When a player is playing poorly, they know it. On the flip side, when they are playing well, they also know it.
For Cowboys centre Brent Tate, he was so incensed and disappointed at himself for the way he started the season, that the thought of playing Origin in 2012, did not cross his mind.
One only has to fast-track a month or two, to see that Brent Tate is playing some attractive footy, as he nears closer and closer to playing Origin, in the vacant wing spot available, due to Jharal Yow Yeh’s injury.
With team-mate Ashley Graham and Melbourne centre Dane Nielsen also breathing down his neck to play Origin, it is expected that Tate will get the nod – only because of his track record at Origin level, as well as his experience.
“I’m desperate to play and I’m really happy with my form too at club level at the moment,” Tate said.
“I’m starting to really enjoy it and starting to get that fire back in the belly which probably has taken me a while to get.
“I must admit at the start of the year thinking about Origin was probably the last thing on my mind. I was just struggling to get to a level where I was happy.
“It’s only been the last couple of weeks that I’m finishing games and feeling satisfied so, yeah, that is always a good sign. If I make it, it’s going to be great, but if not I’m also really content that I’m getting back to where I want to get, too.
“Actually, who am I kidding? I want to be there and we will just wait and see what happens.”
Tate admits that he started the year poorly, but he said that the reason behind his form reversal, is that the representative centre believes that he is finally starting to gel with his team-mates.
“I think it’s probably taken me a little bit of time to get used to them as well,” Tate said.
“I came back last year and, to be honest, I was really battling. I was playing really sore and I was just off the pace.
“The start of this year we had a bit of a pre-season together and started to work out what we like and when we want the ball and how to run off them.”