Newark Rugby Club captain Chris Tate believes 99% of the 1sts problems are mental after they failed to quash their relegation fears thanks to a 24-18 defeat to Market Rasen and Louth.
The defeat leaves Newark still not safe from relegation, and they play the top five teams next.
The captain pinpointed Newark’s apparent inability to get off to a good start as one of the main problems.
Tate said: “It’s been the story of the last couple of seasons. We have always been notoriously slow starters.
“The coaches can go on about it as much as they want, but it’s up to us, the players, to do something about it.”
Three wins against relegation rivals had pulled Newark clear of the drop-zone and, although they have one of the hardest run-ins in the league, Tate is quietly confident.
“We have got the top five teams, some of the players will be semi-professional, so we should use that as extra motivation,” he said.
“Some of them will be nervous about slipping up in the promotion race, so we have got to go there and believe we can win, otherwise there’s no point turning up.“
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