All talk, no walk': Warriors season looks doomed already

[SpaceMonkey]

Good on em lol. Its an improvement. I just dont think they will make the 8. Gagei, Hodgkinson, Saifiti, Ross and Ill chuck Levi in there as their big names, nah thats not good enough.

Hence why I said "lower mid table". I reckon they'll miss the 8 but will be competitive.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Hence why I said "lower mid table". I reckon they'll miss the 8 but will be competitive.

Nah yeah I know. Youre right about them improving though.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I'm glad of it as well. Not many places love their league more than Newie.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Knights beat the Titans tonight, so I'd suggest round one wasn't a case of us scraping home against the spoon specials either. I think they've likely improved to a lower mid table team this year.

I'd say they'll still be 15-16th, there's still an alarming lack of experience and even if the likes of the Saifitis etc aim up some weeks, they're really short on those old consistent heads who do things well each week (which is why they signed Buhrer and Rory K, no doubt). Plus their halves suck. Yesterday they played really well at home, and probably benefitted from a Titans side rocked by their cancerous fullback putting them through the papers unnecessarily.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I also feel pretty qualified to comment on Mt Smart, given I have been a season ticket holder, worked in the media, been a casual week by week punter and sat in basically all four stands.

What's wrong with it? When we're playing well and there's crowds in, there's no atmosphere like it. 2008 Roosters final, that was as good an experience as I've ever had - and I've been to a lot of stadiums, World Cup rugby finals etc. No one turns up in winter because Auckland's weather is putrid. Access to facilities is good, when there's a small crowd/you come early for the 20s you get a part piece of piss (or with a car park park it's easy), you're right on top of the action if you're in the main stands, and I think it's even relatively near a train station???

But yeah, it hasn't got free wifi or wasn't architecturally designed...

 

[Rich102]

I can see improvements in the team. The halves are much better. Johnson is more involved and direct and Ata is going to be something special. Kearney wants Kata and Fusitua in at center, hence Lolo to fullback. Lolo is expendable; give him a chance but unless he performs he's goneski.
The forwards are a bigger problem. We desperately need mutts back. The fact that Jake is the best performing prop speaks volumes. Vete promises much but doesn't deliver. Lisone is a fool. Gubb is willing but doesn't cut it. Gavet looks menacing but doesn't deliver.
It concerns me that out recent recruitment focuses on Kiwi's or ex-kiwis. We desperately need some well coached, hardened Aussie props.

What Kearney does in the next couple of weeks will define our season.

It's too early to write the season off but the Warriors are playing for a share of Auckland's entertainment market. If the keep delivering poor performances the audiance will dwindle and that is then hard to turn around.

 

[ozbash]

Jim Doyle knows the clock is ticking. The Warriors boss admits this year is a "defining season" for him, and if the club doesn't achieve success he may not be at Mt Smart in 2018. In a frank interview with the Herald on Sunday, Doyle said it might be time for someone else to lead the organisation if results don't come in the next eight months.

"Obviously it depends on the circumstances," said Doyle. "Things might not go well [this year] but it depends on how [it happens]. But if there has been no dramas, no issues along the way, and no significant injuries and I am sitting here thinking I don't know how I could improve things - then there is no point me being here. That would be my context. If I can't think of anything that will make us better, then obviously I am not the right person."

Doyle, who took the role at the end of the 2014 season, emphasises he has no desire to walk away but takes a pragmatic view.

"I've always said as long as I am having fun and adding value then I will stick around, said Doyle. "But if I am not enjoying it - and I am not adding value - then it doesn't make sense for me to be here."

The NRL's clearance of Kieran Foran yesterday feels like the final piece of Jim's Jigsaw. Since he arrived, the Scot has shaken up the Warriors, on and off the field. He drove the acquisition of Issac Luke and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, secured the club's future at Mt Smart, backed Andrew McFadden throughout an awful losing streak, sanctioned the departure of Konrad Hurrell, brought in Stephen Kearney as head coach and then allowed McFadden to stay on, in an unusual scenario. Foran is his biggest gamble, and adds an extra layer of pressure to this year. The Kiwi five-eighth is seen as the last piece in the puzzle, to help the Warriors take the next step. Doyle - whose relationship with Foran goes back to his days as NZRL chief executive - has been the embattled player's greatest advocate and invested significant time and energy in him.

"It is a defining season, certainly for me," said Doyle. "In any organisation the CEO is responsible for creating the right environment and getting the right people. We have the best coaching staff the club has ever had and a pretty good roster. We'll have issues along the way - whether they are injuries or other things - but hopefully we have people who can cope with that."

Doyle maintains a demanding work schedule. He's at his desk at 6.30am most days - leaving for home about 12 hours later - and can often be found replying to emails and texts in the evening. It's unrelenting, but rewarding.

"You get measured on a weekly basis. You have good weeks, bad weeks, good months, bad months and are constantly under the spotlight," Doyle said.

