League: We are the Warriors

Tony Kemp would love to wake up tomorrow morning not only with another two competition points safely in the bank, but also the knowledge one of his players won't be trotting off to the judiciary.

It's said the table never lies, and the sorry state of affairs shows that the Warriors are well and truly on top of the table when it comes to having players front up to the judiciary.

There's no denying modern-day rugby league is a gladiatorial sport, but with 21 players appearing before the guardians of foul play to repent their sins since the start of the 2004 season, it's 50 per cent more than the second-worst side Manly with 14. It also doesn't compare well to the likes of the Broncos (three) and the Tigers, Knights and Bulldogs (all with four each).

Theories abound as to why it's happening - Former Kiwis second-rower Dean Lonergan says it's ill-discipline, former Warrington, Warriors and Kiwis hooker Duanne Mann cites "dumb" players, while Kevin Walters, now assistant coach at the recently squeaky-clean Broncos, says the Warriors are going through an unlucky phase.

Whatever the answer, suspensions are hurting the Warriors' chances of not only making the play-offs, but also the premiership title they so desperately seek.

In 2003, when the Warriors almost made it back-to-back grand final appearances, they had seven players charged, resulting in players being sidelined for a total of four weeks - already they've had four players banned for a total of 14 weeks with prop Ruben Wiki (four weeks) and Monty Betham (six weeks) leading the charge.

Compare 2003's statistic to last season, when the Warriors lurched to second last on the table. Seven players were suspended for a total of 25 weeks - Betham (five weeks), Jerry Seu Seu (eight), Francis Meli (six), Sione Faumuina (four) and Epalahame Lauaki and Clinton Toopi (one each).

There's no denying the link between a team on form and a team with all of their players available and coach Kemp said this week he's looking at ways to ram it home to the players, including fining or dropping them.

"It's unacceptable," Kemp said frankly. "As far as lifting a player, it's sometimes the dumbest decision a player can make. Saying sorry afterwards is too late."

NRL officials are well aware of the Warriors' problems and raised the subject of discipline with them earlier this year.

"They've told us that we're probably looked on as one of the most undisciplined sides in the competition," Kemp said. "I just hope that isn't being held against us, because we are doing some hard work on it."

Kemp didn't believe his side played a more confrontational or intimidating style than other NRL clubs and refuted suggestions his side got a bad deal from the NRL judiciary.

He was left a little perplexed, however, by some of the judiciary's gradings - highlighted by the grade five charge brought against hooker Tevita Latu last week. "Some of the stuff you see you sometimes question because they look very similar but get a higher or lower grading," he said.

Lonergan said the problem was simply ill-discipline, but he didn't believe it was a major problem yet only five rounds into the season. "But you don't make grand finals when you're ill-disciplined," he said.

Mann said the problem was more of a technical and awareness issue. He said players needed to assess when to make the big hits and when to make more conventional tackles, and that it was a symptom of former boss Daniel Anderson's style of coaching.

"Blokes are having brain explosions trying to change the tempo of the game when there's no need," he explained. "Some blokes also become overloaded with technical bullshit and Daniel Anderson was the master at it."

He cited the example of competition leaders, the Canberra Raiders and top four side Wests Tigers who, he said, were like the successful Roosters of old who had multiple tacklers with at least one around the legs and one around the ball.

Walters, however, said he had sympathy for the Warriors and that their fortunes, and the fortunes of any other team, could change in an instant. "It's a bit of a fine line at times and you have to be lucky," he said. "We've had our fair share over the years with the likes of Gorden Tallis, Andrew Gee and Peter Ryan.

"The Warriors play the game nice and aggressively and that's the way the game should be played. Sometimes they get in a bit of strife, but that's the way they play."

The suspensions handed out to Betham and Latu, and the injury to Brent Webb, meant Kemp was forced to make three changes to the side that went down 24-6 to the Tigers last weekend.

Today's game against the Knights is expected to be another heated affair, particularly considering the winless Knights will be playing at home for the first time this season.

Knights: Dustin Cooper, Brad Tighe, Matthew Gidley, George Carmont, Trent Salkeld, Kurt Gidley, Andrew Johns (c), Craig Smith, Luke Quigley, Kirk Reynoldson, Steve Simpson, Reegan Tanner, Daniel Abraham. Interchange: Matthew Kennedy, Todd Lowrie, Blake Mueller, Daniel Tolar, Kurt Hancock.

Warriors: Jerome Ropati, Francis Meli, Todd Byrne, Clinton Toopi, Manu Vatuvei, Lance Hohaia, Stacey Jones, Iafeta Paleaaesina, Nathan Fien, Steve Price (c), Awen Guttenbeil, Wairangi Koopu, Sione Faumuina. Interchange: Louis Anderson, Karl Temata, Richard Villasanti, Epalahame Lauaki.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY