The Wests Tigers have introduced punishments for errors at training as a way to increase their accountability in the wake of a 66-16 flogging by Melbourne last round.
While players emphatically denied suggestions of disharmony in the squad, they conceded their attitude and standards must improve.
Former captain Moses Mbye admitted he "got ahead of myself" after the Tigers won back-to-back matches for the first time this season against the Dragons and the "well-understrength" Panthers.
But following the "wake-up call" of being thumped by the Eels and Storm, the Tigers are determined to regain respect when they face another top-four team in the Rabbitohs at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday.
"The players have taken more accountability, doing some extra punishments for things we don't think are right and are not part of our game plan," said centre Adam Doueihi, who missed the Melbourne defeat due to a head knock.
Doueihi and Luke Brooks declined to expand on the nature of the punishments but captain James Tamou provided more insight.
"We wanted to make it as if it's unacceptable for a dropped ball or things like that," Tamou said on Tuesday morning.
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"We want to be better each day and it starts with your standards at training. Standards at training are definitely changing ... Melbourne taught us a lesson in more ways than one.
"The punishment system is something in your head where if something goes wrong, we're not accepting it. We're not accepting mediocre. We want to be the best, that's why you play the game.
"So my job is to just really drive that. We've got a young group, and sometimes when you're young it's hard to pull up someone who's played over 100 games. My job is to make sure you tell them because we're all here to make each other better."
A shattered Tamou referenced "underlying issues" in the immediate aftermath of the Storm loss, but the front-rower clarified that he was talking about on-field deficiencies and not a rift in the team.
He felt they didn't properly address areas of concern in defence after being flogged by Parramatta because they had limited full-contact preparation on a six-day turnaround to facing Melbourne.
"We had some things that needed to be surfaced that we kind of left ... there were certain things that we needed to take care of," he said.
Tamou was sickened when he reviewed the match.
"I remember I went home after the Sunshine Coast, I flew back and watched it - and I turned it off," the veteran said.
"That was the first time I couldn't get through a game. I was just so frustrated at myself and things like that."
The silver lining, according to Tamou, is the Tigers can now work on replicating some elite Storm traits they have been lacking.
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"All you could hear was them talking and yelling. With us, it'd only be a few talking - Brooks, the halves, back-rowers," Tamou said.
"They actually showed us where we need to be, the standards when we're on the field. Everyone needs to be talking and doing their job."
Halfback Brooks said there was a focus on unity.
"It was probably one of the worst feelings after a game, but we just spoke about sticking together," he said.
"The only way to get through it is sticking together. We're the ones out there and we're the ones who are going to have to make that difference."
Mbye, who is set to play his 150th game, said spirits were high.
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"I think it's a pretty tight-knit group," he said.
"I don't think there's an internal issue at all. I guess when things are going bad after you get beat by 66 points, all the little things are amplified.
"Externally, all those little problems look like big issues in the group but from inside these walls, the group's been really good. A good way to judge the group will be how we respond this weekend against Souths."
The utility won't have family or friends at his milestone match due to crowds being banned in Sydney because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
"I'm just grateful that I get to come in here and be around my friends and play the sport I love playing," he said.
