Kearney urges Blair to end rough stuff
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney says forward recruit Adam Blair needs to clean up his game or risk coming under extra scrutiny from NRL match referees.
Blair was lucky to escape a onematch ban after being charged by the NRL match review committee for a late shot on Raiders five-eighth Aidan Sezer that saw the Kiwis World Cup captain sinbinned in the first half of the Warriors’ controversial win over Canberra last week.
The incident was slammed by Fox Sports commentators as a “cheap shot” and did nothing to change perceptions of Blair as a serial offender, with the 269-game veteran having previously been accused of being one of the dirtiest players in the game.
The hit on Sezer gave Blair’s detractors more ammunition after the former Brisbane Broncos enforcer was labelled a “coward” by a furious Andrew Johns for blindsiding former Storm halfback Cooper Cronk after he had passed the ball during last year’s grand final qualifier.
The 32-year-old faced similar criticism from former Broncos captain Gorden Tallis two years ago, after he served two one– week suspensions in a month for a high tackle on Rabbitohs halfback
Adam Reynolds and a chicken-wing hold on Kangaroos forward and club teammate Sam Thaiday in the 2016 Anzac test.
Kearney was relieved to have Blair available for tonight’s clash against the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium, but admits his forward leader needs to adjust his tackling technique before any preconceptions around his reputation result in him being singled out by referees and costs the side in the form of a long suspension.
While Blair escaped further punishment his early guilty plea means he has 90 carry-over points leaving him treading a tightrope with 21 games remaining in the regular season.
“Adam probably needs to make an adjustment because there’s a fair amount of noise out there, which if it gets generated it ends up creating a bit of a bias,” Kearney said. “But in saying that I do think he needs to make a minor adjustment to that aspect of the game. He’s professional enough and smart enough that I know he’ll do that.”
Blair’s experience and hard edge will be vital for the Warriors against a strong Roosters pack, containing Kiwis teammates Jared WaereaHargreaves and Isaac Liu, Tongan powerhouse Sio Siua Taukeiaho, Queensland firebrand Dylan Napa, and captain Boyd Cordner.
The visitors will be without fiery front-rower Sam Lisone who was banned for one game for raising his elbow while carrying the ball off the kick-off in the lead-up to Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson’s matchwinning field goal in the 79th minute against the Raiders.
Kearney was surprised Lisone had been cited but accepted his side’s predicament.
“I was because I didn’t really see it on the day,” he said. “It’s a collision sport, particularly in the forwards, and you see collisions like that a number of times a game, but what can you do?”
For the second week in a row Blair will start at lock after playing the first two games against the Rabbitohs and Titans at prop, with Agnatius Paasi again starting in the front-row after making his return from injury last week.
“That’s his best position, Adam. He’s probably a bit more creative with the footy and adds a great deal in that area.”