General Warriors' Season Review: Good, Bad And Worse

[mt.wellington]

So the Warriors have finished up for the season and its time to look back on a woeful season and review the year that was.

Article from https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/7583505/Warriors-season-review-Good-bad-and-even-worse

OPINION: Despite their spectacular 2012 decline, the New Zealand Warriors still deserve to walk away from the NRL season with something. Whether they'll want these "awards" or not, is a moot point.
WORST PERFORMANCE
So many to choose from, particularly of late, but none have proved to be as damaging as the 24-22 loss to Manly in Perth. Up by 18 points, with 13 minutes remaining, the Warriors somehow conspired to lose.
Having coughed up an 18-point lead the week before, to Newcastle, the Warriors set a new NRL record for largest consecutive capitulations. Their season never recovered.
WORST CHOICE
Appointing wing Manu Vatuvei as captain. Vatuvei's ascension to the helm was an indication of the internal problems which led to the demise of coach Brian McClennan.
WORST PR MOVE
Parting with McClennan two weeks out from the end of the season. It served no purpose, other than to further destabilise the organisation.
A quiet off-season exit would have enabled all parties to retain their dignity. McClennan's tenure was a disappointment, but the performance of chief executive Wayne Scurrah has hardly been stellar in the last two years.
WOOLIEST THINKING
How many clubs make a grade final and then decide to flood their top 17 with kids? None.
Teams have a championship window and the Warriors closed theirs as soon as they starting promoting under-20 players to first grade. It's easy to blame the coach for that but, again, chief executives have their fingers in every pie at an NRL club.
KRISNAN INU
The now-Bulldog sums the Warriors up to a tee this year. Awful and unwanted at one club, he's been a stunning success at another. His situation says a lot about the hierarchy of the respective clubs.
TO GET BETTER
The Warriors have to find some decent centres, which is ironic given they punted Inu. Jerome Ropati has been desperately unlucky with injury and Konrad Hurrell offers promise, but plugging the gaps with backrowers has to stop.
INTERESTING POINT
Former Broncos great Gorden Tallis described the Warriors as "selfish" the other day. He said, defensively, the players rarely help out their team-mates and have an attitude that if an opponent isn't running at them, then they can clock off.

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OVER TO YOU FELLAS
The Warriors' forwards have it all in front of them next year. The team's backs are error-prone and ordinary and it's horrifying to think that James Maloney might be replaced at standoff by Thomas Leuluai and Carlos Tuimavave (another kid).
The pack might have to win games on their own. The signing of Storm centre Dane Nielsen offers at least some encouragement.
MOST INFLUENTIAL PLAYER
Hard to go past hooker Nathan Friend. Another in a useful line of Aussies like Jason Death, Robbie Mears, Nathan Fien and Ian Henderson that have given terrific service from dummy half. Like those rakes before him, Friend is a genuine competitor.
BEST PLAYER
Prop Ben Matulino hit hard and ran hard this year and made the team better every time he was on the park. Should only improve in the next season or two.
BEST TEAM PERFORMANCE
The 44-22 demolition of the finals-bound Rabbitohs stands out like a beacon.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES
Micheal Luck isn't the only player leaving the club this year but, with due respect to blokes like Maloney and Lewis Brown, he's the one who'll be missed most.
On and off the park, Luck looked like the glue that kept the club together. Todd Lowrie, another signing from the Storm, should fill the void left by Luck on the paddock, but the popular Queenslander will be harder to replace off it.
ENOUGH ALREADY
There are too many apologists for rugby league in this country. Genuine scrutiny of our flagship teams, the Kiwis and Warriors, is rare and those who indulge in it are often accused of "league bashing".
There is no class war between rugby and rugby league, no battle between good and evil. There are two games, of equal merit, and rugby league people need to accept that and acknowledge that the Warriors have problems.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

A new coach and a right winger would solve most of the problems.

 

[Raurimu Massive]

Good to see fingers being pointed at the hierarchy. Shit needs to change.

 

[Buck777]

So the Warriors have finished up for the season and its time to look back on a woeful season and review the year that was.

INTERESTING POINT
Former Broncos great Gorden Tallis described the Warriors as "selfish" the other day. He said, defensively, the players rarely help out their team-mates and have an attitude that if an opponent isn't running at them, then they can clock off.

​

Can't disagree with most of the points (except maybe the dropping of Bluey, because it made no difference)
It's like being a patient with so many terminal illnesses you just don't want to hear about them all, ones enough.

This comment from Tallis though really interests me because I think he's right. The warriors have always been a 'one in all in' team of 'brothers' generally. What happened? As a guess the seniors pulled away from the juniors leaving them stranded and panicked about their own game. I think 'selfish' might be a bit harsh, but there must've been a feeling like 'at least that try wasn't my fault' which is the beginning of all woes for a footy team.

