General Whats wrong with us?

[Akuma_81]

Attitude
Mental toughness
Fitness

We had a great start to 2018 and much of it was put down to Corvo getting the guys into prime condition ready for round one. It's been widely acknowledged that in the past too many of the guys came back for pre-season training overweight. Everyone was commenting how lean and fit we looked round 1 in 2018 and we went on a five game win streak, with our defence being a key improvement.

For me though, mental toughness has always been our downfall. When things go bad we capitulate. We've always struggled to handle momentum swings in games, which is why we so often coughed up big leads. The opposition knows this and they have us on toast. We're the only team that completely bombs out when there's nothing to play for, where at least other teams can get themselves together and get a win or two for the fans.

The best example is our finals game last year. We were up 12-2 and looking great.....until Blair threw a terrible offload when we were hot on the attack. The Panthers scored shortly after, and then RTS got injured and you could almost physically see the entire group drop their heads. From that point we offered nothing.

Until we toughen up mentally and learn to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in then we're never going to be successful. We need another Campion/Price/Luck type player, which is why in my opinion Josh Jackson would be a great purchase.

However, as fans.........we're gluttons for punishment! But I think we all know that if we jumped off board then that's when the team would get their act together!

 

[kos]

Whats wrong with us.

The referees stole 4 points from us in the Storm and Eels games this year. Add 4 to 19 points makes 23 we are in the 8.

The guys are probably off mentally not being in finals contention.
But for the refs we would be in the 8.
Which would be remarkable considering our squad and our lack of attacking options.

 

[Aman]

Have felt like this for years Aman. I think some people are kidding themselves with SK and his Storm/Broncos secret sauce. He cant coach/improve players, he doesnt implement offensive playbook, look at the roosters and how soon they spread the ball, look at when they are in the 20 how many different stategies they use in 6 tackles. The Warriors often get excessive redzone football early on but SK has just left it up to them on how they score and they dont which is why we end up losing. If the Warriors score, our for and against looks vastly different as the opposition get staeved of the ball.

Anyway, once George let go of a lot of our good talent, and then ignorantly let go of our best player who FINALLY was playing in 6 where he should always have been, thats when I realised, there are a lot of players and staff who are completely happy Mt Smart is hard to get to, because they dont have to face the fans, and like Ive said so many times, unlike Aus teams, they dont have to face the media. So they just play without a playbook and lose, drive home and life is easy. And I dont think that is just the players after seeing what George has done this year. Of course not all staff/players are in the lose no consequence mentality. RTS is a shining example of professionalism.

As for the NRL. I have just accepted the Refs cannot get it right even with slow motion video and onfield their level of quality decisions is very low. Yet nobody cares. This is across all teams/games. And the large percentage of games are won due to penalties. And this can cost teams a place in the finals. Yet there is no accountability. If the players have to face a judiciary, so should the refs and depending on how bad the call is decides how much financial compensation to the club from the refs salary is awarded. Implement that and you would fast see an improvement in quality decisions. An example of this is the penalty against Papalii for crowding vs the Storm which basically won them the game after a field goal. He was not crowding, he gave the storm player 1m, the storm player just cold dropped it. Now I havnt seen another crowding call this season.Yet I have seen players lose the ball off opponents knees or feet, now that is crowding.

So Im passed frustrated, I have come to accept the majority of games in the NRL are not decided by the teams but by the refs. You could say, great teams should be able to overcome this but thats BS. Why should they have to and being great doesn't mean you can score say 12 points due to ref errors.

So its a bit like the WWE or whatever it is called now, its rigged more or less, its farcical. Of course the best teams usually end up near the top. But that doesn't mean they haven't lost a game due to the refs or will possibly lose a finals game due to the onfield decision quality. There is no way if the refs are unsure they should be sending decisions to the video ref with an opinion. If you are unsure you just flat out don't know for sure, send it up neutral and let the right decision be made. If you are sure then blow the flappn whistle and get on with it.

Awesome post man. It's pretty much spot on in terms of how I feel as well. Was also talking to my mate about how there's a bias in almost most sports but some are easier to cover up. unfortunately NRL is one of those sports. I'm not talking some conspiracy theory or organization wide directive to discriminate against some teams i'm just saying human nature and humans in general are flawed and influenced by things that they themselves probably cant control .

Unfortunately it comes into the game when it matters the most. Crucial penalties, 50/50 calls, "rub of the green" whatever you want to call it its a real thing and it decides games.

The sport is brutal enough without being handicapped by the guy who decides how the game should be played and reffed. The storm hold players down and its called perfecting the wrestle but if we do it its slowing down the play and get penalties blown up the ass. Opposition rush the attack and its called "energy" we or some other teams do it and its called offside penalty. Even hard hits and late shots are called passion for others while their called dirty for others.

