Jackson Ford has started all 20 games his has been available for for the Warriors this season. Photo / Photosport
Jackson Ford has started all 20 games his has been available for for the Warriors this season. Photo / Photosport
Heading into round 26 of the NRL season, Warriors coach Andrew Webster is trying something new.
Among the usual suspects in the team’s run-on 13 for Friday night’s clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons at Mt Smart, Webster made one key positional switch from the team whobeat Manly last weekend.
Josh Curran has been tapped to start in the second row on the left edge in place of workhorse Jackson Ford, who will look to make his impact felt from the bench.
Ford, who joined the club this season after sporadic appearances for the Dragons over his first four campaigns in the NRL, has played in 20 of the Warriors’ 22 games this year – starting every time.
While the move comes on the Warriors’ left edge, which had several glaring defensive issues in their win over Manly, Webster was quick to stress the timing of the move was purely coincidental.
“Jackson’s not the reason for the left edge defence; there’s probably no one person there. They’ve got to improve together - and so does the right edge too. Everyone does,” Webster said.
Jackson Ford has started all 20 games his has been available for for the Warriors this season. Photo / Photosport
“It’s just something different. Jacko has started every single game that he has been available for selection for this year, and just to give Josh Curran an opportunity to start. Then you put Jacko on and just let him go for it right for the end of the game.
“I’m hoping it’ll work - we’ll see how smart I am – but it’s nothing like Jacko’s defence was poor or he let them down. I think we’ve all seen how hard Jacko works and for the team, it won’t be any different this weekend.”
The move also comes a week after Curran, who has often noted defence has been the area of his game he has had to work on the most, told media he felt 2023 has been a “letdown” season for him individually as he has lost his place as a regular starter to new recruits Ford and Marata Niukore.
He has, however, been deployed as a strike weapon off the Warriors bench, with four tries equaling his single-season best, and this weekend’s game will see him set a new personal best for NRL games played in a season at 19.
Despite having their place in the finals series confirmed with two weeks left in the regular season, Webster said resting players was not something he was considering, with the switch between Ford and Curran more of a tactical move.
A win over the Dragons would see the Warriors secure a top-four finish – a mark they have not reached since finishing the 2007 regular season fourth.
“I just want to win this weekend so bad,” Webster said.
“I want them to have a really good performance, the boys, and get what they want to get out of it. They’re ambitious to go after improvement this week. Resting players is not on the list.”
While Webster confirmed that change to the starting side, he would not give anything away as to whether returning half Te Maire Martin – who was named among the extended reserves – would be playing at NRL level this weekend.
He did, however, confirm he had already made a decision.
Interchange (from): Dylan Walker, Jackson Ford, Bayley Sironen, Freddy Lussick, Tom Ale, Taine Tuaupiki, Edward Kosi, Te Maire Martin, Kalani Going (five to be omitted).
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
