading into the game was "taxing" but said there was no excuse for their performance.
"It was a very emotional few days," he said.
"Jordie's a big part of this team and the whole Reds team was hurting for him and his family.
"Out of respect for them, we don't want to use that as an excuse at all.
"We're trying as an organisation and his mates, support him and his family as best we can.
"It was quite taxing, especially for some of the boys who were very close to him but ultimately we still wanted it,thought we were going to turn up and do them proud but we were just flat when we started and took us too long to respond."
The Reds take on the Rebels at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday August 15, kicking off at 7:15pm AEST, LIVE on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports. Buy tickets here. Buy a Kayo subscription here.
