Warriors fans need to trust the plan

The problem with your suggestion of the Warrior's bringing back flair to their attack is that this often proves to be their downfall. They manage pull off some miracle play against all odds, and then spend the rest of the game trying to replicate it to no avail, and it costs them dearly. You claim that the Warriors need to trust the plan. What plan?

Trust Stephen Kearney? Umm, no. He presided over the Eels through a run of spoons... and HIS recruitment choices actually made the situation worse. And now he's evidently trying to get the Warriors to play to a game plan which his squad is quite unsuited to. If Warriors fans need to trust anyone, it's Jim Doyle - though if Eric Watson keeps sticking his nose in coaching appointments then Doyle won't be able to help (referring here to the rumours about the Elliott appointment and now the Kearney appointment over Toovey). And even then, Doyle has been able to deliver the big signings - but the lesser ones are just as important to get right... and he's only got one of those right - Ayshford (even then the guy gets dropped by Cappy and ignored by Kearney despite clearly being the best right centre at the club on form last year). The Warriors need forwards in the middle (they already have the quality on the edges with Hoffman, Thompson, Mannering and Afoa... for 2-3 spots, necessitating a shift for Mannering to the middle, where he is wasted as a glorified tackle bot) - Paul Vaughan would have been a more sensible signing for this season than Kieran Foran, and on Sunday we may see Vaughan continue his prodigious start to the season against this shaky group of middle forwards. The Warriors also need outside backs. Kata is (very) slowly getting better on defense - but still off the pace for D in the NRL, and either can't or won't set up his winger... selfish and a bad option taker, in a position that is all about decisions on both sides of the ball. Vatuvei is injured seemingly all the time. Lolohea appears to have given up since the Sharks game last year where he was dropped while being one of the in-form players. Don't get me started on Maumalo - he tries hard and takes hitups... but has no finishing ability. At all (2 tries in 21 games - and that's not unlucky, he's bombed a lot.. including one just last week). He just isn't a winger, he's a bloody forward! Worse turning circle than Manu, and doesn't even compete for contested high balls most of the time, despite being very tall. Fusitua is the one bright light in the three quarter line, a world class finisher with a big strong frame and great hands/passing ability and vision... and even that Kearney is managing to get wrong by shuffling him in to centre to accomodate an unsuited Lolohea on the wing over Ayshford in the centres (and not using Fusitua to cover fullback when RTS went down). Fusitua could be a fine centre... but his combination on that right edge with Johnson, Thompson & Ayshford was the highlight (often more like the be-all and end-all) of the Warriors attack in 2016... what's the benefit of breaking it up? They also need someone who is willing to slap it into Johnson's and Luke's heads to Run. The. Ball. Both are best when taking the ball to the defensive line as often as possible. Neither are doing it unless essentially forced to. That lack of playing at the defensive line instead of before it and the offload/support play thing is killing their attack.

Is support play a dying art?

I had little time for Blocker as a player and even less now as a commentator ! However, a lot of his comments on Fox last week were pretty accurate at least, and drawn out of desperation for the dreadful performance the Warriors were displaying. They are in desperate need of an on field general to lead this mob around the park. Johnson is proven time and again not to be up to it, perhaps Foran will be, if his head is right ? On current exposed form I would drop half that team and bring in some fresh, young & enthusiastic blood for Foran to work with on the park. I would keep only RTS, Fusitua, Foran, Johnson, Mannering, Thompson, Lillyman, Gubb and Afoa. Send the rest packing and bring in some new blood.

yup. And this commentary is harsh on Johnson too. He has been consistent every game this season and is clearly trying his arse off to win games. without much support coming from around him.

