It’s year of Blues and the Warriors: Don’t fall about

The new footy season is upon us, and in a burst of irrational optimism, it’s time to throw out a few reasons why the Blues and Warriors will have amazing years (cue laughter).

Warriors

If there is a time to be optimistic, it’s before the season starts. In other places, such as Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, optimism builds during the year. But in Auckland, it’s best to load up before a ball is kicked in anger.

Warriors

I wasn’t going to be optimistic. Put chris.rattue@ nzherald.co. nz it down to a keen sense of history. Then the thought hit me: “Why not?” Is this a good enough reason? Well, no. Not under normal circumstances. But sometimes, you get a feeling. At the very tempting point of writing off the Auckland-based footy teams again, a little voice in the head went “hold your horses, not this time”.

Ben Matulino. He’s injured, and will miss the first part of the season. Sorry Ben, and all the best in recovering from that knee surgery and infection, but your initial absence is a good thing. The Warriors need to move on from Matulino — over to you, Albert Vete, Charlie Gubb and little Sam Lisone. Matulino could have been one of the greats but his maddening inconsistency is at the root of the Warriors’ problems.

Warriors

Every now and then, something weirdly successful strikes the Auckland football codes, when you least expect it (which is all the time). And looking at the initial line-up to play the Rebels, I least expect it with the Blues.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Appointing him as captain is a master stroke from new coach Steve Kearney. TuivasaSheck must be an outstanding trainer to have achieved what he did with the Roosters. His work rate is staggering. He is a young guy with a bit of charisma based on an open way of dealing with people. The other young players at the club have the perfect role model to follow and older guys, Simon Mannering etc, will respect RTS, and do everything to back him up. It’s a magic mix in one guy which only comes along now and then — Kearney has spotted it, and gone for broke. Ryan Hoffman has a brilliant record as a player, but was an odd sort of captain. There was certainly a strange disconnect between Hoffman and the public.