Warriors watch: Predicting the unpredictable
If there is one thing we’ve learned about the Warriors this season, it’s that it pays not to look too far ahead. For all the improvements the side has made – and there is no question that Stephen Kearney has made significant progress in
2018 – the Warriors can still be wildly unpredictable.
The last two weeks are a perfect case in point. Who would have expected them to lose to the lowly Titans, who they had pretty much owned leading up to that game, and follow that up by beating the fourth-placed Dragons in Wollongong, where they had not tasted success since
2016?
That said, with a place in the finals so tantalisingly close it’s hard not to get drawn into some crystal ball-gazing.
And make no mistake, the Warriors have a golden opportunity to build some serious momentum in the final month of the regular season.
With three of the final four games at Mt Smart Stadium, and just one opponent inside the top eight, the Auckland club has one of the more favourable runs home.
Following tonight’s clash against the 11th-placed Knights, the Warriors are away to the Bulldogs (13th) before finishing with consecutive home games against the Panthers (fifth) and Raiders (10th).
Currently in eighth place on 26 points – four points above the Wests Tigers – two more wins will probably be enough to break their seven-year finals drought, while three will lock them into the top eight.
But the prospect of the Warriors making a run is not out of the question.
That may still not be enough to get them into the top four, unless they can give their points differential (currently on -14, the worst of the top eight) a significant bump.
There is plenty of incentive to finish in fifth or sixth place, which would guarantee a home playoff in the opening week.
The NRL serves up reminders on a weekly basis that no team in the competition can be underestimated, as the Warriors have discovered on a few occasions this year.
The Knights, Bulldogs and Raiders are more than capable of playing the spoiler role.
Depending on Saturday’s result against Manly, the Bulldogs could head into their game against the Warriors on a three-match winning streak.
However, with all three teams
The NRL serves up reminders on a weekly basis that no team in the competition can be under-estimated.
out of finals contention, these are the games the Warriors should be expected to win.
Penrith presents a completely different challenge but given the events of this week, they shape as a real wildcard.
The Panthers have an extremely talented roster and many astute judges have tipped them to kick on following the shock sacking of coach Anthony Griffin.
It remains to be seen how they will react to such a dramatic upheaval.
And, after an unconvincing past month, there is still a possibility that they may require more than a quick fix.
The ninth-placed Tigers are in a similar situation.
Ivan Cleary’s side has a chance to reach the playoffs, albeit slim, with a tough trip to Canberra this weekend and two of their next three games against the Dragons and Rabbitohs.