New Zealand Warriors v Knights result: Coach and captain frank about issues, after third straight NRL defeat

Warriors’ coach Andrew Webster admits his team are in a slump – but is backing them to find a way out of it.

The recent run of poor performances continued on Sunday, with the dispiriting 14-8 loss to the Newcastle Knights. The Warriors were refreshed, coming off a 10 day turnaround and desperate for their first NRL victory in almost a month.

But it didn’t really show, as they were out-muscled and out-enthused – in admittedly terrible weather conditions – by a workmanlike Knights team who wanted it a bit more.

The Warriors were unfortunate with a couple of key refereeing decisions, especially the failure to award a penalty try just before halftime, but still lacked conviction in much of their work.

With a 3-1-5 record, it seems a long way back to get close to the top contenders again, especially with daunting assignments against the Roosters and Panthers over the next two rounds.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster. Photo / NRL Photos.

“We are all in it together,” said Webster. “I’ve got so much faith in this group; I still believe we can be the side we want to be. It sometimes seems a long way away and sometimes not far at all and we just haven’t given enough opportunity to show it. It could click but it is not going to happen by itself, we have to make it happen.”

But there is no obvious or easy recipe and it will require a monumental turnaround to be competitive in the next two weeks, on the evidence of what they have shown in the defeats to the Dragons, Titans and Knights.

“We can’t look too far ahead,” said Webster. “We have to get confidence in what we are doing pretty fast. If we are looking too far ahead we are not going to get the now right and that’s the most important thing.”

“[We need to] keep being honest about it, keep learning, wanting to attack it and be motivated by it, we can’t sulk or carry on here. We need to make sure we are willing to work hard together and if we do that we will get back on track.”

But Webster knows there are problems. While they were more resilient defensively on Sunday, their attack continues to misfire, with wrong options, poor timing and an overall lack of connection.

“I don’t think there is the same zip in our attack [compared with last year],” agreed Webster. “I don’t think we are as on point with it as we would like to be, as clinical.”

Captain Tohu Harris agreed, saying they are “not completely on the same page”. He added that “sticking tight as a group” would be key, as the pressure continues to build.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad of the Warriors react following their loss to the Newcastle Knights.

Reflecting on Sunday’s game, Webster again bemoaned the amount of cheap penalties, especially in the first half, which continually invited pressure.

“We are zapping ourselves with energy just through our discipline.”

Perhaps the most disappointing period was the final 15 minutes, as the Warriors couldn’t manufacture much, despite sustained possession at the right end of the field.

“[They] went off script, away from what we wanted to do,” said Webster. “The boys are trying hard to win it and you can see how hard they are trying but they are not doing it together.”

While he was loathe to make any excuses or criticise officials, Webster was bemused by the non-award of a penalty try late in the first half, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak tackled early and in mid air in the process of grounding a Shaun Johnson bomb.

“I don’t know the rule 100 per cent but if he is going up for the ball to catch it and then he gets taken out in the air and he is coming down to put the ball down, he was going to score the try, and the only reason why he didn’t score was because he got tackled in the air,” said Webster. “I don’t know if there is a clause for that kind of play but it looked like he was dead set going to score. I’ll leave them [the NRL] to explain it.”

Webster also agreed the obstruction call on Jackson Ford – which saw a try to Watene-Zelezniak scratched – was debatable, perhaps within the letter if not the spirit of the law.

“I don’t know if it has an [impact] in the play because we score in the corner but the ruling is you hit the outside shoulder and we got done for it,” said Webster. “So a couple of things around our timing that could have been better.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.