Diary of a Warriors fan YES!
First of all, the Warriors play the Knights this week at Mt Smart. Mt Smart! Yes! Get out and go to the game. Mt Smart is the home of the Warriors. Pack the joint out. Make the lads feel at home and support them in the purest form. I couldn't think of a better way to show the lads that we all love them and stand by them despite all the dramas than a full house at Mt Smart. There's nothing better. If you're there, and you've read this, wanna do this?
All you have to do is point your fingers to the sky and say YES! Not hard aye? It's an opportunity to show some appreciation, at the true blue straight up and down no playing around no bullshit home of the Warriors. Get there, I'll be there lurking. Pointing my fingers to the sky in the shadows whispering YES! because footy has returned to Mt Smart.
The Gold Coast Titans surprised you, me, everyone with how they started the season. They did so by playing very tough footy, grinding with teams and had halves who oozed the class to put them in good spots of the field. Despite Origin, the Titans played pretty much the same way they have done all season and the Warriors won. This is why I'm a happy chappy.
It's always a laugh when the Warriors play in front of Australian commentators, that includes Andrew Voss, because it becomes apparent pretty quickly how dumb they are about the Warriors.That also made me happy. Gary Belcher ... Scott Prince ... SMH.
The Titans have had good defence all year. In 2014 they are able to defend their line and frustrate teams. The fact that they did so, for me, was overshadowed by the fact that the Warriors got two repeat sets around the 60 minute mark. One was thanks to a cheeky grubber from Shaun Johnson on the right, one was thanks to Chad Townsend on the left ... David Fusitua then scored in the following set.
That sums up the Warriors performance. We saw how it could all come together. The patience and little bit of class that never really appears? Well we got a glimpse of it. Everyone is running harder, putting in more effort. Anyone who has seen David Fusitua playing in the Under 20's knows that there is much more to him than try scoring. When he runs the ball, he always gets in between defenders ... kinda like how Roger Tuivasa-Sheck does, but very differently. Fusitua did just that and got an offload away to Johnson. Try. Easy.
When you have your sets of six coming out of trouble looking like - Fusitua, Manu Vatuvei on the B, Konrad Hurrell and/or Ngani Laumpae, it'll put you in a good position more often than not. This makes it hard to see Kevin Locke returning. Fusitua > Locke.
The Titans forward pack was weakened. Fair play. But the Warriors looked like the bully - which they should. Last week they looked bullied, this week they were the bully against a forward pack they should be bullying. Everyone is running hard. Jacob Lillyman continues to play at a crazy level, while Ben Matulino seamlessly slotted back in to the middle and Suaia Matagi, well that's what he does. Even Feleti Mateo showed the effort and desire we want.
Never under estimate the work of Nathan Friend and Simon Mannering in the middle. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever.
To see attacking plays like the try that Matulino scored executed to perfection is all we want. The imagination to design the play and the execution of everyone involved sums up the Warriors right now. Everyone is there, everyone is keen ... it looks like *shock horror* they are moving things from the training paddock to game time.
That's reciprocated in defence. It's just effort. It wasn't perfect - following Paul Carter's charge down, there didn't seem to be much urgency to help out Shaun Johnson on the other side of the field despite the fact that it's obvious that's where they're gonna go. But that's being pedantic.
The best thing for me is that some players played very well - Manu Vatuvei was probably the best (Lillyman is consistently the best), with Fusitua, Johnson, Mannering, Friend, Hurrell, Matulino all playing well. You don't need EVERYONE playing at their best to win regular season games. Yeah Sam Tomkins didn't do much but who cares.
The Titans were in the game because of Dave Taylor (you try tackling him) and Warriors mistakes. The Warriors were far from very good, but they did enough to win. We all know not to put any sort of expectation on them though.