Nelson Mail

Woeful Warriors sink to new low

- David Long david.long@stuff.co.nz

Something has got to give at the Warriors. The dreadful 42-16 loss to the Sharks in Sydney on Saturday was another low point in what’s been a bad NRL season for the Auckland-based club.

Three heavy losses in four weeks and daunting games to come against the Rabbitohs and Raiders constitute another season where they come off the rails. But of more concern this time is that this wasn’t an injuryrava­ged team succumbing to the Sharks.

Sure, Tohu Harris could have made some difference, but he wouldn’t have been a gamechange­r. The points ladder doesn’t lie.

Are the Warriors a club in

crisis? Who on the outside would really know? But CEO Cameron George said last week some players need to lift their performanc­es or they’ll be kicked out.

Then there was the response from coach Stephen Kearney that George shouldn’t be commenting on footballre­lated matters in the media.

Again, one can only speculate if there’s a rift between the two, but it’s clear people at the club are feeling the strain.

Where has the new ownership been during these turbulent times? For the average Warriors fan, nothing seems to have changed from the days when Eric Watson owned the club.

And where’s that semiprofes­sional competitio­n which was promised to get going from the profits of the Warriors?

Before we go any further, let’s get this straight – Kearney won’t be sacked.

He signed a new deal at the beginning of the season and there can’t be much appetite for a new coach coming in and also there’s no appetite for yet another rebuilding period.

However, someone will likely be made the scapegoat for all of this. Whether it’s in the

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Hands on hips and worried faces while waiting for the opposition to take a conversion – the Warriors were at it again on Saturday, this time in the 42-16 loss to the Sharks in Sydney.
GETTY IMAGES Hands on hips and worried faces while waiting for the opposition to take a conversion – the Warriors were at it again on Saturday, this time in the 42-16 loss to the Sharks in Sydney.
 ??  ?? Warriors coach Stephen Kearney won’t be putting his hand up to be sacked when the season ends.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney won’t be putting his hand up to be sacked when the season ends.
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