"I wasn't relishing that when I took the role but the challenge of getting this club to a level where it should be offsets that."

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11816631

 

[Big Marn]

I can see improvements in the team. The halves are much better. Johnson is more involved and direct and Ata is going to be something special. Kearney wants Kata and Fusitua in at center, hence Lolo to fullback. Lolo is expendable; give him a chance but unless he performs he's goneski.
The forwards are a bigger problem. We desperately need mutts back. The fact that Jake is the best performing prop speaks volumes. Vete promises much but doesn't deliver. Lisone is a fool. Gubb is willing but doesn't cut it. Gavet looks menacing but doesn't deliver.
It concerns me that out recent recruitment focuses on Kiwi's or ex-kiwis. We desperately need some well coached, hardened Aussie props.

What Kearney does in the next couple of weeks will define our season.

It's too early to write the season off but the Warriors are playing for a share of Auckland's entertainment market. If the keep delivering poor performances the audiance will dwindle and that is then hard to turn around.

Yep, 2 rounds is too early to be making judgements but the Doom Merchants may well be right. They have been the last 5 years. Time will tell...

I agree with Rich about our recruitment. There should have been stronger focus on upgrading our props in the off season or even during last season, in preparation for this year. I harped on about this last year that this is where our deficiencies lie. I dont like Lisone. I think he is as dumb as shit and too small to make an impact. I dont like the way Vete runs the ball up. I dont even need to mention Gubb and Gavet as below NRL level top 8 team material. Lillyman is our best prop so far this season but wont sustain it for long as he is getting old and slow.

Matulino is the true enigma. When his mind is on the job he is the best prop in the NRL. But last year being part of that group on the pills was a bad sign. Does he want to be at the Warriors or has he had enough?

 

[Iron Lion]

Nice Knowing you Jim

 

[Iafeta]

Yeah...but those 3 or 4 sets in a row where we did 5 hit ups and a bomb proved ineffective as the Storm back three anticipated it well. When Vunivalu FINALLY coughed up one bomb, I think we knocked it on. Its good Kearney came up with a grinding plan suited to the conditions and with it, came an improvement from last week in regards to our error rate but it went away from our strengths. If we had speed and leap chasing those bombs then it mightve been successful but we have Tui and Maumalo and a lotta other factors. Storm ran it and scored while we stuck to a plan that was fairly simple in its application and the Storms defence didnt have to guess.

Last week we did go wide. But it was dry.

The three or four sets you speak of... how about the three or four in a row on our line that we defended under all sorts of pressure. That's the memory I take out of the game.

 

[vvvrulz]

I don't know why Gavet constantly gets talked down, he's hardly even in the team and when he is it's off the bench for about 15 mins with our pack getting destroyed and Maumalo hogging half our hit ups.

He's, if absolutely nothing else, a guaranteed upgrade on Gubb.

Lillyman needs to play 60+ minutes every week
Once Matulino comes back we have a world class prop provided his head is right
Then 2 out of Vete/Lisone/Gavet should be enough.

Of course all this is moot if we don't dramatically improve our attitude and dump the trash on our backline.

 

[vvvrulz]

The overreaction going on is ludicrous. Last night, Melbourne scored their first two tries off kicks (including one that was covered up except for a bloke slipping over in the wet). The third try came off the back of atrocious sportsmanship from Vunidouchebag.

For us, in years gone by I'm certain we would have tried to go wide without earning it. Last night they kept trying to get parity in the middle. They stuck to the plan. Our defence for the most part was good. And if Kata grounds a wet ball we are right in it.

Same result? Sure. Same old tripe, no I saw significant differences. Where we fell down was in the wrestle and we were out kicked by Cronk and Smith. Melbourne had to grind last night..

Your facts aren't wrong, but I actually found the scoreline a little flattering and we are so far behind if we're going to make the eight based on the first two rounds.

Melbourne took complete control of the second half and took it down a gear. They know percentage footy and they don't have to do much more than continuing to smash our forwards and gobble up our clueless 5th tackle option. They're the masters of the dirty minimalistic win. If Kata didn't have the brain fade, I suspect they'd have gone back on the hunt especially at Tui who is just a walking disaster.

Couple this with:
- Ken is still our incumbent winger, he's not going anywhere if he keeps making his big metres
- Tui is still the grinning muppet , bizarrely seen as a first choice backline option and the backup to RTS
- Gubb is still in the team
- Ayshford, one of our better players last year, got demoted
- Kata still doesn't know how to pass and still enjoys the showboat
- We had periods of huge mental lapses in our opening round, at home against a weak side
- Luke again appears to be half asleep, took him until about Round 15 to wake up last year
- Lillyman not getting enough minutes

... and the list goes on. And the worst part is it's the same list from our abysmal final rounds last season.

Yes, it's far too early to write us off, every single year we find a purple patch and there's probably one coming again. But this new management and so-called culture change are non-existent, early indications are for another year of the same old crap, unfortunately.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Last week we did go wide. But it was dry.

