The New Zealand Warriors’ season from hell has hit a new low, with coach Andrew McFadden standing down six players “for failing to meet team standards” following the team’s 42-0 thrashing in Melbourne on Anzac Day.
Manu Vatuvei, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson, Albert Vete, Sam Lisone and Konrad Hurrell have all been dropped to the club’s Queensland Cup team for this weekend.
“We’ve dealt with this internally after questioning the players involved and won’t be going into any details,” McFadden said.
» Is the season over for the Warriors?
Speaking to Radio Sport, Warriors CEO Jim Doyle gave the under-siege coach his backing.
“We expect all of our players to be professional and meet all of our standards and in this case it is very disappointing that those players haven’t,” Doyle said.
“We met with the players as a group and we have further meetings with them individually. They were disappointed, emotional, regretful etc.
“We want to have a successful club that we are all proud of and that means you have to have a high performance, professional culture and when things don’t go the way they are supposed to go you have to take the appropriate action to make sure everybody is aware of what our standards are.”
It’s the latest blow to a side that went on an unprecedented recruitment drive prior to the season – bringing in Kiwi internationals Issac Luke and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, as well as veteran half Jeff Robson – yet have started the year three and five.
Exacerbating their issues, Tuivasa-Sheck has been ruled our for the of the season after rupturing his ACL against Canterbury a fortnight ago, while Luke said this week his form didn’t warrant selection for the Kiwis in the upcoming Anzac Test.
What affect the Warriors standing down of New Zealand internationals Vatuvei, Matulino and Hurrell will have on Stephen Kearney’s side for the match against the Kangaroos next Friday remains to be seen, although it piles on the problems for the national side after captain Kieran Foran was given a leave of absence by Parramatta yesterday to deal with personal issues.
maximillian
Guest
Great post Benedict & 100% agree.
Kavvy
Guest
Did you catch this article from this time last year? Absolute cracking read http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/apr/30/the-forgotten-story-of-olsen-filipaina Catch you at Charles Mulligans steakhouse sometime
Western fuglie
Guest
Can't believe James gavet wasn't invited he must get nasty on the pyss
Jacko
Guest
Why would Hurrell have any respect for Crappy? Crappy refuses to select him and instead chooses players like Ashford, Wright and Robson So Hurrell has been dropped to NSW cup from NSW cup... what a punishment. Crappy dropped him mid last year to NSW cup. Guys like Matilino dont go out if its against the rules unless they are past caring and if you see bad selection choices and bad game plans you eventually lose faith in the coaches ability.
ads2600
Guest
It's about time the management sacked some of the players. The Warriors are reminiscent of the Hurricanes, a few older players with bad attitudes rubbing off on the younger ones. A clean out may bring temporary pain, but could do no worse the constant drivel they have been serving up recently.
Renegade
Roar Guru
Yep, faith in coach is gone.... but unbelievably poor form from Hurrell - who would want to sign him after that?!
Benedict Arnold
Guest
Yep, they need a clean out. At the end of the day, these guys are employees of the warriors and Andrew McFadden is their boss. In pretty much any normal working field if you behaved in the way these blokes did you would get shown the door. I don't know what the mentality is with these guys but it seems to come across as they have been there longer than him and therefore they don't like him. Almost a kind of arrogance that they think they are above the coach and god's gift to the club. I just don't understand how a bunch of players who have had bugger all success not have any respect for a coach who is trying his hardest to do the best job and to get the best results for the club he coaching. Andrew McFadden mightn't be the best coach in the nrl but he certainly should have respect of the players. I can't think of any reason why a bunch of blokes who haven't really set the world on fire for their club in last couple of seasons (matulino too hot and cold) can have this kind of attitude. It is like a cancer that won't go away and the best way to deal with is move them on to different clubs. None of those guys would get away with the lack of commitment these guys are showing. Do you think a guy like Hurrell could act like this if he were at the Storm? No. If he were to go there he would have to prove himself and he would have pressure on himself to turn up and be the guy they are paying to him to be. We all know the kind of work ethic that would be required there. Now look at that same situation for his current position at the warriors... you can tell that that particular pressure and ethic of work is definitely not the same. This underlies the huge problem that exists at that club. I think in the end it boils down to personnel and a professional ethos that just isn't there at this club. The way forward is to address it and clean the place out. Players over in Auckland need to remove this idea that it is "their club" and that they don't own it.
