Warriors to learn from Storm loss: Kearney

The Warriors will take some lessons out of their crushing defeat by the NRL champions Melbourne, according to coach Stephen Kearney.

With only one loss against their name heading into the Anzac Day match, the high-flying Warriors were blasted off AAMI Park in the first half with the Storm scoring six tries before posting a 50-10 victory.

“It’s a good lesson for us,” Kearney said.

“I guess they highlighted a couple of areas where we need to be better so that’s a lesson.

“For us it’s about making those subtle little adjustments as we know we’ve got a couple of key things that work for us so we’ve got to get back to that.”

Kearney said he was encouraged by the way his team came out in the second half and responded with two tries to burly winger David Fusitu’a.

“I thought the way the guys came back at them in the second half …it would have been very easy for us to find a way right out of the contest but they didn’t do that,” he said.

The Warriors’ cause wasn’t helped losing star hooker Issac Luke for the match midway through the half with a knee injury.

But Kearney was hopeful it wasn’t serious. The Warriors have well-earned break before they next face Wests Tigers in Auckland on May 5.

“We need to wait for scans but he may miss a week, but we will wait to get that confirmed,” Kearney said.

Storm skipper Cameron Smith said it was uncharted territory being up the top of the ladder for many of the Warriors players and it would take its toll.

“A lot of their players haven’t dealt before with the position they are in – being on top of the ladder – every team is aiming up against them and it takes a lot of effort week by week to stay up,” Smith said.