Richmond players have rallied around coach Damien Hardwick, saying it's up to them to turn around an embarrassing start to the AFL season.
The Tigers suffered an upset 35-point loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday night, leaving them with one victory from the opening six rounds.
It is the club's worst start to a campaign since 2010, Hardwick's first season in charge.
The decision to re-sign Hardwick until the end of the 2018 season, made in March, is already being debated by pundits.
With games against Hawthorn and Sydney to follow, they're likely to slide down the ladder even further in the next fortnight.
Vice-captain Brett Deledio returned from injury against Port and must now step up in more than one sense, with skipper Trent Cotchin to miss at least two weeks with a fractured cheekbone.
Deledio fronted the press at Sunday's recovery session, speaking frankly and calling on the club to stick together.
"There's no point bitching and moaning about it. We've just got to get around each other and get ourselves out of it," Deledio said.
"Because as soon as you start infighting and all that sort of stuff, blaming other people, you're just going backwards.
"It'll be tough. No doubt about it."
Deledio was unwilling to talk about the team's ever-slimming finals hopes but noted Richmond had the right players to be successful.
"We just have to get our confidence back and our skills up and not make so many basic errors," the veteran said.
"It only comes through hard work."
Big man Tyrone Vickery, speaking on the Nine Network, suggested the five-match losing streak wasn't because of a lack of effort.
"It's been stupid turnovers, mistakes that are hurting us," Vickery said.
"It's not an attitude thing from the group, it's skill execution.
"There were plenty of instances (against Port) where players made really dumb decisions both offensively and defensively."
Nathan Brown, who played 82 of his 219 games with Richmond, felt the club had backed themselves into a corner by extending Hardwick's contract.
Brown added that club chief executive Brendon Gale and president Peggy O'Neal must now back Hardwick to the hilt.
"I wouldn't have recontracted him 6-8 weeks ago. I just didn't think they needed to put that pressure on themselves," Brown said on Nine.
"They've got to stick with him now. Stick with him for the rest of the season, at a minimum.
"They can't just throw him out now .. they've got to give him time."
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