Let’s be thankful for the effort put in by the Warriors
OPINION: Well done to the Warriors for making a visible effort.
Yes, it really has come to that. So starved of success are the club’s admirers that they’re now praising the players for trying. Surely effort is the least people can expect?
A better side than the Warriors might’ve beaten the Cowboys on Saturday night. Instead a lack of composure and football nous resulted in the regrettable errors and decisions that ultimately meant a 24-12 defeat.
But they tried and quite hard too; much as you’d expect with five-eighth Kieran Foran running the cutter.
They now host a Cronulla team on Friday, who’ll be minus star five-eighth James Maloney. The former Warrior broke a hand in the Sharks’ 26-12 win over Souths.
Fourth-placed Cronulla remain a good chance to make it back-toback titles, while a first playoff appearance since 2011 looks increasingly likely to elude the Warriors.
As ever, there are reports of players ‘‘vowing’’ to do this and do that and show this person or that person. Maybe it’s time to just let the football do the talking and then tell us all about it once the finals’ berth has been secured. SPEAKING OF SILENCE Watching Canberra against Melbourne with the sound off was an interesting experience; notably in the aftermath of Iosia Soliola’s high and late hit on Billy Slater.
Soliola looked desperately uncomfortable and guilty and more than ready to leave GIO Stadium, once Slater was able to be driven off and the inevitable early shower came. Only, to everyone’s astonishment, referee Matt Cecchin merely put Soliola on report.
Send-offs rarely come more clear-cut and leaving Soliola on the park amounted to a dereliction of duty by the officials. WHICH LED TO In normal circumstances Ricky Stuart’s subsequent rant about sub-standard refereeing would have beggared belief. But the Canberra coach is a serial complainer whose schtick has lost its impact.
Defenders of Stuart will say it’s better to have a coach that speaks his mind, than some dullard who gives yes and no answers or won’t comment. Maybe.
The bottom line is the Raiders haven’t performed to their potential in 2017 and that’s on Stuart. No matter how much deflecting he indulges in.
ELSEWHERE Round 20 took some toll. Beyond Maloney, who faces three weeks or so on the sideline, Souths captain Sam Burgess (ribs) faces an indefinite spell out of the team.
Impressive Eels fullback Clint Gutherson is gone for the season, after rupturing his Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the team’s 17-16 win over the Tigers.
No-one’s quite sure when Slater will be back, following Soliola’s hit, but at least Storm captain isn’t expected to be gone long. The hooker injured a pec against Canberra and the initial reports weren’t promising. However, it now appears Smith might return within a fortnight.
Among the other players facing time out is Titans centre Konrad Hurrell. Re-born on the Gold Coast, the former Warrior has done a hamstring and faces a month-long recovery.