Warriors’ rocky road to finals
WHAT would a Warriors’ season be without a mad dash to make the playoffs?
Over the last five years the club has known no different and once again they will have to do it the hard way in the final third of the season if they are to break their finals drought.
While their post-Origin record since 2012, and a lack of consistency throughout the current campaign, hardly inspires much confidence, it is by no means out of the question.
But if the Warriors are to make the top eight then they will need to achieve one of two things they have struggled to do all season – win on the road and overcome some of the NRL’s better teams.
Judging by the traditional 28-point cut-off mark to reach the top eight, Stephen Kearney’s side need to win at least five of their eight remaining matches, as well boost their points differential.
Even then it will come down to the wire.
Injuries have made that task more difficult. Issac Luke may well return next week and the bye would have been a blessing for Kieran Foran’s quad injury, but the recent trip to Perth came at a heavy cost as Ryan Hoffman and Albert Vete picked up serious knocks.
Few clubs are unaffected by injury at this time of the year, though.
Coach Stephen Kearney has come from systems in Melbourne and Brisbane where excuses are not tolerated and that is the mentality he is trying to instil at the Warriors.
With a four-four split of home and away games, at least one of those victories will have to come on the road. But regardless of their poor record away from Mt Smart this year (one win from nine games), the Warriors should be aiming for much more.
Despite Johnathan Thurston’s season-ending injury, Townsville, where they take on the Cowboys in two weeks’ time, is always a challenging place to play.
And two wins from their last two games suggests that there may well be life after ‘JT’ for North Queensland.
However, the three other away trips to Newcastle (round 22), South Sydney (round 24) and Wests Tigers (round 26) are all very winnable matches.
The 11th-placed Rabbitohs have enjoyed a mini-resurgence over the last fortnight but the Tigers and Knights currently prop up the table.
Victory over those two teams should be the bare minimum on the road, particularly with two of the competition’s in-form teams coming to Auckland.
The Warriors are 1-4 against sides currently in the top four and they face a big test against the Sharks in round 21, with the PHOTOSPORT PHOTOSPORT reigning premiers sitting pretty in second place without completely hitting their straps this year, before a rematch against third-place Manly in the penultimate round.
But all four home games are sure to push the Warriors, with Penrith and Canberra also fighting for their finals future.
Tipped as title contenders at the start of the season, both have struggled for consistency in 2017 yet are equally capable of turning on a brilliant performance at any moment.
In the Panthers’ case, the Warriors know that more than anyone following their stunning second-half collapse back in round 10.
The chance for revenge comes this Friday as the run to the finals ramps up a gear.