Penrith prop James Tamou knows looking outside the club for help to end their early-season woes will prove useless as the players are the only ones who can turn things around.
The Panthers season went from bad to worse as an 18-point loss to the Raiders consigned them to a share of last place on the NRL ladder. The three injuries they suffered added further insult.
Isaah Yeo (shoulder), Viliame Kikau (lower leg) and Malakai Watene-Zelezniak (ribs) all failed to finish the game. Scans will reveal the full extent of their injuries.
Tamou said the side is not learning from its mistakes.
"It goes from kick-off and it starts all even and going back and forward, but credit to Canberra they came out and played well," Tamou said.
"We had too many penalties, too much ill-discipline and it's the same thing every week for us."
Wests Tigers v Panthers - Magic Round
After having been unable to capitalise on a 13-on-12 advantage during the first half Penrith found themselves facing a huge challenge when trailing by 14 points at half-time.
Despite trailing by more than two converted tries, Tamou said the side hadn't given up hope.
"You've always got a chance and even at half-time it was alright [mood in the side]," he said.
"You have to be positive and there were some [chances] early in the second half but Canberra played well and took their opportunities."
The Panthers are already staring down the barrel of a lot of work to do in the middle of the season if they are to be a chance of playing in the finals.
Tamou streaks away
However, with the side's current injury toll and the upcoming schedule of games against Wests Tigers, New Zealand, Parramatta and Manly, Tamou acknowledged the side is feeling the pressure to pull the side out of its nosedive.
"We thought we had a good week of preparation and we know the circumstances and we know we have to win at all costs," Tamou said.
"It's just the little thing that are creeping into our game, it's the thing that are so minor that if they had of gone our way it could have been a different result, but it didn't happen that way, so we just have to do this ourselves."
