I don't agree with that, let's have a look:
- we have the full Kiwi's spine, including three premiership winners and a golden boot
- Mannering and Matulino are world class
- Hoffman and Lillyman are origin regulars
The surrounding mob:
- Kata, Brodene and Fusitua have shown strong glimpses of high-quality footy. They have a head problem and should be doing much better.
- Ayshford is a very solid player
- CNK, Tevaga have shown they can cut the top grade
- Gavet has been a beast this year
That's most of a starting lineup who'll make any other NRL team.
Yes the bench is weak, we're one or two big props short of being truly dangerous; but this should be more than enough to build a top 8 team. I mean look at us, we're miles off the cut and our coach is saying "winning doesn't matter".
In our clubs history we've rarely had it this good, Uncle Ivan usually had half of this and didn't have much trouble getting us into September.
But there's the problem, Kearney doesn't know how to mould his riches into a coordinated team. Right now they're just a collection of good players mincing around the same way the World Cricket XI did against Australia a decade ago. That's a coaching failure right there.
The "Kiwi spine" thing gets blown out of proportion. Reality is there's very, very few Kiwis who even play any of those positions at NRL level. Calling them premiership winners is giving them additional value for the team they played for rather than their own ability.
But even then, as I said, the pretty spine doesn't matter when your forwards suck.
Mannering obviously is great, however, world class is a big call given there's multiple guys who play lock in the NRL who I'd definitely take before him. Matulino was world class, now he's good, and he's leaving.
Hoffman is not an Origin regular. Hoffman WAS an Origin regular. He is also leaving.
Lillyman is not an Origin regular and never has been. I'm pretty sure he's only played one full Origin series. For the most part he's been a fringe Origin selection.
"they have a head problem" yes, and unfortunately being an intelligent player is quite important, just having the physical tools doesn't cut it. Until they develop mentally they aren't the players you'd like to hype them to be.
Guys like CNK and Tevaga are fine, but basically every club has good young players coming through, most clubs have better ones. Considering some of the young backs that have come on the scene this season, someone like Cotric looks a much different level.
Fact is that forward pack, for all these supposed world class and origin regulars, gets stomped weekly. That's because basically every team has a bigger, stronger, better forward pack. How many forward packs in the NRL would you genuinely pick the Warriors over?
I'd say they're one or two good props short from actually being a top eight worthy side, nevermind truly dangerous.
You're judging the paper Warriors, how many times must we be let down by the paper Warriors before realising these players really aren't all they're cracked up to be? Hyping them up with labels like you're using is just setting up for disappointment.
None of this is to say Kearney is any good. But this team has had the coach excuse over and over and over again. Perhaps it's both the team and the coaches.
Ivan had half of this? I'd take those Warriors rosters over this one pretty happily, particularly for the time they played.
