NRL: No Seymour, no direction

Influential halfback Brett Seymour should return next weekend. Photo / Getty Images

If the Warriors were starting to falter at 16-6 at halftime in the 50-6 trouncing by the Wests Tigers, they knew any chance of a win had gone once Brett Seymour limped off.

The halfback took another knock to his already bruised knee 10 minutes into the second half after Tigers centre Geoff Daniela had scored the second try of his hat-trick.

The Warriors dissolved in Seymour's absence, despite leading 6-4 after 37 minutes. The Tigers scythed back and forth across the field, tearing the visitors' defence to bits.

The Warriors tried to juggle their backline to counter the loss but to no avail. Lance Hohaia moved from fullback to halfback, Kevin Locke took over at the back, Brent Tate moved to right wing and Lewis Brown went to centre with Joel Moon at five-eighth. But, with Seymour gone and a subsequent lack of direction, it didn't work out.

Moon and Hohaia did a patchwork job and at times Ian Henderson showed some hesitancy from dummy-half to incite further flailing against the Tigers superior line speed.

It underlines Seymour's value - and to a lesser extent that of five-eighth James Maloney. They are needed to channel this Warriors team and, if initial reports are to be believed, both will be back to take on the premiership-leading Dragons next Sunday.

The Warriors doctor, John Mayhew, said Seymour did the original damage last week. "There doesn't seem to be any major structural damage but he will have an x-ray just in case. He should be back next week."

Coach Ivan Cleary was lamenting Seymour's loss: "Brett gives us so much direction. We lost our way after he left."

Centre Jerome Ropati was left shrugging his shoulders in the general muddle.

"Brett and James always make big contributions so it was a tough ask for Joel and Lance at short notice."

Still, the ability to adapt is important in the NRL.

For the Warriors and their seemingly interminable injury list, it is nothing short of essential.