Jones salutes Mr Consistent
THERE won’t be any mixed feelings, just a sense of pride from Stacey Jones today when Simon Mannering breaks his club record.
Jones racked up 261 games for the Warriors during his two stints at the club and Mannering enters this weekend’s game against the Dragons in Sydney with the same number of appearances.
Mannering will own the record outright once the game starts, but rather than being disappointed to lose the record, Jones says this has made him remember how special his time with the club was.
‘‘I’m really excited for Simon,’’ said Jones, an assistant coach at the Warriors.
‘‘I never broke anyone’s record, when I finished I played 261 games and that was it, there was never a milestone for me in terms of beating another record.
‘‘It wasn’t until it was spoken about what Simon was about to do that it made me feel proud about what I did.
‘‘I’m really looking forward to seeing Simon run across the line and achieve this for the club.
‘‘This is about creating history and culture within the club now and I’m sure when Simon finishes, he’d the the first to hope someone else passes him, because that means we’ve had a player at the club who’s given his whole career to the Warriors.’’
Mannering would never be called the most talented player at the Warriors, but what makes him so special is that the difference between his best and worst games for the club is tiny, he’s the Warriors’ Mr Consistent.
‘‘It’s not until you play with him or, like me now, coach him, that you really appreciate what Simon is about,’’ Jones said.
‘‘He doesn’t get a lot of recognition from the outside, but when you go into battle with him, that’s when you realise how good he actually is.’’
Just like it’s been so often during his career, the Warriors will rely heavily on Mannering PHOTOSPORT against the Dragons, as they look to make amends from last weekend’s disappointing 24-12 loss to the Bulldogs in Dunedin
Jones said they’re looking for a better performance from their players in the middle of the field, who came out second best.
‘‘We’ve been working on trying to connect all of our plays together,’’ Jones said. ‘‘Like our yardage play where our outside backs do their job early in the tackle count and then the middles take over the back end.
‘‘The middles probably needed to take a bit more ownership of PHOTOSPORT their role and they’ve all put their hands up, saying that they didn’t hit their mark and can do a better job this week.
‘‘So we hope that up front we can lay a bit more of a platform, we are asking a lot from them and it’s hard work in the middle where they’ve got to defend.
‘‘We’ve got a high completion rate for our sets and that means the ball is in play a lot more, which is what we want but it puts pressure on our middles who aren’t used to playing a high quality game as far as ball in play and it doesn’t give them a rest.’’
There will be plenty of attention on how Kieran Foran goes, if he’s cleared to play.
He’ll reunite that successful halves combination he’s had with Shaun Johnson in the Kiwis and it could see the Warriors lift to another level.
‘‘They’ve played a lot of football together for New Zealand and it’s not about just what they do,’’ Jones said.
‘‘It’s the players around them that they can make a lot better, especially the less experienced one. Our outside backs will benefit hugely from a very stable six and seven combination.
‘‘It’s been a big couple of weeks for him since he’s been given the green light from the NRL and the sooner he gets on the field the better.’’ Smith, a recently appointed RLPA board member, is the favourite although the matter will go to the floor for a vote. The four are among the most respected voices in the game and would add gravitas to the union’s quest to become as effective as its AFL counterparts.
‘‘Clint will step down as president at the AGMand there will be an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible contribution he has made in that role,’’ said RLPA boss Ian Prendergast.
‘‘Monday’s meeting is a fantastic opportunity for players to come together from clubs across the country to vote in new members of their board, including the president. They will also receive a detailed upgrade on the CBA negotiations so we can get their feedback and direction.
‘‘It’s a really important period for both players and the game in terms of seeking to negotiate a deal that reflects their value and contribution, as well as setting up the game for the future.’’
While the salary cap is one of the headline issues, another discussion will centre around the NRL’s request to have access to players’ phone records, bank accounts and tax returns.
‘ He doesn’t get a lot of recognition from the outside, but when you go into battle with him, that’s when you realise how good he actually is. ’ STACEY JONES