--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's going to be tough but I think I was…" description: "\"It's going to be tough but I think I was more nervous about playing NRL than I will be playing this match simply because I've got Billy Slater in front..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg" --- # It's going to be tough but I think I was more nervous… ![“It's going to be tough but I think I was more nervous about playing NRL than I will be playing this match simply because I've got Billy Slater in front of me and there were a lot of expectations.” quote by Gareth Widdop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg) > “It's going to be tough but I think I was more nervous about playing NRL than I will be playing this match simply because I've got Billy Slater in front of me and there were a lot of expectations.” Gareth Widdop ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing a tough match with high expectations and a famous opponent creates nervousness. **In simple terms:** High stakes and famous opponent cause nerves. Key Takeaway Prepare mentally for pressure. Themes sports performance anxiety Mood tense determined Type Expectations:1 Fronts:0 League:1 Nervous:1 Nrl:1 Rugby:1 Rugby league:1 Thinking:0 Tough:1 Billy Slater:1 Nervous Playing:1 Playing Nrl:1 Nrl Playing:0 When to use this quote - sports events - career milestones - public speaking - exam situations Key Concepts mental preparation confidence competition strategy Questions to Reflect On - How will you channel nervous energy? - What strategies reduce performance anxiety? A Different Perspective Pressure can impair performance if unmanaged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous/) [Rugby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rugby/) [Rugby league](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rugby-league/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [You come from the NRL and it's a forwards-dominated game, I think, at the moment. You get three sets and kick and chase. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-monaghan/you-come-from-the-nrl-and-it-s-a-forwards-dominated-game-i-think-at/) Joel Monaghan > [As Joel said, there's a bit more licence to attack over here, whereas the NRL is a bit more grinding-type football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-finch/as-joel-said-there-s-a-bit-more-licence-to-attack-over-here-whereas/) Brett Finch > [It doesn't mean anything when we go back to Sydney and its round one and we're starting from scratch in the NRL. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-greenfield/it-doesn-t-mean-anything-when-we-go-back-to-sydney-and-its-round-one/) Michael Greenfield > [Having played in both competitions over recent years I believe that although standards continue to rise in Super League, the NRL is a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-morley/having-played-in-both-competitions-over-recent-years-i-believe-that/) Adrian Morley > [If I'd had my way, I would still have been playing NRL.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-folau/if-i-d-had-my-way-i-would-still-have-been-playing-nrl/) [Israel Folau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-folau/) > [Billy Slater was one I used to see do extras after training and his catching technique was unreal, so I really looked up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-folau/billy-slater-was-one-i-used-to-see-do-extras-after-training-and-his/) [Israel Folau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-folau/) > [Getting a part where you play something like this is a huge thing, and following women who have done it before, I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-durance/getting-a-part-where-you-play-something-like-this-is-a-huge-thing-and/) [Erica Durance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-durance/) > [I get way more nervous playing golf in front of 500 people than being on stage in front of 20,000 people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-timberlake/i-get-way-more-nervous-playing-golf-in-front-of-500-people-than-being/) [Justin Timberlake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-timberlake/) > [I don't like sitting on the bench because I get more nervous there than when I am playing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/i-don-t-like-sitting-on-the-bench-because-i-get-more-nervous-there/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [Anyone who tells you they're not nervous playing on the CMAs stage, I'm afraid they're not telling you the whole story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-hayes/anyone-who-tells-you-they-re-not-nervous-playing-on-the-cmas-stage-i/) [Hunter Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-hayes/) > [I'm always nervous before playing a gig, to tell you the truth. It's what nearly did me in when I was with the Libertines.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-doherty/i-m-always-nervous-before-playing-a-gig-to-tell-you-the-truth-it-s/) [Pete Doherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-doherty/) > [I've always loved performing. It was always very exciting for me. I don't get too nervous when I'm playing, but on every stage, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-li/i-ve-always-loved-performing-it-was-always-very-exciting-for-me-i-don/) [George Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-li/) > [I always feel pressure. If you don't feel nervous, that means you don't care about how you play. I care about how I perform.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/i-always-feel-pressure-if-you-don-t-feel-nervous-that-means-you-don-t/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) > [St George won 11 premierships with one Raper, imagine how Canterbury will go with 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-lockyer/st-george-won-11-premierships-with-one-raper-imagine-how-canterbury/) Darren Lockyer > [Crusaders have just f-ked me over what a bas-rd joke, excuse my language I'm absolutely furious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-senior/crusaders-have-just-f-ked-me-over-what-a-bas-rd-joke-excuse-my/) Keith Senior ## More Expectations quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I say this all the time: I've always been really good at managing my expectations so that I'm not let down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-say-this-all-the-time-i-ve-always-been-really-good-at-managing-my/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Keeping up with everybody's expectation is soooo hard!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi/keeping-up-with-everybody-s-expectation-is-soooo-hard/) [Naomi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi/) > [I recognize I am essentially a failed human being in the sense that I can't possibly live up to the expectations of an Almighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-recognize-i-am-essentially-a-failed-human-being-in-the-sense-that-i/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [“Does your reality match your expectations? If not it's time to change either your expectations or your reality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/does-your-reality-match-your-expectations-if-not-it-s-time-to-change/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [Jesus' kingdom was not like the popular expectation. He used the phrase 'kingdom of God' with a different meaning. His kingdom was not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-harpur/jesus-kingdom-was-not-like-the-popular-expectation-he-used-the-phrase/) [Tom Harpur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-harpur/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [It's a good place when all you have is hope and not expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/it-s-a-good-place-when-all-you-have-is-hope-and-not-expectations/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [When we give from a place of love, rather than from a place of expectation, more usually comes back to us than we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/when-we-give-from-a-place-of-love-rather-than-from-a-place-of/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Everybody out there watches the show and has expectations of wanting to be an 'Idol', but we're going to teach them how much hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-bice/everybody-out-there-watches-the-show-and-has-expectations-of-wanting/) [Bo Bice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-bice/) > [When we fall utterly, something gathers us up. But our falling must be without reservation, without expectation, without hope, though not hopeless. You cant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-housden/when-we-fall-utterly-something-gathers-us-up-but-our-falling-must-be/) [Roger Housden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-housden/) [Browse all 4,210 Expectations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's going to be tough but I think I was more nervous about playing NRL than I will be playing this match simply because I've got Billy Slater in front of me and there were a lot of expectations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gareth Widdop" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-widdop/it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was-more-nervous-about-playing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Expectations" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-widdop/it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was-more-nervous-about-playing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/963/gareth-widdop-238897_expectations_it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was_3056779.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's going to be tough but I think I was more nervous about playing NRL than I will be playing this match…” — Gareth Widdop", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gareth Widdop", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-widdop/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's going to be tough but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-widdop/it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was-more-nervous-about-playing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-widdop/it-s-going-to-be-tough-but-i-think-i-was-more-nervous-about-playing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```