maximillian
Guest
That used to be the case but the Warriors have since altered their development structure. All the top U20s prospects spend time in NSW Cup before moving to 1st grade to prepare them for the physicality of NRL. Lolohea, Vete & Lisone all played NSW Cup while still eligible for U20s. I think their transition to top grade has been a lot smoother than some of the previous U20s stars.
planko
Roar Guru
I feeling that digger. Most seasons Warriors start with grand thoughts this one was probably even bigger than most.... I was at a loss to describe the Melbourne game.
planko
Roar Guru
One GF better than most..
maximillian
Guest
Its clear McFadden cant get his players to perform on the field, or respect him off it with these latest developments. They went out late which isn't the worst thing, but they were then late for a team meeting the following morning which isn't really good enough. The coach needs to help set the culture & he needs the senior players to help drive that message home. I think Matulino & Vatuvei as senior players & leaders should definitely have known better. Interestingly, Konrad Hurrell retweeted this not long after: "Six Warriors do no show to review hui. Id say that's a review of the coach in itself #faithgone That's pretty poor & reveals the coach clearly doesn't have the respect of the players. Hurrells already walking a fine line with previous misdemeanours & issues with his professionalism. The club needs a good cleanout & Hurrell & McFadden would be close to the top of that list.
Ron Swanson
Roar Guru
I wonder if Kearney will pull a "Filipaina" and select 2 players from reserve grade for the Anzac test?
maximillian
Guest
Cleary actually wanted to stay at the Warriors. Gould tabled a 3 year offer for him & he asked the Warriors for a contract extension, but they wouldn't guarantee his long term future & provide the security he needed. His record is also actually quite good at the Warriors. They made the finals 4 of his 6 years as head coach, culminating in a grand final. That would’ve been 5 seasons in the finals but they were deducted competition points in his 1st season in charge due to salary cap breaches from a previous regime. As a fan, Id love to have that type of consistency at the Warriors but none of the replacements have come close. Sack McFadden, hire Cleary.
jay hova
Roar Rookie
Probably why we struggle so much to convert our 20s players into first graders, they carve up in the 20's due to pure power and natural talent but then once they get to NRL level cant handle the grind.
Jacko
Guest
This coach has obviously lost this group or they wouldnt be doing whatever it was they did wrong. Im not sure why players arnt allowed to go out when no trouble is caused. Where is the logic? Got to be in bed by 9pm? Stupid but then again this coach wont pick Hurrell, runs Robson at half back for the first 6 weeks of the season and keepd picking Wright so Crappy just keeps proving he cant do the job!
Jacko
Guest
Planko you are wrong saying Ivan got a lot out of them. His coaching record at the Warriors was 1 more win than loss so not good. Also he had the 2011 season where they finished 7th but got to the final on the back of the hype that was happening in NZ at the time around the Rugby world cup. He then turned to the club with over a year remaining on his contract and demanded a longer contract or he would leave. No club needs to appoint a coach who has been a blackmailing traitor in the past and would obviously leave at any time he felt like it in the future. Try Toovey or Stacey Jones or even their assistant coaches but deffinately not Cleary as we just dont need traitors.
The Barry
Roar Guru
They'll flog them. I went to watch the Dogs play Newtown at Belmore a few weeks ago. There's not much depth there for the Dogs. They have a couple of smart young halves though.
planko
Roar Guru
I think dropping players is usually a last resort for the coach. If you watched the game against the storm it highlights a few VERY high profile players in their team that lack some heart. Johnson was a turnstile the night. I get he will loose in general a bigger man at least get a hit in.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Bring back Graham Lowe
Kingcowboy
Guest
For the success they have had in the under 20's and NSW Cup even when Ivan was there, you think that what he acheived was acceptable? That is not a knock on him either. Seriously they just seem to go around and around in circles. Sack the coach and see what the next guy can do. He is not working outworking out so lets sack him and bring a new coach in.