No, what I mean is..

(and by the way I've used this two or three times in a half time speech in a championship game)...it will never ever be just like this.

First time I did it just came out emotionally because it was how I was feeling. Said to the guys (all in a circle) - look around. Take a look at each other. All your mates, all the ones you fight with at practice. All the guys who you've cheered for, swore at. Look around at this group and everything you've been through together - on and off the field.

You'll never ever get to do this again with this same group.

And that's how I thought today, looking at them. Passlack will be gone, Pinto will be gone, a few more will, a few new guys will come in. They may reach pinnacles like this again but never with those exact same people who you can see they've bonded so well with. They may do far far better but never with that group they see when they look around. So they have to give everything to make sure they achieve it together, and have to savour every moment while they are doing it.

Trophies are nice but they get boring. What you remember are the personal interactions, the sacrifice and effort together, and that unbridled joy. But the memories are really on a personal level, not professional. The professional bit just ends up on your CV and Wikipedia.

Posted By: Steve in Holland, May 5, 21:24:36