Yeah it was a different game last week and as you mentioned, it was dry and we won when we did go wide. I have proof underneath to back up what my facts, not that its needed.
Our strength in our attack is sometimes our pack and going wide not aerial assaults and you know this. Off the record - are you a level 3 coach? Just somethings you bring up leads me to think that...anyway, I appreciate we stuck to the plan as you mentioned but it was simple, more so for the Storm to read. I think we shouldve mixed it up (e.g grind set with the bomb and then next set - 3 drives/set play/backs you know our usual) the Storm occasionally went out wide in the second half more so than us and if you look at the start of the game thread on our board (vs Storm rd2) I mention that we should use some inside cut plays, guess what Cam Smith picked up Munster on for Munster to put away Cronk? A double inside cut. My point is- they mixed it up quite nicely.

The three or four sets you speak of... how about the three or four in a row on our line that we defended under all sorts of pressure. That's the memory I take out of the game.

Yep we can be happy with that. Like so many have said, theres a lot of positives from that game.

If you want I can edit the video to show the sets I was talking about. Thats if youre not sure about them. Phillip Smith and some others that were on here commenting, already know the sets I was talking about. Dont mean to blow ass but I predicted the next sets after that, it was that simple and IMO ineffective.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Your facts aren't wrong, but I actually found the scoreline a little flattering and we are so far behind if we're going to make the eight based on the first two rounds.

Melbourne took complete control of the second half and took it down a gear. They know percentage footy and they don't have to do much more than continuing to smash our forwards and gobble up our clueless 5th tackle option. They're the masters of the dirty minimalistic win. If Kata didn't have the brain fade, I suspect they'd have gone back on the hunt especially at Tui who is just a walking disaster.

Couple this with:
- Ken is still our incumbent winger, he's not going anywhere if he keeps making his big metres
- Tui is still the grinning muppet , bizarrely seen as a first choice backline option and the backup to RTS
- Gubb is still in the team
- Ayshford, one of our better players last year, got demoted
- Kata still doesn't know how to pass and still enjoys the showboat
- We had periods of huge mental lapses in our opening round, at home against a weak side
- Luke again appears to be half asleep, took him until about Round 15 to wake up last year
- Lillyman not getting enough minutes

... and the list goes on. And the worst part is it's the same list from our abysmal final rounds last season.

Yes, it's far too early to write us off, every single year we find a purple patch and there's probably one coming again. But this new management and so-called culture change are non-existent, early indications are for another year of the same old crap, unfortunately.

Ayshford shouldve played that game. Especially if Kearneys back up plan was the 5 forward drive (no backs ball) and then bomb. Whats that got to do with Aysh? Well it shifts high flying Fusitua to the wing (6. Johnson 4. Ayshford 5. Fusitua) to get there and turn those bombs into a contest instead of the hope-they-drop-it scenario that we saw. Our first try came off a bomb which Fusitua contested and fed out to Tui.

I dont know why Ayshford is not selected. Yes Fusitua can play centre but he can play wing as well where he scores those tries where his body is pushed out and not even on the playing field better than most in the competition.

 

[Fangs]

Disagree.

You've had a good start to the season. As long as Sheck can stick around you'll stay dangerous.

You did just get beat by Melbourne. Notoriously known as the best and most consistent starters in the competition. Nothing to fret about yet.

 

[ozbash]

Luke again appears to be half asleep, took him until about Round 15 to wake up last year

Huge dissapointment for me.. Guy shouldn't be playing first grade..

 

[JJ]

Wonder if Luke's just reverted to type - is he simply a myth built on one outstanding season with the Bunnies - where they won the premiership without him anyway.

Prior and since he's simply been inconsistent and ill-disciplined, our vaunted spine has amounted to little to date - and quite frankly he's been shit

 

[Iafeta]

No, no coaching experience at all...

 

[Iafeta]

Wonder if Luke's just reverted to type - is he simply a myth built on one outstanding season with the Bunnies - where they won the premiership without him anyway.

Prior and since he's simply been inconsistent and ill-disciplined, our vaunted spine has amounted to little to date - and quite frankly he's been shit

If you ignore the 4 or 5 outstanding seasons he had in largely poor Souths teams before that, sure you could label him a one season wonder.

The guy was taped up around the ribs. It was blatantly obvious. Wouldn't be surprised if he was needled up.

 

[JJ]

If you ignore the 4 or 5 outstanding seasons he had in largely poor Souths teams before that, sure you could label him a one season wonder.

The guy was taped up around the ribs. It was blatantly obvious. Wouldn't be surprised if he was needled up.

Don't think he was that outstanding prior, and he was certainly an ill-disciplined grub - that said I always liked him - I didn't want to sign because of his ill-discipline - but that hasn't ben an issue here, just his form generally has been poor

Sure, I understand he was playing hurt yesterday, but all of last year was pretty much rubbish - just wonder if he's past his use by date - people seem comfortable saying that with Hoffman and Lillyman (despite their ongoing string performances)