Penalty decisions left to senior players

Warriors coach says his players should make the call whether to run or kick penalties close to the tryline

Coach Stephen Kearney confirmed senior playmakers Roger TuivasaSheck and Shaun Johnson are in charge of the decision making when the Warriors are awarded penalties close to the opposition line.

Ahead of Sunday’s clash against the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium, Kearney said the side had addressed the issue over whether to take a shot at goal or tap and run, after two moments of indecision in their Anzac Day loss to Melbourne.

Kearney said he preferred to leave it to his players to decide what option to take unless the scores were level late in a game.

“We’ve got some pretty experienced players out there, so it’s about giving them the feel of the game,” said Kearney.

“We might have the momentum [ on attack] or if it’s 14- 14 with five minutes to go, then the coach will make the decision.

“But generally, I like to give the players ownership of that.”

Confusion reigned when Warriors captain Tuivasa- Sheck and halfback Johnson deliberated and looked to the sidelines for guidance when the visitors were given penalties either side of halftime in the 20- 14 loss to the Storm.

Johnson appeared frustrated when the indecision cost them the chance to run before he eventually nailed both kicks at goal to twice put the Warriors ahead on the scoreboard by two points.

Kearney supported the player’s decision to accrue points through penalty goals in a tight match against a top ranked side such as the Storm and clarified it will be up to Tuivasa- Sheck and Johnson to make those calls.

“There was a bit of confusion because a couple of them were saying ‘ let’s tap and run’ and then a couple were saying ‘ kick the goals’,” said Kearney.

“In that situation, when you’re playing the Storm, if we kick t wo penalties, that’s four points, which is a try.

“It’s always going to be a tight contest against the Storm if you’re playing well. “We’ve resolved the issue.” Meanwhile, Kearney confirmed he had spoken to NRL referees boss Tony Archer yesterday about some questionable refereeing decisions in the AAMI Park clash.

The Warriors were unlucky not to have Storm wing Josh Addo- Carr’s 66th minute try reviewed by the NRL bunker when replays suggested his foot may have come into contact with the sideline.

Storm five- eighth Cameron Munster also escaped scrutiny from the match review committee despite making clear contact with an attempted trip on hooker Issac Luke.

The Warriors felt particularly aggrieved when a knock- on in the play the ball by Storm flyer Suliasi Vunivalu was also missed by referees Ben Cummins and Dave Munro.

“I was just following up on a couple of things and most coaches would do that,” said Kearney.

“It was just making sure we bring that [ incident] to light for Tony so we understand where we sit and what the process was around that particular non- call.

“It’s just about keeping them accountable. You don’t get the opportunity to do that in the press conference and that’s not my style either.

“But it’s making sure that Tony and his team have an awareness — if we feel there could be a trend or whatever — why aren’t these things being picked up?”