NRL: Stephen Kearney insists Warriors must improve physically

The Warriors head into the bye with an 8-4 record this NRL season.
The Warriors head into the bye with an 8-4 record this NRL season. Photo credit: AAP

The Warriors' run of wobbly form has continued, losing 30-10 to the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Auckland on Saturday night.

After starting the season with five straight wins, the Warriors have since been sucked into a loss-win pattern, with the defeats proving to be costly.

The run of inconsistent form is starting to cause concern for coach Stephen Kearney, but he is refusing to hit the panic button just yet.

Three of their four losses have been by more than 20 points, and in each of those losses there has been one common thread - the Penrose-based club has lost physical battle up the middle.    

After leading 6-0 early, the wheels broke off once the Bunnies got the ball in good field position and ran riot over the defenceless Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium.

"We started well, but overall it's been a bit of a common theme where teams coming here bring their best game of footy and physically we couldn't match it with them," Kearney told reporters after the match.

"So that's something we need to address, once we got a bit of scoreboard pressure on us, I thought we were trying really hard but didn't have the flow that we've had in our attack.

"It's disappointing that it just didn't click for us tonight."

The Warriors now boast an 8-4 which and sit fourth on the NRL ladder, but they could slip down to fifth if the Cronulla Sharks beat the Newcastle Knight by more than five points on Sunday afternoon.

Adam Blair tackled by South Sydney players.
Adam Blair tackled by South Sydney players. Photo credit: Photosport

Next week the Warriors have the bye, and it couldn't have come at a better time for the club.

"The last six weeks we haven't had a great deal of consistency," said Kearney

"We've had some pretty significant changes in the team over the course of the last six weeks.

"That's not an excuse, but it had an effect. That happens for most teams in the competition, but some of the changes we've had in the side over the last six weeks have been pretty significant in terms of who they are.

"We get a break next week, and the coaches and myself will work out how we can arrest teams coming here and beating us up physically."

Warriors forward Tohu Harris admitted his team needed to improve in a number of areas quickly if they are going to be viewed as a genuine title contender.

"We seem to be week-on, week-off at the moment,'' Harris said.

"Once teams get a roll-on, we need to match them, and good teams in this competition find a way, we need to as well.

"It's just matching the physicality of the other sides, and when they get a roll on, we've got to be able to stop that and turn that momentum in our favour."

Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will have scans on his ankle on Sunday after the fullback failed to finish the match.

However, Kearney doesn't think his injury is, and he should be fit and ready to face the Manly Sea Eagles in Christchurch on June 9. 

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