Warriors set ‘coach’s dream’ record

The Warriors weren’t initially aware they had created a ‘‘coach’s dream’’ NRL record which has earned them lavish praise for the most completed tackle sets in the competition’s history.

Stephen Kearney’s side completed 46 out of 48 sets for a 96 per cent success rate in their impressive18-0 whitewash of the Dragons at Gosford’s Central Coast Stadium on Saturday.

They became the first NRL team to successfully complete 40 consecutive sets, and their 46 successful sets is also a competition record, according to Fox Sports Australia.

Centre Gerard Beale said yesterday that the Warriors didn’t know they made NRL history till well after the final whistle.

Beale said they knew they were going well, ‘‘because we just kept getting down the other end of the field’’, but ‘‘it wasn’t till after the game [that we learned about the record].

‘‘To see a stat like that, it’s quite crazy.

‘‘That’s every coach’s dream to see their team barely drop the ball. It’s good to execute a performance like that in the first game back.’’

When Beale said the Warriors would be working hard to improve on their Dragons display, an interviewer quipped: ‘‘How do you improve on a performance like that? 100 per cent?’’

‘‘That in itself is a really good motivator,’’ Beale said. ‘‘It might be hard to beat, but we will give it a crack, eh?’’

The former Kiwis international agreed the Warriors had benefited from being in camp in Australia in the leadup to the competition restart, and felt ‘‘it really helped yesterday’’, against the Dragons.

The Warriors successfully completed their first 44 sets before new second rower Jack Murchie, a recent signing from the Raiders, spilled the ball in a tackle in the 75th minute.

As a sign of the Warriors’ current resolve, skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck questioned the call, issuing a captain’s challenge, which was turned down after match officials viewed a video replay.

The Warriors’ 96 per cent mark was 16 per cent higher than the best completion rate across the 2019 season.

Steve Roach, a former Balmain, New South Wales and Australia prop, said during

Saturday’s television commentary that the Warriors’ completion rate was ‘‘unbelievable’’.

‘‘I’ve never seen any side do that, let alone the Warriors,’’ he said.

‘‘They usually get tired and make mistakes in the back end of halves but not this afternoon, they’ve been outstanding.’’

The sporting news.com.au website claimed while Warriors attack, inspired by standoff Kodi Nikorima was a major contributor to the victory, it was the Kiwis’ ‘‘clean hands that impressed most with completion numbers that have to be seen to be believed’’.