NRL: Time for Warriors to restore fans' faith

Coach Ivan Cleary said he had changed little in the preparation this week - they felt it was good before being beaten in Canberra. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Warriors v Wests Tigers
Mt Smart Stadium, 4pm tomorrow

"Keep the faith" has long been the Warriors' catch-cry but if ever the onus was firmly on the team to show their fans something worth investing their faith in, it is tomorrow against the Wests Tigers at Mt Smart.

With just one win from their past eight games, the early-season buzz around town has dropped to a burble.

The Warriors need to resurrect their fortunes starting now and continuing through the period of the three-game State of Origin series, when they play the hopeless Sharks, the Knights, who will be without their playmaker Kurt Gidley; then the Broncos and Titans, who will contribute heavily to the Queensland squad.

At training this week no one had any ready answers to the obvious questions about their form slump of the past two rounds where they have conceded 72 points and scored 24. There was general acceptance that they could not afford to continue to start slowly - they have conceded the first try in all bar the first game of the season, when they won in Manly. There is also focus on the lack of communication that has opened gaping holes for opponents near their try-line.

Coach Ivan Cleary said he had changed little in the preparation this week - they felt it was good before being beaten in Canberra. "We're trying to be consistent in what we do."

The call-up for half/hooker Aaron Heremaia and the under-20s star fullback Kevin Locke who will take the right wing would provide fresh legs and an injection of enthusiasm, Cleary said. Heremaia had been playing well all year for the Auckland Vulcans, while the Northcote junior Locke, 20, was an exciting prospect.

Locke will take the shots for goal, with an average around 80 per cent in under-20s where he was second-highest points-scorer in 2008 with 276 from 18 tries, 99 goals and six field-goals.

Heremaia has an all-round field-kicking game. His inclusion and Lance Hohaia's presence on the bench open the opportunity for Cleary to make switches between halfback and hooker if the attack wavers and falters as it has in the two big losses. Heremaia was the halfback for the Junior Kiwis in 2003, Hohaia the five-eighth. Though the coach was not signalling any changes in the Stacey Jones/Joel Moon combination as playmakers. Hohaia was "best for us where he is", Cleary said.

They had worked on both technical issues in defence and on their attitude, the coach said. His biggest concern remains switching the team on before they run out so as to avoid another lethargic start, "which is like starting a race with one of your legs tied up".

Hohaia's energy when coming off the interchange has clearly lifted the side and opened attacking opportunities. He said that had waned as the tackle count had risen, with both Canberra and the Cowboys aiming big runners at himself and Stacey Jones.

"We've let other teams score some pretty easy tries and that always hurts. We need to work on our communication, especially when fatigue sets in. Every time we've lost we've made too many tackles, we're shooting ourselves in the foot with all the mistakes and turnovers."

Major strike weapon Wade McKinnon is frustrated that the team cannot regain their slick attack of 2007-08 and confused why that is. "Even in the games we've won I don't feel we were playing near our best. Obviously, there's been some communication breakdown with the way other teams are scoring against us. We're putting in all the work, everyone who has come into the team this year has aimed up but it's just not clicking."

McKinnon said he felt he and Moon had worked up a great support-play combo in pre-season but had not been able to transfer that to the field.

"It's just little things and I can't put my finger on it and that's what makes it frustrating," he said.

The Warriors' slump followed three physically hard games, the overtime win against the Roosters and then a 90-minute draw in Melbourne followed by a trip to Wollongong where they missed out 13-12 to the Dragons. Before that they were playing well even when losing, as against South Sydney.

Wests come on the back of three close losses and Cleary feels the huge expenditure of energy for no outcome may affect them as it has his side - "not just the physical thing, but mentally".

WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS:

Warriors

Wade McKinnon
Kevin Locke
Patrick Ah Van
Jerome Ropati
Manu Vatuvei
Joel Moon
Stacey Jones
Sam Rapira
Aaron Heremaia
Jesse Royal
Simon Mannering
Jacob Lillyman
Micheal Luck (c)

Interchange: Lance Hohaia, Russell Packer, Lewis Brown, Ben Matulino.

Wests Tigers

Tim Moltzen
Taniela Tuiaki
Peni Tagive
Dene Halatau
Beau Ryan
Blake Ayshford
Benji Marshall (c)
Bryce Gibbs
John Morris
Todd Payten
Gareth Ellis
Chris Heighington
Corey Payne

Interchange (from): Rhys Hanbury, Rocky Trimarchi, John Skandalis, Daine Laurie, Willie Mataka.