 

[facefacts]

Can't disagree with most of the points (except maybe the dropping of Bluey, because it made no difference)
It's like being a patient with so many terminal illnesses you just don't want to hear about them all, ones enough.

This comment from Tallis though really interests me because I think he's right. The warriors have always been a 'one in all in' team of 'brothers' generally. What happened? As a guess the seniors pulled away from the juniors leaving them stranded and panicked about their own game. I think 'selfish' might be a bit harsh, but there must've been a feeling like 'at least that try wasn't my fault' which is the beginning of all woes for a footy team.

Yesterdays game was a new low.....we have spent the last eight weeks either giving up huge leads and managing to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, or we have just been flat out thrashed from start to finish......in yesterdays game, we managed to give up a large lead and then get got a thrashing as well....amazing.

P.s Tallis and Johns are the only two analysts i pay any real attention to.

 

[Raurimu Massive]

Can't disagree with most of the points (except maybe the dropping of Bluey, because it made no difference)

tbh, I don't think they expected it to make much of a difference. I think they just wanted him to get the fuck out of the way. By 'they' I mean the owners more than Scurrah, although he must have been keen to distance himself from MacClennan. I reckon the conversation went:

"Bluey, can you see what you've done wrong this season?"
"I stand by what I did."
"Pack your bags and leave. Now."

 

[Danpatmac]

I think there are a few people who really need a reality check, both in the club and supporting the club.

We have never won anything...
(apart from a minor premiership which means nothing in the scheme of things).

We are not a club that are seen as 'winners' or with a winning culture, because we don't win enough big games and we make schoolboy errors over and over again.
In fact, NZ Rugby League has historically got a culture of losing at the international level with only real success coming in the last decade in the big finals but still involving regular slaughters at the hands of the Aussies (and England has murdered us over there too in recent times).

Our players are seldom in the very top echelon except for a few guys of real note and how many of the Kiwis would make the Kangaroo team?

The point I'm getting to is that perhaps we are expecting top class performance from a team/club borne out of the mediocrity that is NZ rugby league.
Relying on Kiwi talent and kiwi coaches is not the answer in my opinion and the club needs to become a professional club, not a kiwi club.

Developing talent is a great idea, if you are developing great talent.
We are developing journeymen who may or may not become good players but the evidence suggests they are not good enough at this stage to be the backbone of a professional club.

The Broncos can do it because they come from a winning culture in the club and in the country.
The Storm have done it through outstanding talent identification.
We don't have either of these attributes.

We need to purchase the best available talent in both administration, coaching and playing talent.


We need to buy Bellamy, at whatever price because you need outstanding coaches to turn mediocre players into winners, and he has done this (Salary cap issues granted but the talent was developed by him and the cap issues were about retention)


I want a professional winner as my coach and he needs to be an Australian as they are the ones who win this comp, run this comp, made this comp and understand this comp.

We do not need a Kiwi in charge, we need a winner.


We do not need kiwis in the team, we need winners in the team.


We do not need our development players in the team, we need the BEST players in the team.


Manchester United, LA Lakers, NY Yankees, Barcelona, Real Madrid all agree with me.

I'm not a New Zealander by birth so the whole 'Kiwi' thing is not really important to me, i'm a club man and I just want my club to win.

 

[Buck777]

tbh, I don't think they expected it to make much of a difference. I think they just wanted him to get the fuck out of the way. By 'they' I mean the owners more than Scurrah, although he must have been keen to distance himself from MacClennan. I reckon the conversation went:

"Bluey, can you see what you've done wrong this season?"
"I stand by what I did."
"Pack your bags and leave. Now."

Yeah. I'd hazard a guess that Scurrah is placing all of his future now at the warriors to landing the big name coach and possibly a couple of huge signings. I believe this has hapoened, if not a signing then def a handshake agreement. But...... You read down that list and you'd have to say if you were Owen Glenn and Eric Watson you'd be saying to Scurrah 'where was your control of this disaster?'.. This didn't just happen overnight, this was a systematic collapse of a team and our business asset ( so to speak). That's where I think Scurrah is in hot water. He's paid the big bucks to know what's going on, not the game plan, but the morale of the team, the 'talk' around the club rooms. Even an adminstrator of a Auckland club would know that if your defensive coach is only around the players part time, you are in trouble.

What guts me the most, and I'm not being elitist, but I have mates, good mates, that struggle to pay the bills, food, kids clothing etc, but forked out $1300 of their hard earned cash to give their family some decent entertainment. Plus the usual jerseys etc. They are true loyal fans that sacrifice a lot to get to the park. And they got served up that? Try's being scored with no attempt to tackle, a team thats unprepared and plays like a joke, then players send abusive texts to fans? Players that are transferring to other clubs and just roll up fill the numbers, players that fans would love to see have a run relegated to the vulcans because of personality disputes, and the same idiot card post match responses afterwards. How to alienate yourself from your fan base.
Some of these warriors need to have reality check that their $100 to $300k salary is actually partially paid by hard working blue collar league supporters that sacrificed A LOT to get their family along to Mt Smart.
Apologise for the rant, but it just seems very wrong.

