I guess Webster is like SK in that he likes a bit of mystery with the team list to keep the other coach guessing.
More likely Webster has a clear idea of how he wants to approach specific opponents.
The Rabbitohs have the wood on us and they know we know it.
There is a real confidence imbalance in some NRL games. One team will play like premiers every time they meet a side they have established a hoodoo over.
Case and point, the psychology of how the Warriors years ago terrorized the high flying Storm is wild. Only to get pumped the next week by Neville nobodies.
Well the problem Webster faces is that the Rabbitohs have got inside our players heads for so long that we go in nervous. While Souths go in throwing the ball around like they have nothing to lose.
The only way I see us overcoming this Souths hurdle (Penrith too) is defence and violence.
Souths Pack owned us last year, and they own us every year.
Take another look at this team line up, we have gone for size (
Ale only gets games when we want some beef), we are starting with Niukore too (Size and aggression, Thom Burgess plays his best vs the Warriors).
And Jazz is in there this week, even though he was dropped after a really good game, one of his best, against the Raiders. So good players like Jazz and CHT, will get dropped for game plan changes by the looks of things.
Webster saw how he got two NRL wins off defence, he loses Capewell, so he brings in more forwards, more size, more tacklers, especially Jazz and Freddy who clean up around the ruck.
Webster will be planning a twelve point or less concession to Souths, no matter what Souths throw at us.
I expect a Warriors win, in the range of 12 Souths, and slightly more points to our ledger.
Also, after watching TMM make
Ben Farr look like a Star last week, I bet Webster and crew watched that tape and thought, bugger me, a selfless passer of the ball that tackles well is just the ticket for Souths.
I like that I cannot guess the weekly teams, it means the coach has plans and schemes I cannot see, which is actually a relief because I am just guy who gets all my expertise from screen, he rubs shoulders with these guys and sees what is going on the entire week.
The fact that the Warriors are leading the NRL for territory this season screams out for bringing in the defensive wall and strangling teams to death, it is a far more reliable way to win a game than banking on your attack.
