General CLEARY CALLS FOR IMPROVED EXECUTION

[PB_old]

From the Warriors. Some nice tidbits in this, and a late happy 30th birthday to Awen Guttenbiel.

CLEARY CALLS FOR IMPROVED EXECUTION

Improved execution in possession and sustained concentration on defence are what head coach Ivan Cleary wants from the Vodafone Warriors in their NRL clash against Parramatta tomorrow night.
After the team's final training run in Hamilton this morning, Cleary said he was confident the team would show improvement.
He pinpointed poor execution and a soft defensive period in the second half as the main contributing factors in the Vodafone Warriors' season-opening 16-22 loss to Melbourne last Sunday.
"We must lift our execution and we have to keep our concentration levels up on defence," he said.
"We'll improve as a team over time."
While the Parramatta Eels started their campaign with a 6-25 loss at Newcastle last Saturday night, Cleary was under no illusions. The Eels, with the skilful Tim Smith at halfback and a cast of talented players around him, were a quality outfit.
In the corresponding match last year, the Eels won 28-18 on a misty Saturday night after the Vodafone Warriors had led early on.
In nine NRL matches played in New Zealand outside Auckland, the Vodafone Warriors are yet to win. A draw against the Bulldogs in Hamilton has been their best result.
"I can't see any reason why that should have happened," said Cleary.
"I haven't been here really to get a feeling for what went on. What I do know is that when I was playing here we seemed to go well in Wellington without quite being able to win."

MATCH NOTES

Snippets:

• No changes have been made to the Vodafone Warriors’ originally-named line-up.
• All players came through this morning’s final pre-match training session in Hamilton.
• Sam Rapira <18> was added to the squad as 18th man on Thursday. Rapira, a 2004-05 Junior Kiwi – and captain last year – has trained with the first-grade squad throughout the off-season and pre-season. He played in the Vodafone Warriors’ first trial against Canberra on February 12 but wasn’t used against North Queensland or the Bulldogs in the next two trials. However, he appeared for the Allied Work Force elite development team in matches against the Ipswich Jets and the Cudgen Hornets last month as well as last Sunday’s Ericsson Stadium curtain-raiser against Bartercard Cup side the Tamaki Leopards.
• Rapira is one of three Waikato products in the squad that travelled to Hamilton. Educated at Hamilton Boys’ High School, Rapira’s fellow Waikato team-mates are Wairangi Koopu and Lance Hohaia. The Vodafone Warriors have invited all three players’ parents to be their guests in a hospitality suite at Waikato Stadium tomorrow night.
• Louis Anderson also spent a year at Church College in Hamilton.
• The Vodafone Warriors, coaching staff and management were given a powhiri (traditional Maori welcome) when they visited Koopu’s school – Rakaumanga School – in Huntly yesterday. Hohaia later visited his school St Paul’s Collegiate with captain Steve Price and Ruben Wiki.
• Micheal Luck was drafted into the Vodafone Warriors’ starting line-up against Melbourne after originally being named on the bench. He has been named to start tomorrow night’s match against Parramatta, his second for his new club and the 78th of his career.
• Jerome Ropati has been selected at standoff in his 37th first-grade match. He played most of his Bartercard Cup football at standoff for Marist Richmond. He wore the No 6 jersey only twice last year in away matches against Brisbane and Cronulla. He also played at fullback when Brent Webb was injured early in the season – and made his test debut for the Kiwis at fullback in the Anzac Test – but was used mainly in the centres in 2005.
• Tony Martin is moved to right centre tomorrow night after being selected on the right wing against Melbourne.
• Todd Byrne returns on the right wing after being 18th man last Sunday. He scored 14 tries in 22 appearances in his first season with the Vodafone Warriors.
• First-grade squad members Richard Villasanti, George Tuakura, George Gatis and Patrick Ah Van will play for the Allied Work Force Elite Development team against Bartercard Cup side Waicoa Bay at Davies Park in Huntly tomorrow.

Birthday:

• Awen Guttenbeil turned 30 on March 14 (Tuesday).

Milestones:


• Tomorrow night’s match is the 266th in the Vodafone Warriors’ history.
• If the Vodafone Warriors can score eight tries in their next two matches, they will become the second-fastest club in the competition’s history to reach 1000 tries (Brisbane brought up 1000 tries in 237 matches, ahead of South Sydney with 1000 tries in 268 matches). The Warriors’ three tries last weekend lifted their tally to 992 in 265 matches.
• Awen Guttenbeil makes his 149th first-grade appearance for the Vodafone Warriors tomorrow night and is set to reach his 150th against Wests Tigers in Christchurch on March 25. He’ll be only the second Vodafone Warrior to reach the mark (after Stacey Jones).
• Wairangi Koopu scored his 24th career try last Sunday and now needs just one more try to bring up 100 first-grade points.
• Tony Martin moves within nine matches of reaching 100 first-grade appearances tomorrow night. He made his 90th appearance against Melbourne.

