NRL: Slow starters look to create momentum

Manu Vatuvei sidelined with a knee injury. Photo / Getty Images

If playing eight weeks without Manu Vatuvei isn't bad enough, the Warriors are missing him at one of their most difficult times of the season.

Ivan Cleary's side have lost their opening two games of the season against the Eels and Tigers and now have the daunting task of meeting the Dragons, last year's champions, at Mt Smart Stadium today. Following that, they face a resurgent Sharks in Taupo and then the Roosters (H), Manly (A) and Storm (A).

The period before the Anzac test on May 6 is rounded off with the visit of a Panthers side who finished second in 2010.

It's said there are no easy games in the NRL, borne out by the fact the Sharks toppled the Dragons last Monday - but that is a difficult draw in anyone's estimation.

Among that lineup are the winners of the last four competitions - even if the Storm's titles from 2007 and 2009 were stripped because of their salary cap rort - as well as last year's beaten finalists in the Roosters. In fact, those teams represent 11 of the last 18 grand finalists.

The Warriors should have enough depth to cope but it's imperative they get to the Anzac test, by which time one-third of the NRL's games will have been played, without too much damage having been done.

There is still plenty of time left in the season but the Warriors have found themselves playing catch-up for a large part of Cleary's reign. In both 2007 and 2008, late surges saw them make the playoffs but they couldn't recover in 2009 when they started as one of the favourites (they finished 14th).

Momentum is a powerful thing in rugby league, but it's difficult to see the Warriors building any significant impetus in the next few weeks.

Former Australian five-eighths Ben Ikin said they would do well to win three of those six games.

"It's obviously important to build momentum at the start of the season because a horror start would see some self doubt creep in," he says. "If you start questioning yourself, you get this horrible thing called losing momentum which becomes infectious.

"I don't hold much fear for the Warriors. I think they will be there come finals time and I have them in my top four.

"They are going to build to something. Even if you have a run of bad games at the start of the year, I would much rather have them in March, April, May than in August and September."

The Warriors aren't the only ones facing a difficult series of games. The Titans started their season against the Dragons, Storm and Broncos and are due to meet the Raiders, Cowboys, Wests Tigers, Eels, Roosters, Warriors and Manly before the bye in round 11.

The Warriors put together a terrific run towards the end of 2008 that was stopped only by a Manly side no one was going to beat that year.

The last two Warriors seasons have illustrated how different scenarios can play out. In both years, they won only three of their first eight games but in 2009 they went on to finish 14th while last year they finished fifth.

"If you're not getting it right in the early part of the year, I would be less stressed about that than if it started to go haywire at the end of the season," Ikin says.

"The Warriors will be fine. Once they start getting momentum and start winning football games and are full of confidence, I don't care where they sit on the ladder, the rest of the competition is worried."

The next six

Round 3 vs Dragons

Mt Smart Stadium

Overall: P16 W4 L12

Last 10: W2 L8

Round 4 vs Sharks

Owen Delany Park, Taupo

Overall: P23 W13 L13

Last 10: W4 L6

Round 5 vs Roosters

Mt Smart Stadium

Overall: P26 W15 L10 D1

Last 10: W6 L4

Round 6 vs Manly

Brookvale Oval, Sydney

Overall: P19 W7 L12

Last 10: W5 L5

Round 7 vs Storm

AAMI Stadium, Melbourne

Overall: P26 W11 L13 D2

Last 10: W5 L4 D1

Round 8 vs Panthers

Mt Smart Stadium

Overall: P 26 W11 L14 D1

Last 10: W5 L5