Inruin
So, a season of some redemption in 2018. While there were still reservations about whether Kearney was the right man for the job or whether he was better suited to the one off type games in charge of the Kiwis, he managed to take the team within one game off the top 4 and equal top of the table with the minor premiers. And that despite several controversial decisions during the season that potentially cost us points. The team were playing a good style, defensively fairly solid, a forward pack that for the most part held their own and winning away on the road consistently. And who could forget the breathing circle! What happened to that? May have been gimmicky, may have been real, whatever it was it seemed to focus the boys, yet disappeared in a puff of, well, breath, never to be seen again…… We actually seemed to be rebuilding, putting some really good people in the right positions, providing actual structure to the club, a planned return to our original playing colours with much excitement from the fans.
Things certainly looking promising for the future.
So it seemed.
That is about where it all fell over. Getting rid of your star halfback prior to Christmas with no replacement and losing all of the attacking potential with it was never going to end well. And while Shaun Johnson may not have been the answer to all of the teams problems, I wonder if the club actually understood what the question was in the first place.
I could go over the 2019 season, but really apart from the post-Shaun Johnson first round false dawn thrashing of the Bulldogs it was back to the same ol’ same ol’ for the fans and the club. Perhaps Simon Mannering, despite being on the obvious decline, may also have been the glue of professionalism that now seemed missing that resulted in everything becoming unstuck.
Which leads, obviously, to the 2020 season, and whether we can expect much different from this year.
The ARL have gone, they didn’t last long and I’m quite thankful for that. Stick to what you are supposed to be doing, growing and developing the game at the grass roots level, and supporting the clubs under your umbrella. While The Warriors should assist in some form and partner with the ARL (and what remains of the other league bodies in the country) the grass roots is where the ARL should be focused, not in ownership of the one professional League club in the country. I have always said that there is to much conflict of interest there. I also think that anybody using other peoples money seem to have less regard for it, just a personal opinion. So, I think that having a sole private owner in Autex is a good thing, well, a better thing than having the ARL involved in the club. Some might say anything is better than that!
While I felt that Brian Smith was a good pick up for the club, he was involved in letting our key playmaker go without a back up plan. So, I guess overall I’m not fussed either way that he is gone.
Alex Corvo. The man given credit for making us the fittest we have been for as long as I can recall. Apparently not all is as it seemed though. Or was it? Who do you believe? Who can you believe? So many conflicting stories. He was great. He was old fashioned with out dated training methods. Who knows? Regardless, the players have one less excuse for poor performance now don’t they?
Cameron George, the CEO. I don’t think he has done a bad job actually. The club has bought in a number of new initiative this year that were only let down by on field performances. Could he do better at not crossing over in to the coaches domain? Probably. But, he is the CEO, his choice.
Stephen Kearney. Love him or hate him, he is the coach this next season, or at least for 6 rounds of it. Still makes some incredibly baffling selection decisions and interchanges. I cant see that being any different. His man love for certain players is as confusing as it is disappointing to me. What I do know is that the first few games of the 2018 season were the blueprint for me for this team. Three biggish forwards and a dynamic utility hooker on the bench, a number 13 that was basically a mobile prop forward and control possession. I admire a player like Jazz with his heart but I’m sorry, he doesn’t actually fit anywhere in that blueprint. Unfortunately, I don’t think SK will have it any other way but stick to his standard favourites.
Those of you waiting for a big signing in the off season are going to be disappointed. With most of the 30 pretty much determined it will be unlikely that anyone of any significance will sign with the club (or want to). I would be interested to see how much space we actually have under our cap. I don’t think it would be as much as some may think.
At least we have a new sponsor in Swanndri
But seriously, what is up with that monstrosity? At least there is some reassurance that we will start to have some continuity of identity moving forward. Check these out for comparison, despite not being up to date they sum up visually what most supporters are saying.
Having said all that, for me there are still some small glimmers of hope for 2020.
I like the signing of Wade Egan. Assuming he is and stays injury free then he will be really good for us. Of course he (and our halves) cant play well on the back foot, the forward pack will have to return to the sort of form it had in the beginning of the 2018 season – that’s a big ask particularly without us signing any decent forward of note that adds size and playing minutes to the current. I would love to see Egan start and have Lawton on the bench who can cover a number of positions and also provides that spark against tiring defences. And sorry, no room for Jazz apart from in reserve grade. I’m not sure how our halves will line up but Kodi will definitely be one of them. Chanel Harris-Tavita, who will be much better for the experience this season, and Green may be played on a horse for course approach. We still have a lot of strike power particularly in our back three with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Kenny and hopefully a fit again Fusitua.
So when you look at what we do have, there is that glimmer, that little spark of hope from memories of the odd good year of seasons past…….
But sorry folks, the reality side of me overrules that and says that SK will continue on his stubborn way and that this next season, while there will be undoubtedly some highlights, will ultimately be at best a season of rebuilding (yes again). Likely to finish scrapping it out for 9th – 12th place. If everything goes well and we get a bit of luck, maybe squeak in to 8th. Conversely we could very easily end up in the bottom 4 with a new coach mid season.
My team for round 1 next season assuming all fit and healthy and I haven't missed anyone obvious.....
