Woe-rriors

Oh my God, that was painful viewing.

On Saturday night against the Penrith Panthers, the Warriors plumbed new depths as they capitulated to their largest-ever defeat. Surely this club has hit a new low. Watching this game became a strange experience where I didn’t want to watch and yet I could not look away.

I was stunned, as were many others, seeing the players laughing and smiling after the game. I would’ve been embarrassed by that performance, not amused. Did some of those younger players not care?

When the Warriors reached the 2011 NRL Grand Final their coach was Ivan Cleary who, of course, coached their opposition on Saturday. This was surely an example of Cleary knowing how to dismantle his former troops. But I don’t think the Warriors would have beaten anyone, perhaps with the exception of the equally terrible Wests Tigers.

When they reached that grand final two long years ago, supporters were rightly optimistic about the future. Cleary had been at the helm for several seasons, the team was humming and they came oh so close to their first premiership. But the one-and-a-bit train-wreck seasons since that time have been hard to watch.

First Cleary departed. Then along came Brian ‘Bluey’ McLennan in 2012. Strangely his master plan seemed to involve cutting back on fitness training. The results were almost immediate and continued through the season as, time and time again, the Warriors capitulated in the final 15 minutes as their lungs gave out. Well before the end of the 2012 season, McLennan had been relieved of his duties and fans could only look forward to the 2013 season.

In came Matthew Elliot; an experienced coach but perhaps not the superstar, along the lines of a Wayne Bennett or a Craig Bellamy, which had been promised by the owners. He came in and immediately identified the players’ fitness levels as a major concern. He’s addressed that and the result is a trim and fit-looking bunch of chaps. Yet the performance levels as a team have not improved one bit. So what is wrong at the Warriors this year? Here are my thoughts.

1.       Size

The pack is relatively small. Yes, I really believe that. These are some big boys – no doubt. But when they line up next to the Bulldogs or the Rabbitohs or one of several other teams, the Warriors don’t seem as physically daunting as once they were. Admittedly some of those teams’ forwards have bulked up in a suspiciously short period of time. But this season I believe the Warriors forwards have been out-muscled on a few occasions and that’s not something you would have ever heard of in years gone by.

2.       Captain Mannering

Simon is a good player and a man who gives his all for the team for the whole 80 minutes. But is he a good leader? I remember Steve Price in particular rallying the troops, leading from the front, getting in the referee’s ear and just generally being a vocal and noticeable figure on the field. Simon Mannering isn’t like that. I’m not saying he’s not a good leader because he’s a quieter character – far from it as I believe there are countless examples of introverts who are outstanding leaders. I just feel that he could do a lot more to inspire his teammates when the chips are down. Steve Price simply wouldn’t have allowed that performance to continue on Saturday.

3.       Recruitment

It’s a much-discussed problem this year; why would an Aussie league star swap the sun and sand of North Queensland for the factories and fumes of West Auckland? The answer is that generally they wouldn’t. But the quality of recruitment has been a little disappointing. Dane Nielsen may prove to be a good buy, although thanks to injuries, he is currently on a similar dollars-per-minutes-played rate as Brent Tate once was at the Warriors. But with all due respect, Todd Lowrie is a journeyman and Thomas Leuluai, while competent, is not going to single-handedly win many matches in the NRL. Other purchases in recent years, for example Steve Rapira, have also been major disappointments. While the focus on player development is important for a club that is so intrinsically linked to its community, this has to be balanced with quality purchases that capture the public’s imagination. In my view as a result there are now too many Warriors in key positions who are good but not great.

4.       Salary Cap

The NRL imposes a cap on the total salaries each club can pay players each season. This will rise to $A6.3m next year and will be $A7m by 2017. Although the club hierarchy never confirm one way or the other, rumour has it that the Warriors are currently well under the permitted player salary cap. This possibility is backed up by the club’s pursuit of English Superleague star Sam Tomkins, who they are apparently prepared to pay $1 million per season. I can’t help wondering if they’d be better to pay that amount to recruit a quality prop and a star five-eighth. But regardless of who they’re chasing, it is clear that there is certainly room under the cap this season.

5.       Manu Vatuvei

I’ve been a fan of the big fella for many years. But the last two seasons or so, it’s seemed to me that he’s lost the proverbial yard of pace. This season he looks fitter than I’ve ever seen him and he gives his all for 80 minutes every game. But for every try he scores, he concedes two through poor positioning and poor decision-making. I’ve lost track of how many times he’s been unnecessarily caught 15 metres infield while the opposition winger scores unopposed in the corner. Opposition teams target him knowing that if a centre runs at him on the angle he’ll be unable to resist the urge to rush infield. To be honest I just don’t think it’s good enough. He needs to still be involved with the Warriors. So how about transforming him into a wide-ranging forward? The Warriors use him as a battering ram anyway. I think it’s worth a try (or two).

To the Warriors decision-makers; open the cheque-book and increase the quality of the squad while you continue to develop those wonderfully-talented juniors. Your fans deserve it.

Vicki  Wilson

This week the former Australian netball great was appointed as Assistant Coach of a Silver Ferns. There were numerous Kiwi candidates who either missed out or were not approached. So is this a good thing for NZ netball? Hell yes!

We obviously hate admitting Aussies are better than us at anything. But they are better than us at netball – no question. Our teams in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship play above their weight to a degree and are competing really well with the Aussie girls. But those Aussies are more professional, tougher, faster and they certainly play to win – no medals for participating or ‘everyone’s a winner’ in Australia.

Those are of course vast generalisations, but overall it’s true. So for one of the meanest toughest Aussie players there’s ever been to agree to coach and develop our elite netballers is a massive coup. Her expertise as a former attacker perfectly complements Head Coach Waimarama Taumaunu, herself a former world class defender. Once Wilson adds some toughness and a few new skills to our Ferns, those Aussies had better watch out!

Golden Balls

Finally this week, just a quick mention of the retirement of one David Beckham. Love him or hate him, his impact on world football has been immense, as have the number and variety of hairstyles he’s sported through the years. It hasn’t all been plain sailing; from attracting the loathing of a nation after being sent off playing for England vs. Argentina in the 1998 World Cup to having his eyebrow opened up when an irate Sir Alex Ferguson once kicked a boot across the Manchester United dressing room. But everywhere he played he had an influence. He won championships in England, Spain, the United States and, as of this week, France. He is also one of only a handful of players to win more than 100 caps for England. 

This week former England footballer Chris Waddle said Beckham wouldn’t rate in the top 1,000 players of the past 40 years. I thought this was a bit of a ‘nothing’ statement as I don’t think it’s possible to compare athletes from different eras. George Nepia or Christian Cullen? W.G Grace or Viv Richards? Mike Tyson or Joe Frasier? Jason Pine or David Beckham?

The simple answer to these questions, possibly with the exception of the last one, is ‘who knows?’ I think Waddle was just trying to be controversial. Beckham was a fine player whose contribution will be missed. All I know is that without Beckham the world of football will be just a little bit less interesting and a little less stylish.

Till next time,

SG