Three weeks ago, I penned an upbeat article about the Warriors’ chances in 2024 as they were sitting in seventh place.
As a Wahs fan, there was much to like, I mused.
Three weeks on, three losses and three hangovers. My comments aged quicker than a Jimmy Carr joke at a feminist rally.
While it’s new ground for the Warriors under Andrew Webster, it is a well-travelled track for the club’s faithful.
Those long-time companions, ‘Fan-xiety’ and ‘Fan-ger’, are only a bunker review away. Or a robbed penalty try. Or an ignored sin bin for a professional foul, tackling a player in the air over the try line.
But I digress.
Andrew Webster’s normally emotionless countenance momentarily cracked after an ulcer-inducing loss to the Knights, lamenting both the calls and no calls in the post-match press conference.
For a man who makes accountants seem like emotional train wrecks, it was the equivalent of a full-blown Ricky Stuart chair-smashing, finger-pointing, weak-gutted-dog calling whinge fest.
Despite Graham Annesley’s best impression of the Russian Minster for fairy tales and prescription glasses, the Warriors got some dud calls in the Newcastle match.
However, a few officiating shockers aren’t to blame for a four-match winless streak, arguably against opposition we should have beaten.
Before defeating the Warriors, the Titans looked like they could’ve lost the bye-round.
In their last three outings, the Warriors have been outscored 71-44, completed fewer sets than their opposition, conceded more penalties, missed more tackles and made more errors, with nine per game.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The much-celebrated defensive resolve of 2023 has looked fragile over the last month. Conceding more than 23 points per game, opposition players have punched through it.
Webster said before the Newcastle match that he expects errors and the occasional tough call during games. The key was defending errors, so they don’t turn into points.
He noted it had been part of their DNA last season, but they weren’t there yet this year. He’s not wrong, currently they have the third highest errors and missed tackles in the competition.
While it sounds grim, all is certainly not lost. After nine rounds they are first in runs made, first in run metres, third in post contact metres, third in set completion and sixth in tackle breaks.
The starting props, Mitch Barnett and Addin Fonua-Blake have been highlights, carrying and tackling strongly.
The Warriors have missed Marata Nuikore’s impact from the bench and Luke Metcalf’s constant threat in the halves, they will be stronger when they return.
Kurt Capewell has tackled courageously through a painful rib cartilage injury but has yet to show any production with ball in hand to match his price tag.
When the Warriors get momentum, they look as if they could blow anyone off the park. They have started strongly several times, only to fade again.
Last season they were comfortable in the grind, playing a patient game. So far this year errors and ill-discipline have not allowed them to build pressure, forcing opposition mistakes.
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If the Warriors can rediscover their defensive resolve and reduce their error rate, they will go a long way to turning things around.
Webster has shown he’s the right man for the job and the club has undergone a revolution since he joined.
With games against the Roosters at Allianz and then Penrith at Suncorp for magic round in the next fortnight, the Warriors don’t have much time to get things right.
Can they do it? Absolutely.
Will they do it? You tell me – it’s anyone’s guess.