Warriors to funnel angst against Titans

WELLINGTON: Any Warriors feeling belittled by the referee ‘‘demotion’’ tag surrounding them this week should take their frustration out on the field.

That is the attitude of playmaker Blake Green following Gerard Sutton’s appointment to control Sunday’s NRL match against the Gold Coast Titans in Robina.

An NRL statement said leading whistler Sutton had been ‘‘demoted’’ following a widely criticised performance in charge of last week’s CanberraCronulla clash.

Veteran Warriors hooker Issac Luke described the NRL wording as an insult and disrespectful to both teams in a deleted tweet.

Coach Stephen Kearney and captain Roger TuivasaSheck said the issue had been discussed but did not want to comment on whether they or other players were as aggrieved as Luke.

Green said it was important the eighthplaced Warriors did not get too distracted by the slight as their playoff hopes entered a crucial phase.

Instead, they should funnel any angst into controlled physicality at CBus Super Stadium.

However, the veteran fiveeighth could not resist a dig when it was suggested the Auckland club were not rated by officialdom.

‘‘Hopefully, they get a big crowd to the game this week. That might be a reflection of how we’re travelling,’’ Green said.

‘‘Maybe we’re a bit more important than what people see us at the moment.— AAP