Final(s) countdown
Fusitu’a: Warriors want to go deep
For the first time this season, the Warriors are starting to think about playing September football in the NRL. It’s not longer about just making the top eight, it’s about making it count.
The club has adopted a strict weekby-week mantra throughout 2018, determined not to get carried away despite their impressive results.
There’s also the memory of past failures, ensuring no one in coach Stephen Kearney’s team takes anything for granted.
But there’s a sense that the tide has turned following their solid 20-4 win over the Knights in Auckland on Friday night, which moved the team into sixth position.
Three losses in four weeks had them teetering on the brink, especially after the heavy defeat on the Gold Coast a fortnight ago, but now gaining a home playoff by finishing fifth or sixth is a genuine possibility.
“It’s exciting. The boys are pumped,” said wing David Fusitu’a. “We [don’t] want to just scrape in there, we want to go deep into the finals. Obviously it’s tough for players like Simon [Mannering] who has been at the club for so long and hasn’t been in the finals for a while. It’s about doing it for them and all the older players who have milestones this year and want to finish off strong.”
Fusitu’a is only 23 but has also suffered plenty at Mt Smart. He’s, incredibly one of only three survivors from the 2014 team, the last Warriors side to go close to the finals, as they eventually missed out on a playoff berth on points differential.
There was the carnage of the 2015 campaign, when the team sat fourth in July before nose diving after Shaun Johnson’s injury, before disappointing seasons in the past three years.
That’s all a distant memory now, with a 13-8 win loss record and three games still to play, two at Mt Smart.
“I really think we can [finish high],” said Fusitu’a. “It’s all about our preparation and the way we approach every game from now on until the finals.”
Fusitu’a has been exceptional this year. He has long been known for his acrobatic finishing and ability in the air but he has added a physicality to his game, evidenced by his brutal try on Friday night, when he smashed Kalyn Ponga over the sideline.
He has also become rock solid in his carries, and showed his mental strength to bounce back from a difficult afternoon against the Dragons last Saturday in Wollongong.
Along with Ken Maumalo and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Fusitu’a is part of a back three labelled the best in the NRL by Newcastle half Mitchell Pearce.
“I probably rate them the best,” said Pearce. “Melbourne have got a pretty good back three, the Roosters with Fergo [Blake Ferguson] and guys like that. But with the way Roger’s playing, and their two wingers, they’re unreal.”
The Warriors trio ran for almost 700m on Friday night, providing vital momentum and taking pressure off the pack.
“It’s a tough job in the middle, [they] play some tough minutes and they have to make a lot of tackles,” said Fusitu’a. “If we can help them out, whether it’s bringing the ball back strongly or catching the ball on the full, we’re going to do that.”
The Tongan wing re-signed with the club last Thursday, sealing a fiveyear deal that will see him remain at Mt Smart through his peak years.
Given the exodus of talent over the past few seasons, his admission that he never considered looking offshore spoke volumes about the club’s progress in recent times.
“I told Mooks [Stephen Kearney] that this is my home and I’d love to stay here,” said Fusitu’a.
“There was no other club I wanted to play for growing up. I’m really happy and I want to repay their faith by playing well and seeing this club succeed.”