Peter Jessup: The dream is over - Jones must go

Stacey Jones' year out of the game shows in his ineffective attacks. Photo / Getty Images

Stacey Jones has to go. New Zealand's league icon was charged with running the game against the Canberra Raiders yesterday, but he didn't - or couldn't.

The Raiders scored three tries in the first half by running their big forwards directly at Jones on the Warriors' right-side defence.

Despite the Aussie commentators' ongoing claims about the "huge Warriors pack", the Canberra side had three men bigger than Steve Price, the biggest Warrior.

It was Tom Learoyd-Lahrs and Dane Tilse (both 112kg) and David Shillington (111kg) who produced off-loads after running into Jones. He is not aided by the fact wing Denan Kemp is no great defender either.

The Warriors halfback (85kg) has a tackle technique of "hold on and wait for help".

When space was opened through those late and ineffective gang tackles, the Raiders fullback David Milne, young wing David Croker and five-eighth Terry Campese scored.

Other teams have seen this in too many games now for the Warriors to persist with starting the 32-year-old. His year out of the game shows in rustiness.

Yesterday in Canberra the Warriors made more kick-metres than the Raiders and produced nearly as many running metres. But they could not score when in the opposition red zone - a problem all year. The only real use for Jones might be off the bench.

Otherwise the club has three choices. They could: turn to Aaron Heremaia (25), who at least has experience in Super League if not the NRL and is playing well in leading the feeder side the Auckland Vulcans; throw in Shaun Johnson (18) who is shining in the Under-20s - his defence is also deficient but he's the same age Jones was when he made his debut in 1995; or reverse the questionable decision not to re-sign Nathan Fien.

Fien is a tough tackler, obviously capable given his 2008 performances, and perhaps needing to know his future is settled before producing his best form. He is also a great club man, so would give his best regardless of the slight in letting him look elsewhere after five years of good service to the Warriors.