Areas where frankly we let ourselves down, time and time again...

[Evil_Mush]

Obvious improvement over last year, but agreed with it not being light years - just feels that way because last year was like the old ACC ad where the lady falls through the glass table (FRUITY BARS!!!), this year was akin to the lady getting up, flicking the shards of glass from her eyeball then clearing the toys on the floor and tidying up like a good woman should.

OK, that analogy got a bit weird but you know what I'm talking about.... right?

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Maturity:
Just have to follow some of these guys on twitter or whatever. "G" this and "dox" that. Hell I even saw talk about bloods and crips on Sione Lousi's page once.
Also Sione and Sam Lousi still living at home sharing the same one room... Hurrell blowing kisses to his mum... The ehuhuhuhuhe behaviour.

I think this is a bit of a silly criticism. I follow a heap of NRL players from all teams on twitter and they're pretty much all as stupid as each other. SBW is all "G" and "dox" as well and he goes alright....one of the worst offenders is Jorge Taufua who really tries hard with the gangsta stuff....good player though.

Jacob Lillyman and Nathan Friend are also big exponents of the twitter nonsense and play right along with the Island boys.

Also I'm not really sure guys in their early 20s living at home is that bad? It's normal these days isn't it? I'm not convinced that NRL players need to be old before their time, honestly I find it more troubling that so many of these well-paid blokes in their 20s have wives and multiple kids. Not saying that's wrong, it's just weird as you don't find that in any other profession where blokes are that well paid.

 

[tangalife]

To be honest, wife and kids are more likely to keep players grounded and focused so I cant see that being a bad thing.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

It's weird though. Talk about "professionalism"- you don't see many 20-something lawyers and accountants with a wife and kids.

Guess it depends what maturity level we expect. It's normal for guys in their early 20s to live at home. Do we expect these guys to be 40 in a 23 year olds body?

 

[tangalife]

if your early 20s and still at home its a money issue, something professional league players dont have...

 

[Auckland4ever]

I don't think maturity from a life perspective is an issue, but from a sporting perspective it might be. If we're talking professionalism & club culture, I think one thing that's relevant to factor in is that we have always had this concoction of mostly lesser-named Australians mixed in with locally developed players, who haven't come through the grass roots stage having faced the same degree of hardened competition as their Aussie counterparts. They have a ridiculous amount of people playing this game compared to us and I'd imagine their best young players would have to develop a hardened edge early to reach the top. So I guess you could call that sporting maturity. On the flip side, many of our union players at the elite level tend to have that same kind of hardened edge, and you could tie our dominance in that code to the quality of our local competitions at all age groups.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

if your early 20s and still at home its a money issue, something professional league players dont have...

Certainly true for some (i.e. most Uni students) but as a blanket statement that doesn't represent the world I know at all.

I think in this generation it's perfectly normal (possibly the norm) for a 20-something to live at home.

Also, guys like the Lousi brothers won't be on huge money and nor are their careers as fringe NRL players necessarily likely to set them up for life. There are still solid financial reasons to stay at home and save.

(not trying to turn the Warriors forum into 4 Corners with all the social commentary btw :lol

 

[hitman82]

I don't care about off field maturity as long as they don't have sex with dogs or piss on bar patrons. But it'd be nice to see more on field maturity, may help us close out tight games rather than embarrassing ourselves and sabotaging our season.

Sam Tomkins and Jayson Bukuya will both help with this. Sam Tomkins is young but a total professional and renowned to dishing up a serve on people who do not perform.
Bukuya isn't much older than Taylor and Lousi but he seems to have a stable head on his shoulders, and certainly doesn't shirk his duties. Players with massive workrates tend to inspire those around them.

 

[ozbash]

Bukuya isn't much older than Taylor and Lousi but he seems to have a stable head on his shoulders, and certainly doesn't shirk his duties. Players with massive workrates tend to inspire those around them.

I don't a whole heap about Bukuyu, but ET and Sione Lousi gave everything, every game. Their team mates never and that comes back and reflects on the whole team.

bit harsh I feel, Hitty..

 

[Bengal]

Front Office, why - because we have a culture that breeds powderpuffs and that's the way its been since the get go.