Starts a concern, but Warriors pleased with responses
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The Warriors head into Round 7 sitting inside the top eight with four wins to their name, despite their starts to games this year being the worst in the NRL.
Through the first six rounds no side has leaked more points than the Warriors inside the opening 10 minutes of contests, with the Kiwi side yet to keep a team scoreless through that period, in which they have so far conceded seven tries and a total of 44 points.
It has been a source of frustration for coach Andrew Webster, but at the same time has revealed a resilient edge to his team, who have found ways to overcome their sluggish starts and get back into the game each week.
While it's something the team are focused on trying to fix, the fact that the ladder-leading Broncos sit second in terms of tries conceded in the opening 10 minutes with four so far, suggests that success doesn't always require teams to begin as they mean to go on.
"Personally, it’s frustrating, but I love the way the boys are competing, I love the way they are never out of the fight," Webster said ahead of Saturday's game against the Cowboys at Mt Smart Stadium.
"We could have worse things about our game.... we will sort it out, and when it clicks that’ll be a good day.
We’re coming out buzzing, full of energy, but it’s the wrong type of energy. We have got to do it together.
Andrew Webster
"I have watched [the starts] closely and the boys are buzzing, they’re on their toes, they are ready to go.
"Discipline [is hurting us], yardage penalties, we gave away four last week, that’s just concentration.
"We get that job done first, go when the ball clears his heel, and then our starts are easier."
Match: Warriors v Cowboys
Round 7 -
home Team
Warriors
2nd Position
away Team
Cowboys
16th Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad added that poor ruck control was leading to some of those early penalties, and in other cases allowing opposing teams to put the Warriors on the back foot defensively.
"It’s a lot of players still standing [in tackles] I feel. It’s a lot of our boys being really focused and really enthusiastic about wanting to go out and do their job, [but] it’s just about probably tunnelling it a little bit better towards doing it together," Nicoll-Klokstad said.
"A lack of effort isn’t there, it’s just probably the detail and execution of doing that with the boys around you that is sort of hurting us at the moment.
"We can be so much better, so much better. Even in those wins, we are letting their lead blow out 20 points before we are clawing it back.
"You knew it was eventually going to catch up with us, and it did on the weekend [in a 34-24 loss to the Knights]."
Match Highlights: Knights v Warriors
While the Warriors will be without hooker Wayde Egan (head knock) and five-eighth Te Maire Martin, who will miss eight weeks with a fractured fibula, Webster confirmed captain Tohu Harris will play against the Cowboys after a fortnight of false starts.
Harris withdrew from the squad to face the Sharks and Knights after injuring his knee in Round 4, but trained fully on Thursday.
"Tohu trained that good [Thursday], it wasn’t funny. It was great to have him back on the field," Webster said.
"He’s playing. That is exciting."