 

[eamon]

A new coach and a right winger would solve most of the problems.

As well as a coupke of decennt front rowers to follow Mutts. Lillyman was average this year (former SOO player, so has been good), and Packer has been downright terrible and shouldn't have his contract renewed. Which I suppose, is a possibility under the new ownership. Glenn didn't make shitloads of money by being nice, and making excuses for poor performance

 

[fonzy]

Yeah. I'd hazard a guess that Scurrah is placing all of his future now at the warriors to landing the big name coach and possibly a couple of huge signings. I believe this has hapoened, if not a signing then def a handshake agreement. But...... You read down that list and you'd have to say if you were Owen Glenn and Eric Watson you'd be saying to Scurrah 'where was your control of this disaster?'.. This didn't just happen overnight, this was a systematic collapse of a team and our business asset ( so to speak). That's where I think Scurrah is in hot water. He's paid the big bucks to know what's going on, not the game plan, but the morale of the team, the 'talk' around the club rooms. Even an adminstrator of a Auckland club would know that if your defensive coach is only around the players part time, you are in trouble.

What guts me the most, and I'm not being elitist, but I have mates, good mates, that struggle to pay the bills, food, kids clothing etc, but forked out $1300 of their hard earned cash to give their family some decent entertainment. Plus the usual jerseys etc. They are true loyal fans that sacrifice a lot to get to the park. And they got served up that? Try's being scored with no attempt to tackle, a team thats unprepared and plays like a joke, then players send abusive texts to fans? Players that are transferring to other clubs and just roll up fill the numbers, players that fans would love to see have a run relegated to the vulcans because of personality disputes, and the same idiot card post match responses afterwards. How to alienate yourself from your fan base.
Some of these warriors need to have reality check that their $100 to $300k salary is actually partially paid by hard working blue collar league supporters that sacrificed A LOT to get their family along to Mt Smart.
Apologise for the rant, but it just seems very wrong.

I agree 100% with this post, i am a hardworking blue collar guy with kids and i have spent thousands over the past 15 years supporting the warriors and i have felt on more than a few occasions this year " is it really worth it?". When i have voiced this opinion to people i have gotten the "gotta keep the faith bullshit" . Ive kept that faith year in year out and this is how my team repays me, im glad the season is over, i hope that with a good off season this shit taste will leave my mouth by the time the season kicks off next year.

 

[Sir Bluey]

For a Warriors fan I am left wondering how much rubbish the CEO and Owners have fed us!
saying that 2013 couldn't be any worse!

 

[Raurimu Massive]

When i have voiced this opinion to people i have gotten the "gotta keep the faith bullshit" . Ive kept that faith year in year out and this is how my team repays me, im glad the season is over, i hope that with a good off season this shit taste will leave my mouth by the time the season kicks off next year.

Yep, well over this 'matter of faith' shit myself. From now on for me, it's a matter of winning. This season's done huge damage to my support of the team.

 

[eamon]

Have been a supporter through thick and thin (and Tny Kemp) since '95. I/we have sat through some hooror times. But nothin comes close to what we have been served up by the team this year. It has been beyond woeful, embarassing, and awful.. I think there may be even more 'important announcements' to come ove the summer months as Owen Glenn cleans house and surrounds himself with winners (which means Aussies)
I also have become immune to the 'keep the faith' rubbish. The players (or several of them) haven't kept the faith, and that makes me feel sick to the stomach fro the likes of Luck, Matalino, Friend, even Mateo and Vatuvei. These players have broken bones and given blood for the team when others around them couldn't make the effort to even raise an arm.. Those that don't care and show it by their actions (or lack of them) should be shown the door. I suspect that that could be a distinct possibilty in the off season

 

[gREVUS]

Have been a supporter through thick and thin (and Tny Kemp) since '95. I/we have sat through some hooror times. But nothin comes close to what we have been served up by the team this year. It has been beyond woeful, embarassing, and awful.. I think there may be even more 'important announcements' to come ove the summer months as Owen Glenn cleans house and surrounds himself with winners (which means Aussies)
I also have become immune to the 'keep the faith' rubbish. The players (or several of them) haven't kept the faith, and that makes me feel sick to the stomach fro the likes of Luck, Matalino, Friend, even Mateo and Vatuvei. These players have broken bones and given blood for the team when others around them couldn't make the effort to even raise an arm.. Those that don't care and show it by their actions (or lack of them) should be shown the door. I suspect that that could be a distinct possibilty in the off season

While i like what you say, no, dont sack them, god no - we need players for the vulcans man!
Oh and you dont need to be an Aussie to be a winner, but you do need to open your mind to allow for the best person for the role