Kearney’s early moves look to hit the right spots
The new NRL season is still in its infancy but going into the Warriors’ game against Wests Tigers tomorrow night, it already appears that Stephen Kearney has pulled off one of the coaching moves of the year.
The decision to move centre Solomone Kata to the right edge, to team up with David Fusitu’a, while Peta Hiku goes in the other direction to partner Ken Maumalo, seemed like a subtle change.
However, from the evidence in the Warriors’ 40-6 win over the Bulldogs last Saturday, it’s having a significant impact.
Last year Fusitu’a was the NRL’s leading tryscorer, with 23 fourpointers to his name, but Maumalo bagged only five tries, so clearly the Warriors’ right edge was the more productive one.
But this year, the Warriors look a more balanced team on the edges, with the combinations out wide gelling quickly.
It may seem like a coaching masterstroke from Kearney, but for Kata the switch was something he always wanted to do, but was reluctant to speak up about.
‘‘It’s hard to go to the coaches and tell them what I want,’’ the 24-yearold Kata said.
‘‘They saw me debut on the left edge when I played my first game in the NRL [against the Knights in 2015].
‘‘But the only reason why I was on the left because I was taking an opportunity, that was the only chance I got to have a crack in the team.
‘‘So after that game I carried on playing on the left and I was shocked when Stacey Jones asked me if I could play on the right, but he was my coach in the 20s.’’
A telling moment in the win over the Bulldogs came when Fusitu’a leaped up to a crossfield kick, batted the ball down to Kata inside him, then dived over to score a try.
Rather than it being a spontaneous moment of great attack play, Kata revealed it was something they’d been working on.
‘‘That’s what we’ve done in every training session,’’ he said.
‘‘Every team in the NRL knows what David is capable of, he’s probably the best jumper in the NRL at the moment.
‘‘So we’d been practising it and that I’d let him know I’d be on his inside, because we know the defender can hit the attacker in the air, so the first time, the Bulldogs did that.
‘‘I told David, ‘next time I’ll be inside you and I’ll let you know if it’s on’.
‘‘With the second kick I shouted at him loud as he said he didn’t see me, but he threw it back and luckily I was in the right spot.’’
Kearney raised with the media and NRL that Christian Crichton’s midair tackle on Fusitu’a last Saturday was dangerous, even though it went unpunished. But it could be a tactic other clubs use this season as a way of dealing with the winger.
The NRL said Crichton should have been penalised for making a tackle, but the incident highlighted how worried teams are about Fusitu’a. With defences desperate to cover him, that could result in more tryscoring opportunities for Kata.
‘‘Maybe, but my focus at the moment is to give the best chances to David, because he’s really good at scoring tries’’, Kata said. ‘‘If they’re all over David, I’ll take a chance but right now the focus is to get my winger into space.’’
What tactics Tigers coach Michael Maguire has planned for tomorrow to deal with the Warriors’ outside backs is unknown, but one thing is for sure, he’s going to be worried. NRL round 2, Tigers v Warriors
Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney; tomorrow, 8.10pm Corey Thompson, Mahe Fonua, Paul Momirovski, Esan Marsters, Robert Jennings, Benji Marshall, Luke Brooks, Ben Matulino, Robbie Farah, Alex Twal, Ryan Matterson, Luke Garner, Elijah Taylor. Interchange (from): Russell Packer, Thomas Mikaele, Josh Aloiai, Michael Chee Kam, Moses Mbye, Josh Reynolds, Matt Eisenhuth, Chris McQueen
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, David Fusitu’a, Peta Hiku, Solomone Kata, Ken Maumalo, Adam Keighran, Blake Green, Agnatius Paasi, Nathaniel Roache, Bunty Afoa, Adam Blair, Tohu Harris, Lachlan Burr. Interchange (from): Jazz Tevaga, Sam Lisone, Leeson Ah Mau, Isaiah Papali’i, Gerard Beale, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Issac Luke, Ligi Sao.
What: When, where: Tigers:
Warriors: