Warriors front-rower Albert Vete, Sam Lisone and Charlie Gubb are put through their paces. Photo / Photosport.
Warriors front-rower Albert Vete, Sam Lisone and Charlie Gubb are put through their paces. Photo / Photosport.
The Warriors are learning that doing just enough is not good enough for new coach Stephen Kearney.
Two months after Kearney's arrival at the Warriors, players and club staff are coming to grips with his high expectations which are summed up within the phrase 'above the line'.
The slogan defines the former Kiwis coach's intent to raise the player's standards of performance and work ethic and improve the club's culture, encapsulating his demands for them to work harder, do better, and achieve more than what has previously been expected of them.
"The key thing is that Stephen's brought with him a phrase that he uses, which goes across the whole organisation, which is 'above the line'," explained Warriors managing director Jim Doyle in a end of year video address to club members.
"He sets standards and every day, every player needs to be above the line. And that's for players but also for staff - that they need to be above the line - that they're constantly being better than standard."
More than just a motto, Kearney makes the playing group accountable to the phrase following every team exercise or activity both on and off the field.
Players know that producing simply what's required to get through training is unacceptable and are being driven to continually strive to put in greater effort and be more professional in every aspect of their work.
"Stephen measures them after a field session, asks them all individually 'who do you think was above the line' and he gives them his feedback," said Doyle.
"After a gym session, who was above the line? After a community session, who was above the line? So we're really driving that aspect of things.
"He's brought that and that's a significant aspect that the players can see that there's a higher standard and higher accountability than there's been previously, which is a real positive."
Doyle is satisfied with the early signs of change within the player's improved attitudes and approach to training, even with several senior team members absent as they recover from offseason surgery or enjoy a break following the Kiwis Four Nations campaign.
"Some of the players that are on the field are really raising the intensity. Their fitness, their body composition and things, are really good.
"In the rehab group we've still got people like Simon (Mannering), Hoffy's (captain Ryan Hoffman) been in there, Benny Mat's (Matulino), Kieran's (Foran) in there. Roger's (Tuivasa-Sheck) just come out of there.
"So there's still a lot of experience that's not back yet, with the Kiwi boys. But overall - I just watched the players do their first opposed session the other night - and you can see the speed, the intensity, is really stepping up.
"It's still very early yet but it's certainly heading in the right direction."
As the player's look forward to a few days off over Christmas, Kearney is "pretty comfortable" with what's been achieved throughout their first block of training and conditioning.
"They've worked really well," he told The Herald. "There's been things along the way both in defence and attack that we've implemented.
"I've been comfortable with how the group's been tracking."
The Warriors hope Kieran Foran's playing contract will be registered by teh NRL early in the new year. Photo / Photosport.
Meanwhile, work continues between the club and NRL as the Warriors seek to have Kieran Foran's playing contract approved for next season with an outcome anticipated in the New Year.
"That's progressing well," said Doyle. "It will take a bit of time as we've always said it would do.
"Kieran's working continuously through some of the personal issues he's had and every day, every week, every month, getting better.
"So he's certainly headed in the right direction. We would anticipate that (contract registration) taking place next year."
