Graham Lowe: Shake-up at Warriors the right move

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary. Photo / Kenny Rodger

This week's Warriors team has more chance of beating the Titans on Sunday than the mob that played against the Panthers last weekend.

I congratulate coach Ivan Cleary for having the courage to make sweeping changes.

By dropping Wade McKinnon for a breach of team protocol - however small the breach - he has sent the best message the club has heard all year.

McKinnon is a good player but Cleary needed to mark his ground as the coach urgently. He has done that.

Kevin Locke will relish the chance in the No1 jersey (even though I'd like to see him at halfback) and Under-20s star Elijah Taylor had to be given a chance somewhere in the backline. Making these changes will help Cleary grow as a coach.

Aaron Heremaia in the stand-off position is a confident player and it'll be good to see how he handles the responsibility. It has been tough on young Isaac John to be dropped after only three games, but an attacking shake-up was needed.

Lewis Brown looks a talented player and I'll be keen to see how he goes in the dummy-half role.

The pressure for now is not on any of these young players or the coaching staff. The pressure is on the shoulders of those more-experienced players who have escaped the axe.