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Fusitua
Beale
Hiku
Maumalo
Nikorima
Green/Chanel Harris-Tavita
Paasi
Egan
Ah Mau
Pulu
Harris
Blair
Lawton
Papali’I
Afoa
Burr
My time invested in this team will probably correlate closely with how they perform. I’m ‘All in’ if they are ‘All in’ But I cant see them turning around this season to any significant degree that will warrant me putting much in to The Warriors 2020. I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think I am.
Things certainly looking promising for the future.
So it seemed.
That is about where it all fell over. Getting rid of your star halfback prior to Christmas with no replacement and losing all of the attacking potential with it was never going to end well. And while Shaun Johnson may not have been the answer to all of the teams problems, I wonder if the club actually understood what the question was in the first place.
I could go over the 2019 season, but really apart from the post-Shaun Johnson first round false dawn thrashing of the Bulldogs it was back to the same ol’ same ol’ for the fans and the club. Perhaps Simon Mannering, despite being on the obvious decline, may also have been the glue of professionalism that now seemed missing that resulted in everything becoming unstuck.
Which leads, obviously, to the 2020 season, and whether we can expect much different from this year.
The ARL have gone, they didn’t last long and I’m quite thankful for that. Stick to what you are supposed to be doing, growing and developing the game at the grass roots level, and supporting the clubs under your umbrella. While The Warriors should assist in some form and partner with the ARL (and what remains of the other league bodies in the country) the grass roots is where the ARL should be focused, not in ownership of the one professional League club in the country. I have always said that there is to much conflict of interest there. I also think that anybody using other peoples money seem to have less regard for it, just a personal opinion. So, I think that having a sole private owner in Autex is a good thing, well, a better thing than having the ARL involved in the club. Some might say anything is better than that!
While I felt that Brian Smith was a good pick up for the club, he was involved in letting our key playmaker go without a back up plan. So, I guess overall I’m not fussed either way that he is gone.
Alex Corvo. The man given credit for making us the fittest we have been for as long as I can recall. Apparently not all is as it seemed though. Or was it? Who do you believe? Who can you believe? So many conflicting stories. He was great. He was old fashioned with out dated training methods. Who knows? Regardless, the players have one less excuse for poor performance now don’t they?
Cameron George, the CEO. I don’t think he has done a bad job actually. The club has bought in a number of new initiative this year that were only let down by on field performances. Could he do better at not crossing over in to the coaches domain? Probably. But, he is the CEO, his choice.
Stephen Kearney. Love him or hate him, he is the coach this next season, or at least for 6 rounds of it. Still makes some incredibly baffling selection decisions and interchanges. I cant see that being any different. His man love for certain players is as confusing as it is disappointing to me. What I do know is that the first few games of the 2018 season were the blueprint for me for this team. Three biggish forwards and a dynamic utility hooker on the bench, a number 13 that was basically a mobile prop forward and control possession. I admire a player like Jazz with his heart but I’m sorry, he doesn’t actually fit anywhere in that blueprint. Unfortunately, I don’t think SK will have it any other way but stick to his standard favourites.
Those of you waiting for a big signing in the off season are going to be disappointed. With most of the 30 pretty much determined it will be unlikely that anyone of any significance will sign with the club (or want to). I would be interested to see how much space we actually have under our cap. I don’t think it would be as much as some may think.
At least we have a new sponsor in Swanndri
But seriously, what is up with that monstrosity? At least there is some reassurance that we will start to have some continuity of identity moving forward. Check these out for comparison, despite not being up to date they sum up visually what most supporters are saying.Having said all that, for me there are still some small glimmers of hope for 2020.
I like the signing of Wade Egan. Assuming he is and stays injury free then he will be really good for us. Of course he (and our halves) cant play well on the back foot, the forward pack will have to return to the sort of form it had in the beginning of the 2018 season – that’s a big ask particularly without us signing any decent forward of note that adds size and playing minutes to the current. I would love to see Egan start and have Lawton on the bench who can cover a number of positions and also provides that spark against tiring defences. And sorry, no room for Jazz apart from in reserve grade. I’m not sure how our halves will line up but Kodi will definitely be one of them. Chanel Harris-Tavita, who will be much better for the experience this season, and Green may be played on a horse for course approach. We still have a lot of strike power particularly in our back three with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Kenny and hopefully a fit again Fusitua.
So when you look at what we do have, there is that glimmer, that little spark of hope from memories of the odd good year of seasons past…….
But sorry folks, the reality side of me overrules that and says that SK will continue on his stubborn way and that this next season, while there will be undoubtedly some highlights, will ultimately be at best a season of rebuilding (yes again). Likely to finish scrapping it out for 9th – 12th place. If everything goes well and we get a bit of luck, maybe squeak in to 8th. Conversely we could very easily end up in the bottom 4 with a new coach mid season.
My team for round 1 next season assuming all fit and healthy and I haven't missed anyone obvious.....
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Fusitua
Beale
Hiku
Maumalo
Nikorima
Green/Chanel Harris-Tavita
Paasi
Egan
Ah Mau
Pulu
Harris
Blair
Lawton
Papali’I
Afoa
Burr
My time invested in this team will probably correlate closely with how they perform. I’m ‘All in’ if they are ‘All in’ But I cant see them turning around this season to any significant degree that will warrant me putting much in to The Warriors 2020. I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think I am.
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