Get excited.
It is not advice often heard from impassive Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett.
But the Broncos believe Bennett's unexpected new mantra is the key to curbing their woeful starts in Friday night's NRL semi-final against Penrith at Suncorp Stadium.
A cranky Bennett shouted "get excited" throughout a brutal Broncos training session on Monday in response to their 24-22 qualifying final loss to the Sydney Roosters.
Broncos winger Jordan Kahu admitted something had to be done to spark them after a flat Brisbane were ambushed by their rivals last week - and not for the first time.
The Broncos came into the qualifying final as the second worst team in the league during the regular season for their starts, conceding 25 tries in the opening 20 minutes.
And Brisbane were at it again in the Roosters clash, leaking another two tries by the 18th minute.
"We didn't perform on the weekend when it counted so he's obviously just trying to get the best out of us," Kahu said of Bennett's "get excited" calls throughout training.
"It was more of an energy kind of thing (against Roosters).
"We just didn't get up for the occasion."
Broncos forward Matt Gillett said they could not afford another slow start against the livewire Panthers.
"Wayne was pretty hard on us at training and I think that was a good thing to get us back into gear for what's ahead with Penrith," Gillett said.
"They're a very high energy side and the first 20 minutes when we played the Roosters is something like what they're going to bring as well.
"We've got to control that first 20 minutes against Penrith.
"It's easier to talk about but going out there and doing it is another thing."
Brisbane are sweating on the fitness of captain Darius Boyd and forward Tevita Pangai Junior (both hamstring) before the team is announced on Tuesday for the sudden death clash.
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