KEY POINTS:
How do you pick up a team after a demoralising thrashing?
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary yesterday chose to keep faith with the players who lost so miserably in Manly when he named the side to face the Newcastle Knights on Sunday.
There is only minor tinkering with the 17 and it will be business as usual this week as they build to round four of 26. Specialist centre Ryan Shortland will start in the left-centre spot in just his second game in the NRL and his first for the Warriors, while Wairangi Koopu is relegated to the bench with Logan Swann whose starting spot goes to Sonny Fai.
The post-mortem on the 52-6 hiding began at the team hotel immediately after the game. But after reviewing their build-up back to pre-season, then the match itself, nothing was identified as a major reason for the collapse.
"I think Ivan hit it on the head after the game when he said we just have to forget this and get on with it," said Warriors CEO Wayne Scurrah.
No one saw it coming. There was no sign beforehand that they were not ready.
"We all knew Manly were desperate and would come out firing."
There was no point in recriminations. "It is unacceptable, of course it is. What we have to accept is that there were a lot of players out there who won't play like that again. It is not a reflection of where we thought we were at, or where we are at.
"There is probably no one hurting worse than the players. We just have to move on," Scurrah said. There would be no interference from management in the coaching.
It is Cleary's worst defeat since taking over in 2006 (36-6 to the Panthers at Penrith 2006, 30-6 to the Eels at Parramatta 2007, 49-12 to the Cowboys at Townsville 2007). But it has never been his nature to roll out wholesale changes, even when searching for a reversal of fortunes after six consecutive losses last season.
Lack of leadership when captain Ruben Wiki was interchanged was not seen as a big factor. Rather, it was a collective failing and the players had to accept responsibility for the loss - and for turning it around.
A positive: They have no injuries and no judiciary issues.
The Knights come having been beaten by one point in extra time by the Eels, who had been beaten 30-16 by the Warriors the previous week. But those results mean nothing in terms of a comparative for this weekend - the Eels had a short turnaround and admitted they were still bruised after the Warriors game, while the Warriors completion rate was so poor in Manly that they would lose by a similar margin every week if they kept repeating it.
The Knights have injury concerns with prop Daniel Tolar (shoulder) and bench forward Cory Paterson (calf), although both are named in a side unchanged after the one-point extra-time loss to Parramatta. Centre Adam MacDougall is 18th man but will come into the team if he continues recovery from a knee injury. This year's big buy prop Ben Cross is out one more week with a broken wrist.
Promising Warriors under-20s player Scott Jones is out for a long period after suffering a wrist injury as the side gained its first win from three games in the new Toyota Cup competition, beating Manly 22-14.
* Sharks captain Paul Gallen is out of the game against the Dragons this weekend and misses the next games against the Rabbitohs and Panthers after entering an early guilty plea to contrary conduct charges.
Meanwhile, Bulldogs centre Willie Tonga has agreed terms with the Cowboys for four years for a reported A$1.4m.
Warriors
Lance Hohaia, Patrick Ah Van, Brent Tate, Ryan Shortland, Manu Vatuvei, Michael Witt, Grant Rovelli, Sam Rapira, Nathan Fien, Ruben Wiki (captain), Simon Mannering, Sonny Fai, Micheal Luck.
Interchange (one to be omitted): Ian Henderson, Evarn Tuimavave, Epalahame Lauaki, Logan Swann, Wairangi Koopu.
