Warriors middle men challenged
The Warriors know they lost the Raiders game through the middle, and will be out to prove a point tomorrow against the high-flying Sea Eagles.
The 46-12 loss was the club’s worst of the season, all but ruling them out of the 2019 finals race.
But the disappointment was made worse by the fact the performance came after several weeks of strong showings, in which the club looked to have turned a corner with its intent and ability to stay in games the full 80 minutes. The Raiders piled on 30 unanswered first-half points thanks in large part to their work through the middle third of the field, and that of their crafty English import Josh Hodgson.
The hooker had the Warriors forwards scrambling and on the back foot throughout the contest and prop Bunty Afoa said tightening up that area had been the key point of focus for the Warriors this week.
‘‘The loss was embarrassing, to be honest. The biggest disappointment was we had a massive month where we were really competing and you could tell the effort was really there – then we tossed that up on Friday,’’ Afoa said.
‘‘It was a big setback because our goal was obviously top eight, and that hurt. Us middles have been challenged this week and rightly so, and we are up for this one.’’
The job doesn’t get any easier this week against Manly and a forward pack featuring the likes of Martin Taupau and Addin Fonua-blake.
The Sea Eagles, currently fifth on the NRL ladder, also possess one of the best one-two hooker punches in the game with Apisai Koroisau and young gun Manase Fainu.
‘‘All the boys are excited when we take on the big boys and this week will be no different against Manly,’’ Afoa said.
‘‘[Hodgson] is just a smart hooker to be honest, and he moved us around really well and in those games it’s up to us to respond.
‘‘He had way too much time on his hands and it’s our job to make sure Manly’s dummy-halves don’t have the same sort of time to work come Friday
night.’’
A win against the Sea Eagles would keep the Warriors’ slim playoff hopes alive, though they now need other results to go their way in order to break into the top eight.