Stacey Jones will take charge of the Warriors for the rest of the season. Photo / Photosport
Stacey Jones will take charge of the Warriors for the rest of the season. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand Warriors owner Mark Robinson says the struggling side will take a new approach to games, claiming they had got "a little bit technical" under departed coach Nathan Brown.
And Robinson has suggested there is an outside chance that club legend and interim coach Stacey Jones could take the job permanently next year.
Robinson has probably increased the pressure on rookie coach Jones, the owner saying he was looking forward to a win over the top-eight club Cronulla Sharks on Sunday. He also described his club as being in top shape.
In an interview with Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking, Robinson weighed in on team matters, saying the hapless first-grade side were simply "flat" on game days.
Despite a series of massive losses and disastrous form behind them this season, Robinson claimed: "We're in good condition.
"I'm off to England next week but we're not even looking for a coach for the next four weeks, in respect for Stacey.
"We want him to knuckle down and get on with his job. He's agreed to do the rest of the season for us, which I think is great for our club and great for New Zealand, that we've got the Little General taking the reins.
"He's back on the job and really enjoying it.
"At this point he's indicated he'll do it until the end of the year. Next year is probably not likely. But you never know what happens. If he's enjoying it ... maybe he might want to take it on next year."
Given the team's problems and his own lack of top-flight coaching experience, the chances of Jones enjoying the remainder of this season must be seen as minimal. But Robinson had some simple solutions.
He broke down the team's issues, saying: "You see them at training. They train really well and they look really good.
"And I think when we get to the game, which we're changing this week, they're not getting up like a heavyweight fighter.
"You train for months and you get in the ring and if you're flat you don't win.
"I don't think we're getting geed up enough before the game. They're just losing focus on what they're doing.
"The other thing probably is it's got a little bit technical, with the way we've been playing. So we're going to open it and let them play a bit more footy with more structure."
On his spat with prop Matt Lodge, who walked out on the Warriors, Robinson said he was still dealing with the aftermath of departed recruitment boss Peter O'Sullivan and discredited player agent Isaac Moses' influence.
"It's an attitude thing - I'm trying to change the club's attitude," he said.
"It just wasn't going to work between me and him (Lodge) and the club. And we went our own way.
"At the end of the day this is just the aftermath of Sully and the players we recruited from Isaac Moses.
"We just want to clear that out and then start building the club properly with the right people and the right managers and the right people in the game with integrity."
On recruitment, Robinson said: "We've got some really good people coming over next year ... and they're all 100 per cent behind the club.
"We're doing a really strong job programme with the under-17s, under-19s and we're looking at putting three teams in the competition next year, even a reserve grade.
"That's already underway and at the moment, we were getting eight to 10 kids turning up to training back in New Zealand, and now we've got 30 kids turning up and they're good quality as well. We've seen a massive difference in the junior drive at the club."
On the future, he said the families were looking forward to the imminent return to New Zealand after living a nomadic existence in Australia because of Covid.
"If the Broncos go to New Zealand for 600 days they probably wouldn't have a team," Robinson said.
"The families are getting excited about coming home. I think you'll see a massive improvement over the next few weeks.
"I think that people have to understand that you're not going to see the real Warriors and how much they've improved until they're all back home with their families and training back there, under the fans watching them and making them proud."
