Warriors coach confirms Fusitu’a, Maumalo, Paasi, Pulu set to go
The struggling Warriors have issued a stern warning to the NRL — allow the families of four of the club’s homesick stars to join them in Australia soon, or watch the players pull out of the competition within weeks.
Interim Warriors head coach Todd Payten confirmed yesterday the Warriors management team was preparing for David Fusitu’a, Ken Maumalo, Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu to return to New Zealand, should their loved ones not be granted exemptions by the Australian Government to join them across the Tasman.
Payten says the Warriors met with NRL bosses at the weekend but that no assurances were given.
“We’re going to have to go to the
NRL, go to the clubs and get them over the line. So, it would be idiotic to leave it until they go and then we’re caught with our pants down,” he said
“There’s a list being looked at daily and if we haven’t heard anything within a week, we’ll push down that path a bit further.
“I think our best chance is to get the exemption and get our families to self isolate together at a facility. That was the thing he [Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys] pushed the most, but he has only got 20 days to go.”
Payten, who took over from the sacked Stephen Kearney two weeks ago, also warned his players that this weekend’s match against the Brisbane Broncos will be their last chance to show some effort.
Payten was critical of his side’s defensive efforts in their 50-6 loss to the Melbourne Storm last Friday, noting the team would be selected on defensive ability.
“If it happens again, we won’t be picking them; they know that. That’s very, very, very clear,” Payten said.
“They responded well. I showed them some video and said ‘look, this effort here is not good enough, I need you to do this’.
“I didn’t ask them why but said moving forward, if you give me that effort again, I will go with someone else. As plain as day.
“I think everyone is on the same page now in terms of effort and diving into our defensive efforts, so we’ll see on Saturday night, but at the moment it’s a pretty good space.”
Saturday night’s contest poses an interesting test for the Warriors, with the Broncos floundering since the competition restarted. After winning their first two games of the season, the Broncos have lost five straight. In those five contests, they’ve been outscored 170-42.
The Warriors have had their moments since the competition restarted, with two wins and three losses. However, inconsistencies, an inability to turn pressure into points and mediocre defence has cost them in recent weeks.
Being without star fullback Roger Tuivasa-sheck, who was given a onematch suspension by the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night for a shoulder charge in the loss to the Storm, Payten said the game plan wouldn’t change much but other players needed to take responsibility.
“We’re going to have to get our wingers to stand up,” Payten said.
“We’re not going to change the game plan a great deal, everyone that’s around left in the team will just have to provide more, there’s no doubt about that. We have made some tweaks to our attacking model this week so there’s some good positive moves there.
“In terms of our game plan without Rog, it doesn’t change — it just needs to be better from everyone around him.”
Peta Hiku, who was initially named at centre for the game, will shift to fullback with Tuivasa-sheck unavailable while Gerard Beale will come into the side in the centres.
Although there had been few changes to the attacking game plan throughout the week, Payten said the team had been reworking their defensive structures as those in place were clearly not working.
— NZ Herald