League: Warriors coaching foursome 'capitalising on strengths'

New-boy Steve Price (left), with former captain Monty Betham, is tipped to lead the Warriors into the 2005 season. Picture / Fotopress

The expansion of the Warriors coaching staff does not mean they will coach by committee, says chief executive Mick Watson, adding that Tony Kemp is boss.

Last year Kemp was on his own after taking over from Daniel Anderson, with Tony Iro coming in to help.

Iro is still there and now they have Ivan Cleary, who won the reserve grade grandfinal with the Roosters, Kevin Campion, after his retirement from playing, and former Kiwi and accomplished coach John Ackland, back from France.

Watson said the idea was based on the American NFL model: Kemp was head coach, Cleary attacking coach, Campion defensive coach and Ackland in charge of talent spotting and development and welfare of young players.

"Tony Kemp sets the tactics, sets the plays, tells everyone what he wants. Ivan owns our attack, Kevin owns our defence; that's capitalising on our strengths."

It was not a bob each way, he said. Last season they were criticised for having no "grey hair" experience, now they are criticised for being over-coached.

"We'll be judged by the results."

Watson admits, with benefit of hindsight, that he erred last season as the Warriors struggled: the team were unbalanced; there was not sufficient Australian player input; the pre-season emphasis was on building muscle and power at the expense of aerobic work, speed and ball skills; and the pre-season build-up was not right.

"I realised by round three and four that we were in trouble. We had a young team that was going away from the game plan.

"We were not tough in the middle. We were blowing out 20 minutes before each hooter.

"We had to go back to a big, solid middle, a core of Australian experience that we'd had in the past."

Big buy Steve Price was at training this week, on light duties after knee surgery but not far off resuming full contact.

Ruben Wiki is in the process of shifting house and is expected next week. The other Kiwi tourists returned on Monday and have a short break - with work scheduled for basic fitness.

The training routine is harder and more varied this season.

Bethells Beach runs have been supplemented with wrestling led by former national rep Kenny Reinsfield, and skills work with swimming.

While the Warriors' go-forward will certainly improve with Price and Wiki in the pack it is seeing the Little General back to his best that Warriors most want. Stacey Jones is the same weight as last year but has lost body fat and put on muscle.

He is leading sprints, which suggests he has finally made a full recovery from injuries that dogged him from mid-2003.

"Stacey has found more drive and desire than I believe he's ever had," Watson said.

Monty Betham and Awen Guttenbeil were also approaching their work with renewed energy.

"With them and Richard Villansanti all at a level of fitness they haven't been at before and Price and Wiki, I think you'll see Stacey operating a lot better this season. He needs room to move, he wasn't getting it."

North Queensland buy Nathan Fien is big for a halfback. The Warriors said they had bought him as a hooker.

They have Kiwis hooker Louis Anderson, and Tevita Latu is back in full training after shoulder surgery so Fien may offer an option at five-eighth, Lance Hohaia also competing in the halves.

Competition for spots should improve the team performance.

The team captain is yet to be named but with majority owner Eric Watson expected back in town in mid-December they may be waiting until then to let the boss make the call, sure to be Price.

Mick Watson said he felt more commitment around the club than he had. The players had been stung by criticism last year.

"They thought they were under attack. But we had to look at the situation and say, 'We said we'd never get to this and we're there'."

From that low, last on the table on points along with perennial punching bag Souths, they had to rebuild their platform.

To give Tony Kemp just one year as coach would push him to snap decisions that might not be the right ones. Kemp was "wearing handcuffs" taking over a poorly-performing team laden with injury mid-season in 2004.

There was no performance clause on him last year. This year the pressure increases.

"We're all under pressure and to be honest it feels good."

But if performance was an issue mid-season 2005 it would be the chief executive who was under most pressure to face the bullet, Watson said.

"At the start of the pre-season we all bought in to the one word, 'relentless'. It's about attitude and commitment."

To keep the Warriors on task, the word is writ large on a banner hanging in their gym.

Warriors coaching setup

* Tony Kemp - head coach

* Ivan Cleary - attack

* Kevin Campion - defence

* John Ackland - development, talent spotting