This is even before we get to the judiciary who has also in my mind decided the season or certain games for teams. We've had players suspended for the most innocuous stuff while others seem to get away with blue murder.


Maybe there's nothing wrong with the team and everything wrong with the comp? I feel like we've only been defeated as players in the last few game but before the parra game I was really proud of the boys. They just haven't been given a fucking break all year. I'm not vindicating them all together, they deff have some flaws but the mood and morale could be completely different if we were referred fairly or imagine were we could have been if we had been given the rub of the green all season. Top 4 maybe? Who knows but that's how much the refs fucking matter.

For anyone saying just take the refs out of it and beat team convincingly you are kidding yourself! its a tough comp for a reason and the only time you thump a team is when they don't show up and that doesn't happen too much through the season.

I feel for SK. He's trying to do the right thing but I don't think any warriors coach who has the right intentions actually realises just how much is stacked against them once they take the role.

I worry more about the referring than the game when I watch. Its like PTSD or anxiety disorder whenever we have the opposition camped in their half and look to establish some dominance - instead of enjoying the spectacle im miserably anticipating to hear a whistle get blown for a mystery penalty for which they never show a replay!! why don't they fucking show replays for offside?? ever! except when its against the teams they are favouring???

Even in that Parra game, surely they must have been offside once in 70 minute! Fucking Cronulla didn't do anything wrong for 40 minutes either on the weekend!!
We've lost all that good will and respect unfortunately by getting thumped ever since but its simply hidden the issue behind incompetence. It still exists and it will exist next year and the year after. Thats what I wanted to know when i said whats wrong with us as fans? why do we continue to support such a scam?

 

[tajhay]

What's wrong with us?

Ask Soward. He seems to know what everyone in Australia pretty much knows.

 

[JaggedJ]

Whats wrong with us.

The referees stole 4 points from us in the Storm and Eels games this year. Add 4 to 19 points makes 23 we are in the 8.

The guys are probably off mentally not being in finals contention.
But for the refs we would be in the 8.
Which would be remarkable considering our squad and our lack of attacking options.

Even if we go with the ridiculous notion of adding points in hindsight we're still only 9th because of our piss poor F/A.

 

[Fonzie]

Awesome response to the thread guys but I was actually wondering what's wrong with us as fans rather than the team

Mate the best analogy I can give is it’s like when you’re an ok social golfer with a weird swing that works for you but can never get you to the next level. The Pro comes in and starts changing your swing and in the short term you actually get worse while you realign and don’t like playing golf as much cause it feels weird. Of course, if you then start to think the Pro has no idea, you worry you are doing it for nothing and will still have a shit swing at the end! So right now, I’d say that most have lost confidence in the Pro. Sorry weird post

 

[snake77]

Awesome response to the thread guys but I was actually wondering what's wrong with us as fans rather than the team

Haha. I was thinking of writing a post sating how were are suckers for punishment or like an gambling addict coming back for another fix as this year/week things will change.

Probably a ton of people (me included) who read the start of your opening post or just read the title and went hard venting.

 

[JaggedJ]

The sport is brutal enough without being handicapped by the guy who decides how the game should be played and reffed. The storm hold players down and its called perfecting the wrestle but if we do it its slowing down the play and get penalties blown up the ass. Opposition rush the attack and its called "energy" we or some other teams do it and its called offside penalty. Even hard hits and late shots are called passion for others while their called dirty for others.

Just on our penalty counts this year

Won 13, Drew 2, Lost 7

We haven't lost a penalty count in the last 4 weeks except a 13-5 caning against Manly which was the one game we actually won.

We've lost at least 6 games by 18 points or more, conceding 40 points on 4 of those occasions despite winning or drawing the penalty count

We lost both penalty counts to the Titans, games we both won. In fact half our games that we won we were on the wrong side of the penalty count.

You will find very little correlation between penalty counts and results/score. We lost the penalty count against the Storm and lost 13-12, we won the penalty count against the Storm second time around and got hammered by 20.

Every week opposition fans complain about how much we hold down in the ruck, probably every fan base on every team. It's not like phantom penalties are coming against us and only us.

Attitude is far more evident and and relative to results than a penalty count ever will be.

The largest "ref influenced" deficit we've had to deal with this year is 12 and you know what, we won that game against the Sharks. Even those were forward passes which are highly contentious at the best of time.

If the attitude is shit, which it often is, then blaming the refs is just a piss poor excuse, and resorting to penalties is really grasping at straws.

 

[Aman]

Just on our penalty counts this year

Won 13, Drew 2, Lost 7

We haven't lost a penalty count in the last 4 weeks except a 13-5 caning against Manly which was the one game we actually won.

