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Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NZ Warriors v Newcastle Knights NRL clash at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium.
After reeling off three straight wins and a draw to establish their playoff credentials, the Warriors have fallen into a funk, dropping two games they probably should have won against St George Dragons and Gold Coast Titans.
Injuries have undoubtedly taken a toll, with coach Andrew Webster forced to dip deeper into his reserve than he might have preferred, especially among his forward pack.
The Warriors have already beaten Newcastle this season, and the Knights are now battling on without the services of star fullback Kalyn Ponga and veteran forward Tyson Frizell.
Join us at 4pm for kickoff.
TAB Odds: Warriors $1,55, Knights $2.45
Coach Webster embraces challenge of helping slumping Warriors rediscover identity
NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster is embracing what he describes as the biggest challenge of his head coaching career so far in trying to arrest his side's alarming recent skid.
The Warriors' shock defeat to previously last-placed Gold Coast Titans in front of their home crowd on Anzac Day saw the team drop to 12th in the competition standings - a gulf away from the area of the ladder they were expected to occupy this season.
They're now winless in their past three outings.
While the team has been through longer losing streaks since his arrival, Webster admits addressing their immediate struggles and getting their campaign back on track will be
"It is a challenge and something that we probably haven't faced, simply because of expectation," he said. "I think we've had worse areas last year of losing in a row, but I think it's simply because people expect more of us and that's cool - we expect more of ourselves.
"It probably is the biggest challenge, but it's a challenge I'm looking forward to. That's why I wanted to be head coach - to enjoy these moments and go after it - and I feel really good about it."
Monday's training session was the first of the week for the Warriors, who were afforded some extra time off after a couple of short turnarounds between matches.
That schedule has limited the time Webster has been able to assemble his team on the practice field. With an extended period before they face Newcastle Knights on Sunday, Webster relishes a much-needed opportunity to build cohesion and right the ship.
"I think the clarity's probably been there, but it's just been not having the amount of practice or time to probably execute it better or get it done," he noted.
"I've certainly got no excuses, because we've got time now. The boys are well rested, we're ready to go.
"We had a great review today. Boys knew the answers, they were very forthcoming in telling us what they thought about the performance.
"This is what we need right now. We need 10 days between games and seven days of practice, so that's pretty cool.
"We get on the field four times this week and get to build combinations. We get to get our fundamentals back, which we don't take for granted, but we just we just now get the opportunity to do it.
"There are certainly never any excuses for us, but it's an advantage this week."
The concerning trend for the Warriors over the past two rounds has been fading after strong starts, then finishing with gusto.
Tactically, Webster believes the Warriors have the right formula, but he says the side need to rediscover their identity on the defensive side of the ball. The difference between the team's best and worst is glaringly large.
"You saw at the start of the game, 12-0 up," he said. "I think that style of footy is as good as any team in the competition, and then I think our bad is as bad as anyone's in the competition, if I'm being honest - and the boys agree with that.
"I think we're one of the bottom teams for defending our areas at the moment and that that's not something we want to be. That wasn't our identity last year.
"We're winning so many starts, we're first in NRL for metres, there are so many things that we're doing really well, but it doesn't mean anything if, when something goes poorly, you can't defend it and look after each other, and that's what we've got to get back to doing."
The Warriors will be out to get back into the win column against the Knights, who are fresh off a win over the Dolphins.
"They're playing tough footy," said Webster. "They found a way to get it done against Redcliffe, who have been going really well.
"They had some injuries too and some things that didn't go their way, but they've got strike.
"They carry the ball hard in the backfield and their halves create a lot. Their forward pack's tough, so they they look pretty good, but the thing I notice about them is just how gritty they were and they weren't going to leave that field without the win, no matter what."
The Warriors hope to have some of their injured cavalry back on board this weekend, with both Bunty Afoa and Kurt Capewell tracking positively towards availability.
