Rugby League: A team that risk losing control of their destiny

By GRAHAM LOWE

The Warriors' current form is on the slippery slope and needs a complete overhaul, or what was promising to be another exciting year will end up in a heap with the cellar dwellers.

Football is often called a game of inches, but in the Warriors' case it is a game of time, and despite the reassuring words coming out of the club, time is running out as the season reaches halfway.

They are close to losing control of their own destiny and unless there is a marked improvement will shortly have to rely on other teams losing, particularly those on similar points.

A loss against the in-form Panthers tomorrow could see them drop out of the top eight and then things would get real touchy.

One of the big problems now is that other clubs will be confident of beating them, because their play has become very predictable and easy to plan against.

And even more of a worry for coach Daniel Anderson is that many of his Kiwi team prospects are in his Warrior team.

But I have been impressed with the form of Logan Swann, who seems to be returning to his best, and while he is always a good defender he is also starting to look threatening in attack. He just needs backing up.

In all honesty, though, if you take Stacey Jones' kicking game out of the equation, there has not been much on offer in attack in recent games. That must be of huge concern.

I'm not for a moment suggesting there is a lack of effort, but now is not the time for the head down, backside up, type of play.

What is needed is a better structured attack coming from deeper positions and certainly a more organised marker defence.

There can be no question, little Stacey is the teams' trump player, but I wonder if he would be even more of a threat receiving the ball two out from the ruck.

On their day the Warriors are the most exciting team to watch in the NRL, with players who can do anything from anywhere on the field, but what we are seeing at the moment is a team unsure of themselves.

Those who disagree with my concerns can say there are still 14 rounds to go, so no worries.

Well, I'll tell you what, if your foot slips off the throat of the opposition, they don't let it back on too easily. Time is then on their side.

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Interesting to see the Bulldogs' Travis Norton and the Storm's Scott Hill both off contract this year.

Both have a bit of size and plenty of ability and can play loose forward or five-eighth, and they can fill either position with ease, very much in the traditional Australian Rugby League, ball-playing type role.

It is the type of role that Brad Fittler brings to the Roosters and Trent Barrett gives the Dragons and I can't help but think that maybe that is the type of player missing at the Warriors.

If either Norton or Hill were thrown in the Warriors mix next year, it would prove interesting. But the big problem I'm sure is the fee they, particularly Hill, would command.

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There is plenty of pressure on commentator/coach Phil Gould this year in his role as the NSW State of Origin coach.

Among other things, he has had a very public run-in with his New South Wales captain Andrew Johns and also upset a few coaches with the way the selection process for the team took place.

If NSW fail this year I believe it will be the last time you will see Gould in this role, and there is no shortage of people just waiting with relish for him to fail.