 

[ozbash_old]

is there a curtain raiser tomorrow arvo ?

 

[PB_old]

Yep. Turangawaewae v Hamilton City Tigers. Gates open at 5PM.

 

[PB_old]

Most interesting bit for me is this:

Rapira is one of three Waikato products in the squad that travelled to Hamilton. Educated at Hamilton Boys’ High School, Rapira’s fellow Waikato team-mates are Wairangi Koopu and Lance Hohaia. The Vodafone Warriors have invited all three players’ parents to be their guests in a hospitality suite at Waikato Stadium tomorrow night.

Now Rapira's parents may have been invited "in case" but I'd say he's getting a run.

 

[warriors4life_old]

If Rapira does get a run then who will be cut out?

 

[da mad maori]

Ivan has got a fair bit of work to do yet to get this team operating to its full potential.
One area of concern for me is the "laboured" distribution from the play-the ball.Especially at the line.As soon as the play-the ball is activated we can see who's going to get the ball. Even with all the so-called dummy-runners standing around.For us to score within the ten/twenty metre mark we have to create uncertainty in the minds of the defensive line. We are not doing that. We are telegraphing what we are going to do. Its been our problems in the past, and is still with us even now. Hence we have to go for the 'bomb'.

 

[AmeriKiwi_old]

Though still a new fan to League, I noticed the exact same thing you`re talking about at last week`s game, DMM. They weren`t confusing or frustrating the Storm`s defense nearly enough, and I hope it`s something Cleary successfully worked on with the players this week. They have to confuse the other teams` defense, as you say, and take more risks when they`re trying to score.
It`ll take time to improve/perfect their play execution, as Cleary said, but now`s the time to start.

 

[sebastian_old]

If Rapira does get a run then who will be cut out?

IT HASS TO BE LAUAKI!!!!!!

 

[AmeriKiwi_old]

Fav Player:





CLEARY CALLS FOR IMPROVED EXECUTION

Improved execution in possession and sustained concentration on defence are what head coach Ivan Cleary wants from the Vodafone Warriors in their NRL clash against Parramatta tomorrow night.
After the team's final training run in Hamilton this morning, Cleary said he was confident the team would show improvement.
He pinpointed poor execution and a soft defensive period in the second half as the main contributing factors in the Vodafone Warriors' season-opening 16-22 loss to Melbourne last Sunday.
"We must lift our execution and we have to keep our concentration levels up on defence," he said.
"We'll improve as a team over time."

Read the last line here... "We`ll improve as a team over time." Cleary has inherited a team with a losing record and he`s taking a patient and slow but steady approach to building a better team. It was apparent, to me at least, that the Warriors had focused more on defense during training this past week, and there was better tackling and harder hitting than in the 1st game against the Storm.
As far as "improved execution" goes, there was little evidence of that against the Eels, and it`s back to the drawing board in that department this week, hopefully. They`re not playing as a team, offensively speaking, and it`s a one man show out there as each ball carrier repeatedly tries to break through the line all alone, while the rest of the team stands back and watches.
And remember, as Ivan says, these changes will come "over time", not overnight. That`s what we`re facing as fans and as a team, like it or not.

 

[JonB_old]

Part of the execution problem might be level of skill there were 3 or 4 bombs that were either impossible to score off or get scored off 1 in a 100 times by an exellent winger making a big play and then somone in a warriors jersye landing on the ball.
I think the genral skill level could be the problem.

 

[PB_old]

"We`ll improve as a team over time."

Sure. No doubt that is true, but whether that is acceptable depends on your expectations and point of view. If looking from a clean slate then yes, take all the time in the world. If you have been following the team for years this line may be wearisome and treated as such. Reality, as dictated by fans and professional sport, sits somewhere in between.

 

[AmeriKiwi_old]

It`s only acceptable because it has to be acceptable... the reality is that you`ve got to make the best with what you`ve got to work with, unfortunately, and somehow inspire the players you do have to step up and improve.
The fans` frustration in seeing the "same ole, same ole" is totally understandable, of course. But frustrated venting by the fans won`t change how the players perform on the field. It`s a job for Cleary and the rest of the coaching staff.