Norris I really dont understand your agenda. You write articles about the Warriors and always say how useless they are and how they will lose. Now I presume you actually follow a team of your own, but you just cant stop writing these anti Warriors articles. Have you considered supporting your team rather than running mine down? Just a suggestion so it actually means something to you. Or are you more interested in rubbishing the Warriors than supporting your own team? Please seriously look at the Warriors team will you. They have a VERY young roster, with mainly under 25yo players and a couple of good older players and a couple of old crocks. Not a roster I suggest would challange for a NRL title. A coach who cant work out that 2 passes are allowed in 1 move and has no idea how to get players to follow a runner, and does not think offloads will work. They have so many issues that they hardly need you, a non-fan writing an article about them every game they are to play saying they will lose...Move on from them please

I enjoyed blockers commentary when he first came back last year(?). He's a bit loose and it was a breath of fresh air as he has a very different style. He's a pain in the backside now. Boring and repetitive. Good old days, good old days, good old days. The block might be best in small doses.

As a Warriors supporter, I am used to watching them not live up to their potential, but, it is important to remember that so far this year they haven't had their full spine in play for 80 minutes in any game this year. Luke went off at half time in round one. Tuivasa-Schek missed last week and was concussed the week before. And, Foran is yet to play. I think when they are all together 80 minutes we will find out whether the coach has any idea. For me, Lolohea is still playing out of position. He is a very skilled footballer and is being wasted on the wing (aside from the fact that he doesn't know how to defend on the wing). He is the kind of player that should be playing in the halves. But, with Kearney (and past coaches) it appears they don't want to put him there. I think a mid-season trade for Lolohea could be the best result for all involved. Not sure where he would go though. Maybe the Knights? I'm not backing the Warriors this weekend (appalling record against the Dragons), but, you just never know what is going to turn up with the Warriors. I'd expect at least one patch of 15 minutes or so where they will look good. It's the other 65 minutes that will determine the result...

The biggest ongoing issue in my book, is their onfield ill discipline.Wanting to score off every set,being caught short in defence. Structure and commitment is needed they have the blistering attacking skills, trouble is many times it breaks down due to overplay or being behind the play or a wild pass that's plainly not on. When these guys (and it will happen) get their overall act together ,they will be the most destructive and entertaining NRL team running around.I hope it happens sooner rather than later.

The problem is, Kearney seems to want to turn the Warriors into the Storm and Broncos model. He tried and failed that style with the Eels. It wasnt them and its not the Warriors. I hope Kearney proves me wrong, but stopping offloads full stop and running second man plays is not suited to the team. Early days, but the defence is suspect, especially when Mannering and/or Hoffman are injured. Alot of defence should be able to be coached. Experts often claim defence is also about attitude, another thing that can come from coaching. The roster is good enough to be in the 5-8th spot. Really lacking a couple of big blokes in the pack for go forward to be contenders.

I never understood why players don't run off someone like Johnson. Support play anyone?

As an infrequent watcher of the Warriors I have noticed some subtle changes. First I think their defence in general looks more organised and tougher so that's a good start. However, at present their ONLY point of attack is Johnson. Luke is giving nothing in attack and the young 5/8 just wants to make sure he doesn't screw up. So opposition teams know exactly where the ball is going - just locate Johnson. With Foran and RTS back and if Luke fires then they can make the opposition guess a bit more. BTW have to agree about Blocker's comments. Seemed he had a re-conceived idea and ran with it the entire game. Also seems to suffer a bit from the old footballers syndrome of "The older I get, the better I was."

I can't see much of a plan there. What is their strategy and structure in attack? It seems like their plan is chuck it to Johnson and then not support him in any way. I think a lot of Johnson's inconsistency is about the players around him. I don't think he was crabbing across field. He regularly beatthe first defender - and yes that involves some lateral movement - but then once the potential space was created he looked up and there's no one running off him. If I was a backrower at the Warriors I'd be running off Johnson all day long. Bodene does it well at times and looks good for it. It's early days but Kearney has been pretty uninspiring. The Warriors don't look like a well coached side. They had plenty of ball and territory against the Dogs but rarely looked like converting.

Same old Story bout the Warriors! They always start the Season slow!.. Then generally when it comes time for State Of Origin'..They start to play footy!.. & then slide back down near the end of Season!..I think, for the sake of the Warriors supporters' with the addition of Foran' they might just play finals footy'..If they don't,...Well, don't think Kearney was the answer to their problems! If this Warriors Team don't aim up this Season'..Barring injuries'.. Well, who would want to support them??!!