Diary Of An Aotearoa Warriors Fan: Probably Now Or Never
Maybz.
Losing to Gold Coast Titans, or more specifically being blown off the park in the second half by the Titans, wasn't so tough to stomach knowing that there were plenty of young lads playing big minutes on the GC. The issue was and now is, that Aotearoa Warriors have to get a couple wins against really good footy teams in their last five games.
Starting with St George Illawara Dragons.
Welcoming Issac Luke, Adam Blair and Tohu Harris back into the team is huge, their absences can't be over-stated. At various stages this season, the Warriors have been able to absorb injuries and suspension by still having the bulk of the experienced core together on the field, sprinkling the depth players in where required. With all three out at the same time, suddenly you're relying on other players to fill those roles and that's where you slip up because those other players haven't quite sussed out the same levels of skill, effort and footy nous.
Coach Stephen Kearney labeled the performance against the Titans as soft and fair play. I reckon this was more of a reminder to the players who got their big opportunity in that game, of the standards required. Kearney went down a similar path late last year when he said some players weren't up to NRL standard, which was fair enough as the club was ravaged by injury and Kearney had to dive into the depth and give those lads a crack.
Point being; I believe Kearney is vocal in these situations because the wider squad needs to be operating at the same level as the squad's top tier. When they aren't, Kearney reminds them, especially when they get a chance to prove themselves as they did last week.
Now though, it's what must be considered a full-strength Warriors team vs Dragons.
Everyone seems to conveniently forget that the Warriors beat the Dragons, when the Dragons were unbeatable, the hottest team in the NRL earlier this season. It was the Warriors who snuffed out the sublime Dragons attack through defensive intensity and with all their weapons on deck, executed their attack with precision.
The Dragons will remember that, but it's not as though they have been on fire and getting revenge against the Warriors is all that's left for them in the regular season. The Dragons have hit a post-Origin plateau, confidence can't be as high as it once was - when they landed in Auckland to face the Warriors - and although they are playing in Wollongong, with the Dragons desperate to prove themselves as the real deal, the Warriors get the Dragons at the right time.
Just as much as the Warriors have a ghost that follows them, reminded everyone of how they eventually mess up their own seasons, the Dragons have a similar record in recent years. It's the Dragons who can't finish their season how they started, as initial hopes of glory drift off into the Tasman Sea. Now these two teams, with similar narratives come together in a game that they both need to win; not necesarily for the 2 points but more for their own sanity.
With a full-strength team, the Warriors will be able to go about their defensive business more effectively. It feels a lot better with Jazz Tevaga and Simon Mannering coming off the bench, fresh and ready to sustain defensive intensity, while the overall injection of skill and power from those two and Leivaha Pulu and Bunty Afoa is going to be very handy.
Everyone knows what a difference Issac Luke makes to the Warriors, but I refrain from celebrating him as the most important player. Against the Dragons, Luke should shine and his work around the ruck is crucial to everything the Warriors do as Luke's runs engage the defence for longer, building opposition's fatigue, especially when Luke runs then passes/offlaods. This not only helps the Warriors in attack, all that chasing when Luke's active out of dummy half can limit the effectiveness of an opponent's attack through fatigue.
Luke is at his best though, as just another cog in the machine. When Ken Maumalo or Bunty Afoa gets a quick play-the-ball, when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck pushes up in support of Luke, or when Tevaga, Blair or Mannering receives a pass from Luke after he has scooted and they then pass it on to the edges. When Blake Green and Shaun Johnson are pulling the strings, then Luke pounces on the lack of attention and boots it long, deep into opposition territory.
Yes, Luke is perfectly equipped to take advantage of all of that, unlike any other hooker in the league besides Cameron Smith. However, Luke needs the Warriors best players around him to reach his lofty heights and while Luke may be the most influential player in this game against the Dragons, that will be more of a sign that the Warriors are humming along.
The Warriors need to be humming, fizzing and frothing for this game. This is the time of year when there simply can't be that drop off in energy, attitude and enthusiasm that is evident in the grind of the mid-season. Again, this isn't a must win game and the Warriors could continue to struggle and still make the top-8 if other results fall their way. It is a must win game though, because this is where all the ups and downs of the season bottle-neck and what comes through that bottle-neck in Wollongong will likely be the legit identity of the 2018 Warriors; high-ceiling Finals team or solid fringe top-8 team.
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Peace and love 27.