Warriors brace for toughest challenge
Three games and three wins for the Warriors, but they’re set to face their toughest challenge yet.
The Stephen Kearney coaches side takes on the Roosters in Sydney on Saturday night and they’re set to be a trickier opponent than the Rabbitohs, Titans and Raiders were.
Coaches and players may say the cliche that ‘there’s no easy games in the NRL’, but there are clearly tougher ones and the Roosters are in that category.
‘‘They will definitely be a challenge, there’s no doubt about that,’’ Kearney said of the Roosters.
‘‘They’re a quality team, but the teams the last three weeks have presented challenges, so it’s no different this week.
‘‘They have a pretty impressive roster and playing group, so it’s a wonderful challenge in front of us.’’
Just like when the Warriors were going through their nine-game losing streak last year, Kearney doesn’t get too emotional. He’ll stay grounded and he’s seeing enough parts of the Warriors’ game that aren’t going as well they should be.
‘‘Today is a defence day,’’ he said of yesterday’s training session at Mt Smart Stadium.
‘‘So it’s about improving the areas we weren’t so good at last week in preparation for this week. Understanding what the Roosters will be throwing at us and doing some scrimmage work that works towards that.’’
All the new recruits for this season have added something to the squad, whether it’s Peta Hiku at centre, or Adam Blair in the middle.
But for Tohu Harris, as well as bringing the skill set he honed at the Storm, he’s also matured into one of the Warriors’ leaders.
‘‘He’s brought a great deal,’’ Kearney said. ‘‘Not only the winning aspect, but he’s a great whinger, he knows everything so it’s hard to beat him in an argument!’’
Kearney noted that at the Storm, Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk were the leaders of the club and Harris was able to take more of a back seat in that department.
But at the Warriors they’re relying on his leadership and experience.
‘‘With the previous club he was at, I don’t think he was needed in that type of role,’’ he said.
‘‘But here, the way he looks at the game and his standing in the game, it was always the intention when he came here to play a leadership type of role and he’s done a wonderful job.’’
One of the standout features of the Warriors this year has been the goal line defence. In the past if the opposition had a repeat set close to the Warriors line, you might as well award them a try there and then.
But this year, inspired by fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, they’re much harder to get through.
‘‘If I’m honest, I don’t want them making those tackles because it means the line has been broken,’’ Kearney said.
‘‘But that’s the attitude that the lads have had and it’s going to be tested this weekend.’’