NRL: Warriors coach Stephen Kearney faces tough calls in wake of Eels defeat

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has some selection headaches following Friday's NRL loss to Parramatta. Photo / Photosport.

Consistency continues to elude the Warriors and coach Stephen Kearney faces some tough calls around whether to remain loyal to the players who again fell short in Friday's NRL defeat to Parramatta.

The struggling Warriors are left to lament slow starts to both halves and some poor play that allowed the Eels to kick clear on the scoreboard at crucial times in the frustrating 32-24 loss at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

After redeeming themselves with last week's solid victory against an under strength Broncos side, some repeat offenders again find themselves in the spotlight and under pressure to hold their spots for next Saturday's vital away clash against the Gold Coast Titans.

Halfback Shaun Johnson's inconsistency mirrors the side's patchy form, centre Solomone Kata was unconvincing in his return from injury, while back-rowers Bodene Thompson and Ryan Hoffman again had their struggles, missing five and six tackles respectively.

With just five wins from 13 starts and only two from their last seven, their finals hopes are fast slipping away, but Kearney faces a conundrum over whether to drop players and risk further damaging their brittle confidence and undermining the side's collective efforts to learn and improve.

"I'll make those calls after I get a feel for it all, after looking at the tape yesterday and again in the next couple of days," said Kearney.

"One thing I'm really mindful of is making drastic decisions, but the same group of players put in a consistent performance the week before (against Brisbane).

"That's one thing I know about consistency, if you keep changing it all of the time you're not going to get it. But I'll make those decisions over the next couple of days."

Two things Kearney is certain of is the need for his side to improve their starts in both halves and tighten up defensively.

After conceding two early tries the Warriors fought back to draw level at 12-12 in the second-quarter, before Johnson's poor attempt at a last tackle kick led to Eels wing Semi Radradra scoring to give his side a six-point halftime lead.

A sluggish start to the second-half then saw Johnson concede a penalty and the Eels scored a third try. The Warriors again rallied in the last quarter to trail 26-24, only to let the result slip, when Eels playmaker Clint Gutherson scored from dummy half in the 79th minute.

"Twenty-four points is enough to win most games but you just can't start like we did in both halves," he said.

"That's 20 points (conceded) and the other six pointer was from a kick-finish that went wrong, and they run almost the length of the field, and the last was a barge over from dummy half.

"We've got to make it harder for teams to score. I know it sounds pretty simple but that's the reality of it."

The 13th ranked Warriors are still only four points outside the top eight but face another tough task breaking their away duck against the 12th placed Titans at Cbus Super Stadium.

With pressure continuing to mount, Kearney believes his hopes and expectations for his players hinge on him remaining consistent in his messages and methods.

"I don't feel the pressure. What I want is an 80 minute performance and that's what I want every week.

"Regardless of the wins and the losses, I know for a fact that if you start focusing on what's at the top of the hill you can trip up on what's right at your feet on the path on the way there.

"That's always the focus - making sure that we prepare well to perform well - and this week is no different to last week, as it was the week before.

"And I know it sounds like I say the same things every week, but that's the reality and that's consistency."