We've lost at least 6 games by 18 points or more, conceding 40 points on 4 of those occasions despite winning or drawing the penalty count

We lost both penalty counts to the Titans, games we both won. In fact half our games that we won we were on the wrong side of the penalty count.

You will find very little correlation between penalty counts and results/score. We lost the penalty count against the Storm and lost 13-12, we won the penalty count against the Storm second time around and got hammered by 20.

Every week opposition fans complain about how much we hold down in the ruck, probably every fan base on every team. It's not like phantom penalties are coming against us and only us.

Attitude is far more evident and and relative to results than a penalty count ever will be.

The largest "ref influenced" deficit we've had to deal with this year is 12 and you know what, we won that game against the Sharks. Even those were forward passes which are highly contentious at the best of time.

If the attitude is shit, which it often is, then blaming the refs is just a piss poor excuse, and resorting to penalties is really grasping at straws.

But thats what im saying. unless you watch the games and actually know whats going on penalty counts are irrelevant. Its when the penalties are given and at what juncture and time in the game. The weighting of the penalties as opposed to the total penalties given and received. Probably one for a slab and some pinewood this one so wont go into it any more.

 

[JaggedJ]

But thats what im saying. unless you watch the games and actually know whats going on penalty counts are irrelevant. Its when the penalties are given and at what juncture and time in the game. The weighting of the penalties as opposed to the total penalties given and received. Probably one for a slab and some pinewood this one so wont go into it any more.

I watch every game, ours, other clubs. Been doing that for over 30 years. Well aware of what's going on.

The weighting of the penalties is confirmation bias to justify the victim mentality.

- Other team concede penalty, Warriors fuck it up with a knock on. Nobody cares.

- Warriors concede penalty, give up points. Drama!

- Warriors fans at end of game: We waz robbered.

Sound familiar?

Our own teams shit attitude basically forfeits 6-8 games per season. That leaves us needing to win 66-75% of our remaining games we can be bothered showing up for.

But yeah, it's all dem refs.

 

[Aman]

I watch every game, ours, other clubs. Been doing that for over 30 years. We'll aware of what's going on.

The weighting of the penalties is confirmation bias to justify the victim mentality.

- Other team concede penalty, Warriors fuck it up with a knock on. Nobody cares.

- Warriors concede penalty, give up points. Drama!

- Warriors fans at end of game: We waz robbered.

Sound familiar?

Our own teams shit attitude basically forfeits 6-8 games per season. That leaves us needing to win 66-75% of our remaining games we can be bothered showing up for.

But yeah, it's all dem refs.

yea were a shit team even before the refs give it to us I suppose. Your right it's a victim mentality which comes back to the question I asked before which is if were such perennial losers and have the odds stacked against us why do we continue supporting this team?

 

[wizards rage]

yea were a shit team even before the refs give it to us I suppose. Your right it's a victim mentality which comes back to the question I asked before which is if were such perennial losers and have the odds stacked against us why do we continue supporting this team?

Battered Warrior Syndrome... and proud of it!

I’ll be back next year for more

 

[Makasene]

Wanting to do something and actually going out and doing it are two different things.

I'm sure most of the boys want to win the comp.

Do most of the boys want to do what is required to make that happen? Not a chance

 

[france]

get a fkn decent coach ...go away from being overstructered..build a team mainly around local talent...we've been sucked in copying what everyone else is doing..& i've said it time & again but we have one of the best sports teams in the world getting ready for the world cup....we have to try & emulate what they do...different game & circumstances i know...but fk this waiting around ..im ready to go back & follow the Blues permenantly lol...could'nt be any fkn worse than following these fkn roll over & die arseholes

 

[AusWarriorsFan]

Awesome post man. It's pretty much spot on in terms of how I feel as well.

Thanks, Well I was trying to answer you as Fans like you said.

There are the top 3, maybe 4 teams, who will win based on talent over the year period, they will lose some games to the refs, but they are so good they overcome the bad decisions which turn games, add points, sap team intensity.

But for teams like ours, as fans, we are wrong in thinking its all up to the players/coach.There is a shed load of luck alongside the human errior of refs and the idiocy of sending up decisions to the video ref with an opinion, which if you have you should make a call on, not influence what the vid ref does. Although I have seen a bit of backlash but vid refs in some games where they ignore the no try or try and make a call even if its not 100%, because it seldom is. That really needs to be stripped from the onfield refs.

So as fans backing a team that is outside of the NRL loop not being in Aus, the whole social scene, Media/News scruntiny scene, and fans voicing their opinion in person scene, the Warriors are majorly at a disadvantage before even starting. Then we have coaches who are trying to work with Auckland/NZ raised players which has a totally different level of player intensity expectation that coaches just cant deal with.

So again we get disappointed with that as well. SK might make a good "Process installer" but hes not a good coach, ie improving players and their intensity. Which is a shame because the Warriors do need both, structure/process, but they also need someone good and instilling and Aus like mentality to them personally and as a team. We are just far too relaxed.

