Warriors’ hopes ‘hinge on home games in NZ’

Former NRL stars Brett Kimmorley and Robbie Farah say the Warriors need more consistent selections in their ‘‘spine’’ and must get games in Auckland to have a shot at the playoffs next year.

In a Warriors season review for NRL TV, the ex-australian internationals identified the Warriors’ long exile in Australia as a major stumbling block to their top-eight chances in 2022.

Asked if the Warriors would finish higher or lower than 2021’s 12th placing, Kimmorely said: ‘‘They will go close to that, maybe a little bit higher’’.

‘‘I will say lower,’’ Farah said, ‘‘if they’re not going to go home. There’s talk of them being based out of Redcliffe [in Queensland] next season; that’s the third season in a row, living away from home.

‘‘If they go home, they will definitely go higher. You can’t underestimate the importance playing in front of your home crowd, living out of your home and having some sort of normality.

‘‘I think it will be a massive boost to them if they can get home.’’

The Warriors are hoping to play six home games in Auckland and six home games in Redcliffe in 2022, but that will be dependent on border access between Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand’s only NRL club last played in Auckland more than two years ago. Only four players – Adam Pompey, Kodi Nikorima, Jazz Tevaga and Chanel Harristavita – remain on the Warriors’ books from the match-day squad that lost 30-15 to the South Sydney

Rabbitohs before 15,295 fans on August 30, 2019.

Farah said while it had been tough for Warriors players being based in Australia for two years, it was also hard on their fans, ‘‘who haven’t been able to watch their side live at Mt Smart Stadium’’.

On a general note, Kimmorley felt the Warriors had shown promise through recruited a bigger forward pack and having a consistently high completion rate at the start of the season before injuries and captain Roger Tuivasascheck’s early departure to rugby union took their toll.

Both he and Farah hailed the emergence of rookie fullback Reece Walsh, with Kimmorley claiming the teenager would be ‘‘better next year than he’s been this year’’ with Shaun Johnson’s return taking the pressure off him.

However, Walsh would be ‘‘more notice, which makes it harder to shine, that second season syndrome’’.

Both pundits said the Warriors needed to be more consistent with their selections in the spine of their backline – scrumhalf, standoff and fullback.

‘‘They need to fix the stability of their spine,’’ Farah said. ‘‘There were times this year where there were so many halves combinations, between Nikorima, Chanel Harris-tavita, [Sean] Sullivan . . . Reece Walsh got moved from fiveeighth to fullback, Chad Townsend came in halfway through the season . . .and was in and out of the side.

‘‘They’ve got to pick their 7 and 6 and 1 and stick with that and find some consistency in those positions.’’

Farah and Kimmorley felt the chopping and changing of combinations had contributed to the Warriors’ game management problems during the season.

Kimmorley predicted if the Warriors ‘‘get that spine right and keep the size and the physicality and the completion rate’’ then ‘‘all of a sudden they became that topeight side’’ and a hard team to beat each week.

Luke Georgeson helped guide the Wellington Firebirds to a win over the Otago Volts in the opening round of the Plunket Shield.

The opener was potentially eyeing his first first-class century at the Basin Reserve, needing to score 26 of the final 55 runs once he moved to 74 on the final day.

But after that he faced 30 deliveries in a row from left-arm wristspinner Michael Rippon without scoring, before he was caught by substitute fielder Josh Finnie after playing an aggressive pull shot, so had to settle for a new highest score.

By that stage, the Firebirds had pulled within 25 runs and Black Caps wicketkeeper Tom Blundell steered them home from there, finishing not out on 22 as they chased down their target of 193.

Fellow Black Cap Rachin Ravindra didn’t bat on the final day after taking a blow to his right elbow late on day three, which forced him to retire hurt, but a Cricket Wellington spokesperson said there was no further damage.

The Firebirds resumed at 95-0 and completed their chase in an extended morning session yesterday.