Shaun Lane, a prominent player for Parramatta, has spoken up about the pressure of having the longest title drought in the NRL and what motivates him going into 2024 following an injury-plagued 2023 season.
In a comprehensive interview with foxsports.com.au, Lane discussed his horrific injury journey in 2023, the video he produced to turn it around, and his desire to reunite with Dylan Brown in order to lead the Eels to victory.
In addition, he discussed his goals for the future as a coach and his favorite ways to decompress from the demands of being an NRL player.
The longest streak of any NRL team without a premiership is the Parramatta Eels’, which dates back to 1986.
Lane said that although he and his teammates are continually reminded of the drought, they understand that if they are to ever break the curse, they must embrace it rather than run from it.
According to Lane, there isn’t any more pressure on a team to win a competition than Parramatta, since everyone talks about the 38-year drought when Parramatta makes the playoffs and you hear it from fans every week when you speak with them.
“We have to acknowledge that this is our situation because we are a large club. It is what it is. We will be under a great deal of pressure to perform.
“We need to support the fact that we have the resources here to succeed every year.
“Embracing that opportunity and meeting the challenge head-on is imperative if we are to prevail.”
Given that he played in just 10 games due to elbow, hamstring, and jaw problems in the previous season, you could be forgiven for believing that Lane was doomed to suffer injuries.
The massive second-rower thinks, nevertheless, that his extended preseason has allowed him to prepare his body for Round 1 against the Bulldogs.
“We have had a long preseason, but we have made excellent use of the time,” said Lane. “The body is feeling good.”
My body feels really resilient and prepared to start the year strong since I put a lot of strength and fitness into it.
