I don't see how he can't see WHY he was pulled. He should have been hooked after that diabolical kick for touch. You need to look for evidence of players not putting in, or not concentrating, not having that ruthless attitude. Johnson was tackling like a sissy girl all game prior to that, and then, when the chips were down, and we needed to get a set in their half, we get a penalty on the left edge of the field. As a total smart A moron douche with absolutely no regard for any of his other team members, he decides to kick it to the FAR side of the field, drastically decreasing the chances of kicking it out. As soon as he switched facing that way I wanted to jump through the TV screen and grab his smug face to stop him from doing it. If its obvious to all of us, why not to him?
He's got a lot of holes in his game. His defence before and after that was getting slaughtered. Lewi Brown was having a field day against him. Matty Robinson was being made to look like the second coming of Gorden Tallis against him. The tackles he completed were ones where he basically held on, got driven a mile backwards, and just before they were about to rag doll them off him, Mannering or Henry came to save him. Which is also why the second try went in. Ben Henry was so paranoid about someone running at Johnson, who wasn't putting in, that he decided to come up and play tag with Johnson, bringing Tupou in and giving Tupou no option but to come up and in. To compound things, after not kicking the ball out, the way he fell off tackling Lewi Brown straight after that was an absolute disgrace.
When I watch him play, aside from his defence, there's a lot of things he needs to work on. One is he never goes with the simple plays of turning the ball back under for his props to hit a vulnerable defender. Another is after a half break is made by the props, he never himself then takes the ball and goes to the line looking to use his stepping ability. Another is his short kicking game is probably the worst amongst halfbacks in the comp. His long kicking is generally very good. His broken field running is exceptional. And his long passing is very very good. But if he honestly thinks he is anywhere near as developed a player as he should be, he's kidding himself. He was just as, if not more talented than Daly Cherry Evans coming through NYC. He should be destroying it like he is. He's not. He doesn't take ownership. He doesn't take leadership. He doesn't bark out instructions. He doesn't have the balls of a Geoff Toovey that if his forwards aren't doing whats needed, Toovey he used to get in and show them how and then launch a massive tirade at his forwards, who soon got the picture.
Now, that's one part, what about this deplorably embarassing article. Sounds to me like more PR spin from the CEO. The smiles weren't good, but if you honestly did not know there was a rotten culture and a deplorable attitude at the club prior to Saturday night, you've got your head in the sand and your ears in the pooper. The attitude is cancerous. We've been losing close games in the last 15 minutes for a year now. Its been plainly obvious blokes don't put in. They get mentally weak. It only takes a minute or two of not concentrating and in this comp, momentum's gone and you're a shot duck. The only ones I can see week in week out busting a hump are Simon Mannering and Nathan Friend. That should tell you enough.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/8691990/Elliot-defended-Warriors-players-reprimanded
That isn't acceptable? I agree, but what about the last year of torture? Why hasn't that been acceptable? It must have been, because the only guy who got torched out of the whole debacle (and so he should have been) was McClennan. What about the players? They waltz around like everythings cool. And what about yourself? You're a liar who is also not performing. We'll get a super coach you said. ITs the lesson we learned, you said. We got Matt Elliott! None of this is Matt's fault IMO, he's come to a club with terrible leadership. You've got Owen Glenn you'd be perfect as a silent owner, instead he's taken the mickey out of rugby league by proclaiming the Warriors will be the greatest thing since sliced bread without so much as executing anything. Owners should barely be seen or heard. Get them sprinkling champagne when things are good, otherwise, butt out, or if you are involved, be there to hold the one bloke you haven't held accountable, accountable. That bloke is Wayne Scurrah. This is the guy who forced Cleary out. I can only presume his relationship with John Hart led to him leaving.
There's something rotten in the state of Denmark, and while the players smiling was deplorable, to say you've now addressed it? What about addressing all of the fans for the last year and why we've had to put up with this nonsense, while you hold one bloke accountable, accept no accountability yourself, and the players still live like calypso kings thrashing out their PS3's and not being mentally tough. The type of blokes you need at this club are Steve Price and KEvin Campion, and Ivan Cleary. Particularly Campion. Remember when he arrived? The players were shocked if he dropped a ball at training he'd drop for push ups. Who's taking that leadership now? Who's the leader of the pack who doesn't accept his own failings and makes an example out of themselves and shows the way that falling short is not good enough? And that the only way out of it is blood, sacrifice, and a hell of a lot of hard toil.