And that is dissapointing for us as fans. And yet the only real answer is to hire an inspiring coach to help SK, to hire much more Aus talent that has grown up in the Aus coaching system, and ultimately the best thing to turn around results, move the club to Aus, which nobody hear likes hearing.

So overall what is wrong is that we expect the Warriors with a talented team to perform better than less talented teams, but they have a better coach, are located in aus so get all the benefits of that including scrutiny and their team is largely made up of players who have grown up with coaches who expect them to turn up game day and if they dont they put the razz up them until it becomes instinct.

I dont think its our fault to expect that, but that is what is wrong with us Warriors fans.

 

[AusWarriorsFan]

But yeah, it's all dem refs.

Personally I wasnt refering to the refs in relation to our team, more in relation how warriors fans react to things like Opinions being sent up stairs rather than making a decision if the ref has an opinion otherwise let the guy with the best angles to be more certain sort it out.

Warriors fans have had a bit of a ref conspiracy thing for along time though I will admit. But its definitely not just the Warriors they inluence wins and season results over.

Off topic, but there was the statement from the NRL they were going to look into Ref match fixing, they said it at the same time they announced they were looking into the Sharks juicing issue. But once the Sharks juicing took off, nothing more in regard to the Refs was publicised. I do wonder if they actually did anything or thought looking into the Sharks was hard enough to do at one time.....

Anyway, definitely reffing issues effect all teams, as Warriors fans what is wrong with us, we think its just us they make blatant mistakes over and have crap processes.

 

[95forever]

Anybody else feeling really disillusioned with the idea of continuing to support the warriors and to a lesser degree the NRL? I know this seasons been tough and some fans are down but I'm feeling a real sense of loss with the identity of the whole club and organisation. To be honest the closest thing I can relate it to is a sense of mourning or loss akin to losing a family member or friend.

Obviously nothing that dramatic but I'm definitely at a place where I just don't care anymore. I'm coming to terms day after day that this club has lead me on for so long only to now realise that this is a shitty club with shitty people and shitty players as a result. Whatever success we've had has been short lived and inconsistent and not enough to make me feel like my support matters.

So what's the point? Why are we here? Why do we continue to support these muppets and hold out so much hope for them? Have we not realised how badly the odds are stacked against us even before we step on to the paddock? I'm all for fairy tales and under dog stories but this feels more like sadomasochism and not the good kind either.

What's wrong with us?

Personally I have no choice. If I told myself that’s it I’m done I no longer support the Warriors every weekend I would wonder and want to know the result. As a 12 year old watching that Broncos game I was hooked. Our own team. I guess that’s why for me. There are a lot of very passionate rugby league fans in NZ and my hope is one day one with a lot of energy and intelligence gets power and rights the ship. I can’t imagine any Australian loving the Warriors like we do therefore it’ll probably be a kiwi that can do it. Unless the person just loves league. If I’m 80 when they win the big dance great. All this will make it that much sweeter.

 

[Pricey]

You know the last player we had that could score long range tries was Konrad Hurrell we need some speed and power in the backline and some players that support the ball carrier who also needs to have a decent off load... Bring back Warrior ball we don't suit trying to copy other teams game plans..

 

[Worried2Death]

Awesome response to the thread guys but I was actually wondering what's wrong with us as fans rather than the team

I don't know if you'll find the answer to that on a fan forum bro, unless some of us are psychiatrists, and if they are I'd have to question their sanity.

Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with us, in fact only those who have achieved a high level of profound enlightenment could keep supporting a club like this through all these years of psychological torture, not just anyone can do it.

We're mostly Warriors fans because we're Kiwis or have some kind of affiliation with NZ and we like to have a team to follow in the NRL, that's all there is to it.

In other words, don't worry Aman, it's not us, it's them. I hope that helps.

 

[Boats n Hoes]

Whats wrong with us.

The referees stole 4 points from us in the Storm and Eels games this year. Add 4 to 19 points makes 23 we are in the 8.

The guys are probably off mentally not being in finals contention.
But for the refs we would be in the 8.
Which would be remarkable considering our squad and our lack of attacking options.

So without taking into consideration every other team who had outcomes affected by referee's decisions (or are we that eye patched that we actually think we're the only team getting shit calls) that table would look very different to simply be able to add on 4 points to make the 8.

However lets say that is the case, so we just bury our heads in the sand concerning the other 11 losses we had? Thats a potential 22 points we've missed out on! 22 points! Even if we couldve converted half of those we wouldve been sitting pretty......

Yep we've been screwed over a few times this year and been on the end of some rough ones.......but make no mistake, the only reason we're not in the 8 this season is because we're simply..... not..... good..... enough.