Richie Barnett: Missed tackles huge problem for Warriors

The Storm are sure to hone in on Manu Vatuvei, who must change his defensive game to stop being caught out wide. Photo / Getty Images

After three losses in a row, the pressure is back on the Warriors.

At 7-7 their season is again on the line. The losing streak will have led to some serious re-evaluations, the coaching staff looking at how to get the best out of individuals and combinations to get the team firing again.

The most pressing issue is the number of missed tackles - 38 misses a game is too many. Defence needs to be sorted quickly; the team are conceding too many soft tries.

Tomorrow they are up against the best defensive side in the comp, so the Warriors will have to pick up their game substantially if they're to have any chance.

The Storm are the masters of the wrestle. It's well known they employ martial arts expert John Donehue to perfect players' grappling technique.

It's an issue that comes and goes but the Storm's wrestling is in the news again after the past couple of weeks. Typically the Storm tackle with one player high, another low and a third going in to put the ball carrier on the ground.

It buys them vital seconds and allows them to get their defensive line set. They are the masters of slowing down the opposition play-the-ball and it's vital the Warriors match them in that area.

They need to dominate the ruck and get on the front foot. That's where the game will be won.

There's a big gulf between the sides. Just look at the for-and-against records. The Storm have scored 317 points and conceded 172, a differential of +145. The Warriors have scored 255 and conceded 256, a differential of -1 - a massive gap.

But the Warriors always seem to get up for the Storm, as if they sense the huge challenge and really fire up for the battle. This is certainly a game where they have to front up. But the fact is they need to approach every game the same way they do when they are playing the Storm.

It's pretty frustrating that they don't.

It is no surprise Ivan Cleary has called in his most experienced players for this match. Communication is one of the keys to defending successfully and the likes of Lance Hohaia, Brett Seymour and Shaun Berrigan will help.

Seymour is a good organiser and a tough defender. We've all seen the brilliance Shaun Johnson can produce but he's still very much a work in progress. For an opponent like the Storm, Seymour is the better option. That said, Johnson has shown enough to suggest he could be a good attacking option off the bench. It's a risky tactic carrying a halfback as an impact player but it might pay off if the game is tight.

One thing is certain - if the Warriors continue to defend the way they have been, they are in for a very long afternoon.

The Storm use decoy and block runners brilliantly. With Adam Blair and Kevin Proctor in rampaging form, the Warriors' fringe defenders will all need to make the correct reads. With Micheal Luck out, having Simon Mannering back in the pack should help.

The Warriors have also been vulnerable out wide. Manu Vatuvei has been caught out a few times now and the Storm are sure to target him.

Manu needs to change his approach. He tends to defend outside-in. That can work when he times it right and comes in to belt people but it isn't working at the moment. There are so many good playmakers in the NRL who can hit their wingers as soon as they see Manu turn that outside shoulder in.

The other approach is to defend inside-out, to start further infield then push up and out on his man. It's a hard change for a player to make but it's something Manu will need to do to get his defensive game back in order.

The Warriors certainly can't afford many more slip-ups.