From nrl.com.au
New Zealand Warriors coach Ivan Cleary says his side can improve on its surprise NRL win over Newcastle on the weekend.
The bottom-placed Warriors defeated the previously unbeaten Knights 26-22 in Newcastle while star halfback Andrew Johns watched from the sidelines with a neck injury.
Cleary said his players didn't execute against the Knights as well as they did in the side's win over Wests Tigers in Christchurch the week before.
"To still be able to come away with the win is probably the most pleasing thing to come out of the weekend," he told reporters.
"We did some good things but some other stuff I thought we could do a lot better.
"To play the sort of footy where I know we can get better and still win, especially over there, I think that is a real plus for us."
The Warriors initially trailed 0-10 and then held on to their winning four-point margin for the last 20 minutes of Sunday's match despite some desperate Newcastle attempts to score.
The second win away from home brought New Zealand back to zero points after starting the season on minus four because of NRL salary cap breaches in the past two years.
The Warriors next play Manly at Auckland's Ericsson Stadium on Sunday.
Cleary said while there was a danger of complacency creeping in after consecutive wins he hadn't seen any evidence of that among his players.
"It's a lot easier preparing after wins, I suppose, although sometimes a loss can help you focus a bit harder," he said.
The coach said his team had a chance to build on what they had achieved.
"Momentum's a really important thing in this competition.
"We're in a position where, coming back home, we've certainly got the opportunity.
"It's important to grab it with both hands and put in a good performance."
New Zealand Warriors coach Ivan Cleary says his side can improve on its surprise NRL win over Newcastle on the weekend.
The bottom-placed Warriors defeated the previously unbeaten Knights 26-22 in Newcastle while star halfback Andrew Johns watched from the sidelines with a neck injury.
Cleary said his players didn't execute against the Knights as well as they did in the side's win over Wests Tigers in Christchurch the week before.
"To still be able to come away with the win is probably the most pleasing thing to come out of the weekend," he told reporters.
"We did some good things but some other stuff I thought we could do a lot better.
"To play the sort of footy where I know we can get better and still win, especially over there, I think that is a real plus for us."
The Warriors initially trailed 0-10 and then held on to their winning four-point margin for the last 20 minutes of Sunday's match despite some desperate Newcastle attempts to score.
The second win away from home brought New Zealand back to zero points after starting the season on minus four because of NRL salary cap breaches in the past two years.
The Warriors next play Manly at Auckland's Ericsson Stadium on Sunday.
Cleary said while there was a danger of complacency creeping in after consecutive wins he hadn't seen any evidence of that among his players.
"It's a lot easier preparing after wins, I suppose, although sometimes a loss can help you focus a bit harder," he said.
The coach said his team had a chance to build on what they had achieved.
"Momentum's a really important thing in this competition.
"We're in a position where, coming back home, we've certainly got the opportunity.
"It's important to grab it with both hands and put in a good performance."
