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Much has been made of the Warriors’ improvement since Keiran Foran took to the field, resulting in back-to-back victories.
One player who has been maligned by Warriors fans since moving across the ditch to take up a contract in his homeland is Issac Luke.
However, his form has also been on an upward spiral over the past few weeks as well.
Luke has been darting from dummy half and offloading at the perfect time – his setting up of Shaun Johnson for an early try against the Titans was reminiscent of his play for the Kiwis and Rabbitohs.
He is nearing his best again without a doubt. The impact of his tackling is there for all to see – I am sure opposition players would attest to it!
There are however flaws, foremost being glaring errors in the play the ball, causing him to turn over possession in the last ten minutes. This has occurred for the last three weeks.
These errors hint that after 70 minutes he is tiring. Luke does not appear to be a natural fitness machine, his build does not lend itself to such conclusions for a start, and he is – by all accounts – a laidback character.
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Stephen Kearney has begun to call upon Nathaniel Roache to suit up on the reserves bench and it would seem a natural progression for him to use this fine young player as regular support for Luke, whereby they could create a 60-20-minute rotation.
It is not uncommon among teams to utilise an impact player off the bench late in both halves, especially at hooker, and by using this effectively Kearney could get more from Luke while ensuring the next generation is blooded effectively.
Roache may be a rookie, however when he takes to the field against Canberra over Easter, it will be his 13th NRL appearance for the Warriors. He was signed in 2014, initially as a half for the Under 20 side, and is a gifted ball-player with an eye for a gap.
While Foran has been grabbing headlines, the injection of form from journeyman James Gavet has also been instrumental in the overall improvement of the team. He appears to have locked in to the coach’s doctrine and is providing real go forward.
This has also assisted Luke, as he thrives on a quick play the ball, behind forwards making sizeable metres, whereby he can provide his halves with good service and time to concoct their magic.
It is noticeable his knockers have retracted considerably.
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