Green feels excitement grow
Warriors five-eighth Blake Green says he can feel how the buzz around the club has grown, even in his short time with the rugby league club.
As the NRL club’s winning streak extends, interest in the team continues to grow, with more than 20,000 expected for today’s NRL game against the Brisbane Broncos at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium.
The 31-year-old has experienced many big nights in his career where he’s represented eight different clubs, but he can sense something special happening at the Warriors.
‘‘It was great, the stadium was rocking, but the whole city is excited,’’ Green said of last weekend’s doubleheader.
‘‘I’ve seen a heap of people wearing Warriors jerseys and I guess it’s just a reflection of our effort so far, that people are proud to wear our jersey and come to support us at games.
‘‘Hopefully we can continue playing well and carry on getting crowds like that.’’
Although Green and the other players have clearly enjoyed their five straight wins at the beginning of this season, he said it hasn’t been an issue for everyone to be grounded again when they return to training.
‘‘It’s pretty easy, because it’s a tough competition and things can change easily,’’ Green said.
‘‘We’ve got lots of areas we need to improve on as well and we’re certainly not the finished product that we want to be. That’s why we’re all keen to come back into training each Monday and work on things to get better.’’
The Broncos have suffered two injuries blow in the lead up to today’s game. Firstly, secondrower Matt Gillett was ruled out of all footy for three months with a fractured neck. Then Kiwi Kodi Nikorima failed to pass a fitness test on the corked thigh he picked up last weekend in the defeat to the Knights.
Jack Bird is expected to shift from centre to partner Anthony Milford in the halves and Tom Opacic slotting in at left centre.
Jaydn Su’a is likely to take Gillett’s place in the team, with Wellington born Sam Tagataese set to make his debut for the Broncos from the interchange bench.
The Broncos are a team that has been under fire all season. There was the controversial signing of Matt Lodge, who pleaded guilty to a reckless assault charge that occurred in New York in 2015.
They have been playing poorly, losing their last two games to NRL perennial strugglers the Titans and Knights.
Then after that loss to New- castle Wayne Bennett was involved in a public war of words with rival coach Nathan Brown, where Bennett’s personal life and breakdown of his 42-year marriage was again highlighted.
So all in all, there couldn’t be a better time for the Warriors to play the Broncos and it’s understandable why they’re favourites.
‘‘They’re a great club, they’ve always shown over the years that whenever they’re placed under adversity, they respond with a big performance.
‘‘We can’t afford to focus too much on that, we can’t get caught up in it,’’ cautioned Green.
Sydney-born Green has been a sensation in the halves with Shaun Johnson or Mason Lino so far this season, with the 31-year-old the perfect foil for the team’s other playmakers.
Lino’s appearance against the Roosters two weeks ago was only because of an injury to Johnson and it’s Green’s combination with Johnson that’s going to be crucial.
It’s been a good start, but Green feels it can improve further.
‘‘There are heaps of little areas of the game where we can get better,’’ he said.