Kearney looks back on season
Warriors’ head coach Stephen Kearney reflected on what the team needed to improve on for 2019, their great start to the year and high internal expectations.
Kearney also spoke about the impact the new signings had, the disappointment of how the season ended and how they’ll be starting from square one again in 2019.
PRESEASON
It was Stephen Kearney’s second year with the team. So he knew the players, their strengths and limitations and knew what they all needed to work on over the preseason.
Kearney: We definitely had a specific plan and focus and looked at areas where we needed to improve from the year before.
The technical part of our game, that was a real focus for us when we were doing ball drills and defensive work.
With Alex Corvo coming in, that was always going to be a different look at how things are done.
I knew what he was going to bring and what that was going to look like.
That was all part of our planning of what we wanted to achieve from the preseason.
ALEX CORVO
The Warriors recruited Alex Corvo as their high performance manager. He had the reputation at the Storm and Broncos as being a hard taskmaster who would push the players to their limits.
Kearney: I knew what I wanted and that was behind getting Alex on board, because if we looked at the previous season, there were technical elements of our game that needed to improve.
That’s why we had a specific focus on certain areas of our game, attacking wise and defensively.
I also knew Alex could help us with the physical aspect, so that went part and parcel with what Alex brings.
NEW PLAYERS
There was a mini clean out at the Warriors, with several experienced players moving on and new faces coming in.
But crucially, those who joined the club were seen as players with better attitudes, who would help raise standards and improve the culture.
Kearney: It was a pretty smooth transition, the fact that Alex coming in was a change and we had a number of guys leave last year, Manu Vatuveu, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson and Jacob Lillyman. So the playing group knew there was going to be new players.
A number of the boys knew Tohu Harris, Adam Blair, Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale and they had an awareness of Agnatius Paasi and Leivaha Pulu.
The only one they didn’t have a great deal to do with before was Blake Green, but because of his personality he fitted into the group very comfortably.
So I thought it was a pretty smooth transition.
WINNING START The Warriors won their first five games and it had become clear how different the Warriors were now.
Kearney: I felt very pleased for the footy club, but I was also mindful that it can turnaround in the blink of an eye, so I wasn’t getting too carried away with anything.
I was pleased that it gave the group some confidence and belief that what we were doing was working.
It also gave validation for all of the hard work they had put in during the preseason.
But after five games, there is another 20 rounds to go, so I was definitely not getting carried away that early. INTERNAL PRESSURE
As revealed by Warriors CEO Cameron George to Stuff last week, he put out an internal memo stating it was the club’s goal to win the Premiership this year.
Kearney: I know where I want to go as a footy team. I don’t need that to be in front of me.
I understand what Cameron does with that, because that’s everyone’s ultimate goal.
But this is what I live for every day, that’s what I’m always walking towards and if I’m not, why am I doing this? UNITED FRONT
The front office, coaches and players all seemed to be pulling in the same direction and just like the team, who had a better season on the field, the fan experience at Mt Smart also improved.
Kearney: We’re the tip of the iceberg and everyone sees the NRL team on the weekend, but the reality is that a footy club is run by the people in the administration.
When we lose, they feel it too, the same as when we win.
So the progress we made this year as a footy club, it connected everyone together.
Sometimes with disappointment, which is what we’ve had in the past, it pushes people to the corner of their office, or wherever they might be and it’s an isolating
feeling. But I know Cameron has made a conscious effort to be very inclusive of everyone here at the footy club, because ultimately we’re all working towards the same thing.
THE SEASON
Getting to the finals after missing out for so long was an achievement, but the playoff loss to the Panthers was a disappointment.
Kearney: You’ve got to look at the whole season and we did make some progress, but the reality is that when it mattered most, which was against the Panthers, we didn’t perform.
What that does is leave you with a bit of an empty feeling, because you work so hard to get yourself into a position like we did, but we didn’t perform at our best.
If we play our best footy and get beaten, you can live with that.
But the fact is we didn’t and we’ve got to find out why and how we get ourselves back into the position where we get presented with that opportunity again, then how do we respond better?
THE ANSWERS
With the season over, Kearney now has to figure out how the
Warriors can get better.
Kearney: It comes from the review and that’s what we’ve addressed as a group. We’ve done a similar process to what we did last year.
It’s close to the same message as a group, that where we got to wasn’t good enough and we need to improve, so how do we do that?
We all have something we can be better at and improve in our game.
With every player there will always be something they can be better at and it’s about putting in the process to work towards that.
STARTING AGAIN
Being only one victory away from winning the minor premiership may lead the conclusion that the Warriors only need to improve a small amount for next season.
But Kearney doesn’t see it like that at all.
Kearney: The truth is that all of the good work we accomplished, doesn’t automatically come back and guarantee that you’re going to get there again.
You’ve got to reset yourself. That’s the mindset I believe we’ve got to take.