Under starter’s orders
The Warriors have been slow off the mark. Aaron Lawton reports.
IT’S NOT a worrying trend yet, according to Warriors coach Brian Mcclennan, but if his side continues to start games sluggishly, it soon could be. In their first two games of the season, the Warriors have had to play catch-up after poor starts.
Against Manly in round one, they leaked 16 points before getting into the game and, last Monday at Parramatta Stadium, the Eels scored twice in the first 10 minutes before the Warriors woke from an apparent slumber.
It’s a problem that could easily cripple their premiership aspirations but Mcclennan is confident his side will come out firing against the Bulldogs at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
‘‘We didn’t get off to a good start and we realise the importance of getting into games a bit quicker now,’’ he said.
‘‘We will. I don’t think it’s hard to do. It’s happened twice but you can’t say it’s a trend. It might be best if I don’t bore them to death with my pre-match speech.’’
In the first two weeks of the new season, the Warriors have been targeted by both the Sea Eagles and Eels down their left and right edges.
‘‘We’ve got to improve there. The boys on the edge know that,’’ Mcclennan said.
The Bulldogs, coached by former Sea Eagles boss Des Hasler, will arrive in New Zealand this week having dispatched both the Panthers and Dragons.
Their cause has been greatly helped by a giant forward pack, which includes Aiden Tolman, Frank Pritchard, Greg Eastwood and new English import James Graham.
The Warriors will again be without injured forwards Jacob Lillyman, Micheal Luck and the Rapira brothers— Steve and Sam. But, Mcclennan feels his relatively inexperienced pack, led by Russell Packer and Ben Matulino, has what it takes to match it with the Bulldogs in the middle of the park.
‘‘That’s going to be worth the admission ticket to Mt Smart alone. They’ve been right over the top of their opponents,’’ Mcclennan said. ‘‘They’ll come to Mt Smart pretty confident in their middle boys. Our middle boys will be looking forward to that challenge.’’