NRL: Warriors coach Stephen Kearney slams players effort in defeat to Knights

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney is unhappy with the effort of some of his players in yesterday's 26-10 loss to Newcastle. Photo / Photosport.

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has slammed the effort of his players after they crashed to a fifth-straight NRL defeat to Newcastle yesterday.

The 26-10 loss at McDonald Jones Stadium officially ruined any mathematical chance of them scraping into the top eight and they are now certain to miss the NRL playoffs for a sixth straight year.

The reality is there season was already over going into this match and a disappointed Kearney admitted some of his players performed like dead men walking.

"I was disappointed today. There were some guys out there trying really hard and there's some guys that weren't," said Kearney.

"There was some effort from some individuals but then there was some effort from others that would be very questionable and in this competition you just can't have that.

"The Knights played with a great deal of energy and obviously off the back of a good win for them last week for them. You could sense that at home, with a bit of confidence under their belt they came out with a real zest and we just very disappointingly couldn't match it."

There were worrying signs from the first minute when the Warriors failed to capitalise on a prime attacking opportunity after Knights wing Ken Sio spilled the ball from the kick-off.

Unforced errors and penalties saw them defending for much of the first 15 minutes and weak tackling allowed Knights lock Mitch Barnett to run in two easy tries for a 12-0 lead.

The Warriors finally crossed through wing David Fusitu'a 15 minutes before the break and briefly managed some resistance in the second-half with replacement Nathaniel Roache scoring their second try but the result was never in doubt.

Some questionable refereeing calls went against the visitors throughout, but Kearney admitted his players were the architects of their own demise.

"We're our own worst enemies in that sense," he said.

"I just don't think we played with enough conviction.

"It's pretty obvious that the group is lacking some confidence at the moment."

Kearney was at a loss to explain the lack of effort from his players but admitted their poor run of results in recent years had left them struggling for belief.

Recruiting more experienced campaigners is needed to help lift the side but with several senior players out through injury there are few selection alternatives.

"I wish I could (explain the lack of effort). It's been a tough old few years for the footy club and we're trying to turn things around and sometimes when they've had some habits that aren't really good ones it is tough.

"The idea is probably to get some players in there that know that, but you can't click your fingers and that happens.

"If I thought making wholesale changes was going to change some things out there then I would have made some changes a fair while ago.

"It's just the process that we've got to keep working through. There's only one group of people that is going to get ourselves out of this and that's everyone that's in that dressing shed.

"I know we've got a few scars there that have been there for quite some time and we've just got to keep chipping away at it and if individuals aren't up to getting it done well then I'll have to get some new ones in there."