Kearney is just the latest in a long line of coaches that have tried to turn the Warriors into a regimented, 'process'-orientated team when that approach has been proven to fail time after time. The only way to get this side to perform is to imbue them with confidence, drill them monotonously in high pressure, high fatigue training environments so they possess above par skills, give them an aggressive, out-of-the box game plan, and get the squad balance right between talented young guns and old hard-head bastards ... then set them on their way and hope for the best. Ok, so it's the Daniel Anderson formula for success, but it worked.
Yes, it's a different squad now. Yes, the balance of players is all wrong. But the key to unlocking the potential within lies at the top of the food chain and Steve
Kearney is NOT the right man for this job. Heard him talk? He's hardly inspiring. In fact, he'd probably put me to sleep if I was forced to listen to him expound upon the path to glory. He's also obsessed with 'process'. Process this, process that. When the team is struggling, just publicly let it be known that they need to get back to the 'process' and all will be forgiven.
Nope, more than anything, this team needs to enjoy their footy again. They look utterly miserable out there: partly because they're playing bland, predictable football; partly because they're losing (again ... and again); and partly because they're finally getting shredded by the fans, who have basically had enough.
I can't think of any players in the Warrior's squad whose game is improving season on season. Most are heading backwards. Look at
Johnson. In 2011, he was an exciting, dynamic, creative player bursting with enthusiasm and passion. Today, he just looks lost and, more pointedly, demoralized. His confidence is shot, his flair and natural spark have been coached out of him. It's a travesty.
Kearney should never have been appointed to this role. His track record as a head coach was lousy. And then there's that Kiwi-first mentality that has pervaded the recruitment at the club over the past few years. It's not smart. Look at every successful club in the NRL: they all have a sprinkling of talented Kiwi players, surrounded by hard, competitive Aussies who have battled their way through the grades and will fight for every damn metre.
The Sharks are so tough to beat not because they have the most talented roster but because they're jammed full of absolute mongrels: Gallen, Maloney, Lewis, Bird. These guys HATE to lose, and they set that standard throughout the club. Look at the other leading clubs and you'll see a similar collection of hard-headed bastards who'll do anything for a win.
When the Warriors were winning consistently (the Anderson years), they had guys like Campion, Carlaw, Betham, Jones, Seu Seu, Villasanti, and others, leading the way. They were as hard as nails and dished it out every week.
Contrast that with the soft-skinned Warriors of today. There's barely a fighter amongst them. And therein lies the biggest problem within the team itself: a lack of desire, of desperation, of absolute competitiveness. The mix of players is all wrong. The recruitment has been abysmal.
Marry that endemic issue with poor coaching and bland game plans and you have the recipe for disaster that we see before us today. I've posted this before, but it bears repeating as this season lurches to another calamitous conclusion. I spoke with someone very well placed to comment about the inner dynamics of the Warriors before 2017 even kicked off. This is someone intimately associated with the struggles of the club over the past 4-5 years, who with the benefit of distance, can now dissect what's wrong. He had this to say:
"The MAJOR issue at the Warriors lies with the leadership - or lack thereof - of the senior player group. There is a fundamental flaw within that clique that is apparently very hard to identify at first as it is deep seeded and because the playing group is full of genuinely nice people. However, the reality is that the aspiration of the senior long-term players (who are the constant throughout all the change and inconsistent performance) to influence the culture and lead is approximately zero. Apparently, they are good guys and have talent but they don't want to take responsibility. Nor do they want others to step up around them and grow a constructive environment. Hence, external players are now being picked as leaders:
Hoffman and TVS, for example.
Shaun Johnson tried to step up and bring some genuine intent to lead and he was pushed back on because of his approach as it made the established players feel uncomfortable. Whenever a coach has cottoned onto this pattern and tried to change this lethargic aspirational culture by pushing them to uncomfortable places, the senior players have the ear of ownership. History shows their complaints are heard."
I suspect we're doomed to years of disappointment, tempered by sporadic rays of sunshine as hopes are lifted briefly then dashed when things get serious again.
The club needs an experienced head to run a broom through it, further clean out the playing roster, bring in the right mix of Aussies, and get the squad playing positive, aggressive, dominating football again. It won't happen under
Kearney's watch.
But honestly, who would take that lousy assignment on?