Kearney remains leading option as Warriors coach

As the club reflect on another poor NRL campaign, the blame can’t all be sheeted back to the coach

There’s no quick fix to the Warriors woes but coach Stephen Kearney remains the right man to lead the club forward. The Warriors will miss out on finals football for a sixth straight season after suffering their fourth straight defeat in Friday’s 26-12 loss to Cronulla.

Fans have every right to be outraged by the side’s poor form that’s seen them win just seven of 19 games so far. The only consistent part of the Warriors’ season has been their inconsistency.

That’s not all Kearney’s fault. It’s been the same story each year since the club made the 2011 grand final in all three grades, and appeared on the verge of realising its powerhouse potential.

If anything has been learned in the six demoralising years since, surely it’s the need to think longterm. Kearney needs time. That may be hard to stomach for impatient fans who have already waited an eternity for their team to come right. But five coaches in that time indicates there’s no magic remedy.

Every new coach needs time to get a gauge on the players and environment he’s walked into before trimming and recruiting to get the roster he wants. Like it or not, that can take two season or more.

Unfortunately for Kearney’s three predecessors — Brian McClennan, Matt Elliott and Andrew McFadden — only the latter had the Defensively, they have been more committed and have shown a tenacity to stay in games longer.

Kearney has also come under fire for showing an unwillingness to drop players when many were calling for heads to roll.

Issues around a lack of depth and an awareness of players’ already fragile confidence has seen him stay loyal, while hoping players produce the right response.

Explaining such issues or justifying his decisions are not a priority for Kearney, whose comments postmatch or midweek often require some decoding.

His unwavering belief and constant reference to “the process” can prove testing for reporters and the public seeking greater insight into where he believes the team is at and where he sees them heading.

But rest assured, Kearney — like every coach or player in the NRL — wants his side to play finals football. And while that remains the end goal, he is also aware of his team’s limitations and his players’ shortcomings.

Anxiety and brain-explosions are still an issue. Sharpening their focus, decision making, and skills — even the basic fundamentals — remain work-ons. Improving in those areas is his primary focus.

Of course by now he’ll have a firm idea of which individuals are up to the task or capable of improving and who he needs to cast aside ahead of next season. The performance of the team in the next few weeks will only make those decisions easier.