Mind-benders: Worrying issues exposed in horror loss
You can expect some familiar lines out of Warriors’ HQ this week.
Something like “We’ve addressed things”, “There’s been some positive reviews” and “the boys are determined to turn things around”.
In the aftermath of the awful 29-10 defeat to the Sharks it’s the kind of thing that sounds good — but what does it actually mean?
The issues that were uncovered in Cronulla last Sunday can’t be put down to a bad day at the office, nor are they fixable across a couple of training sessions. They are, unfortunately, things that go deeper, almost to the core of a club.
You could make a list; defensive attitude, leadership, playing for your teammates, composure under pressure, skill execution, game management and mental toughness.
The kind of things that had to be worked on in pre-season, then topped up throughout the year, because it is almost impossible to obtain them on the fly.
It’s the same with attacking and defensive structures; if it isn’t ingrained now, it’s hard to solidify on the run in the endless cycle of prepare, train, play and recover.
Injuries haven’t helped with combinations and cohesion although the Warriors haven’t been affected disproportionately.
So where to now?
It’s hard not to be worried. During the post-match press conference after the Sharks’ game, captain Addin Fonua-Blake was asked how confidence would be affected, after the dismal display.
“It doesn’t really knock our confidence, it’s just things we need to stop doing,” he said. “Obviously [we are] making the game hard for ourselves by trying to force passes and make plays that aren’t really on.”
If only it was so simple. Unfortunately, there will be psychological scars, because last Sunday’s showing isn’t the kind of performance you can erase.
It’s bad enough losing to an undermanned team but getting walloped by 12 players is mindbending stuff.
As Nathan Brown indicated, the coaching staff will need to do plenty of self reflection. They haven’t managed to create an environment to get the best out of the players and the sloppy mistakes and inaccurate periods seen in round one are still happening, two months later.
They have also opted for a conservative game plan — limiting offloads and second phase play — but that is a risky strategy, given most teams are more accomplished in the arm wrestle.
Last Sunday also exposed a leadership vacuum and an inability to change momentum.
Shaun Johnson had an afternoon to forget, as if the return to his former club affected his focus.
It was horrible timing, too, with rare Channel Nine exposure for the Warriors that (again) exposed the soft underbelly of the Auckland club.
There’s already a perception things will be okay in 2023, with the arrival of Marata Niukore and Mitch Barnett, among others. But there needs to be a foundation to build on from this campaign and it’s hard to see where it could be coming from.