Let’s hope new owners maintain certainty
OPINION: Who cares who owns the Warriors?
You might be a real NRL ownership enthusiast and able to rattle off the names of those signing the cheques at Manly or the Storm and the Broncos and Panthers etcetera, etcetera. Maybe you even go the whole hog and barrack for a team because you love their owner. Perhaps Beautiful Mind affected you so much that you’ve been cheering for Russell Crowe and his Rabbitohs ever since.
Eric Watson has paid the Warriors’ bills. That’s a really good thing. We’ve seen the NRL have to assume that responsibility at clubs such as the Knights and Titans in recent times and help out the Tigers and Dragons too. That’s not a good thing.
If/when Watson does sell the Warriors, let’s hope the new owners provide some of the certainty that he has.
It’s easy to forget how turbulent things were before Watson took control in 2000. You can quibble about his levels of investment and engagement, but he has kept the club afloat.
That really is all that rank and file fans are after from an owner.
Here they come?
If you’re old and after a last, whopping payday, then you’re being linked with the Warriors.
Adam Blair is from Whangarei, has worked with Warriors coach Stephen Kearney at club and international level and, on face value alone, there are factors beyond money that might coax the prop back across the Tasman.
But Sharks five-eighth James Maloney and Bulldogs prop James Graham?
Maloney has been here and done that. His wife wanted to go back to Australia and they did. He’s gone on to win titles at the Roosters and Sharks and to represent his state and country and the attraction of Auckland must be minimal.
Salary cap pressure might force Graham out of the Bulldogs, where he’s due to be paid $1 million in 2018. Beyond that, he’s captain of the club, said to be close to coach Des Hasler and has a burgeoning media career to consider.
It’s hard to see how any of them would be coming to the Warriors for the football or the ‘‘challenge’’ and watching the struggles that proven, established representative types such as Josh Hoffman, Brent Tate, Kieran Foran and Issac Luke have had over the years won’t be endearing many good players to the club.
Just quickly
The Warriors’ 36-16 loss to the Raiders on Sunday would’ve come as a shock to no-one.
Periods of it were useful and there was effort and accuracy. Soft errors cost them dearly, though, and came from blokes who you’d expect better from.
Halfback Mason Lino was decent again. He’s a limited player but appears able listen to instructions and follow them. Not every Warrior can.
Around the grounds
AThe Storm secured the minor premiership thanks to a 16-13 win over the Roosters, in a high-quality football match. Things were tight but Storm hooker Cameron Smith always looked like he had the situation in hand.
The Broncos’ 32-10 win over the Sharks was impressive too, thanks partly to an unusually poor performance from Maloney.
The Panthers showed real grit to get past a brave Cowboys side, while Souths took care of the shocking Bulldogs. The Dragons’ 42-16 win against the disappointing Titans wasn’t dissimilar.
Mention needs to be made of the Knights, who’s win over the Eels gave them three on the trot, and the Tigers. At 20-6, Manly looked to have the game won come halftime, but the Tigers produced a genuinely surprising comeback.
Neither the Knights nor Tigers are especially talented, but their effort can rarely be faulted.