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Back at home and playing in front of another sold out crowd, the Warriors don’t have to look far for motivation as they attempt to put last week’s heavy loss to Melbourne behind them.
With Adam Pompey running out for his 100th NRL game, all in Warriors colours, and the club’s diverse playing squad being celebrated as part of their Pasifika-themed round.
While on the field, their task to bring down the visiting Broncos, coached by former Kiwis head coach Michael Maguire, has been made harder by the forced absences of James Fisher-Harris (pec), Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (head knock) and Rocco Berry (suspension).
However, coach Andrew Webster was hoping his team could put aside their poor first half showing in the loss to Melbourne and get back to football that had the side winning three games in a row.
“We obviously had a good hard look at our performance, particularly in the first half,” Webster said.
“Very much like Vegas really; it looked like we were going to score and then next minute, we’re behind our sticks. One little half pass, but there were big momentum swings and we didn't handle the momentum swings well.
“We just gave Melbourne so much confidence and you can see we just lacked so much.
“We've got to be better at stopping the bleeding and just recover and get back to what we do well and we have got to try and prevent those big momentum swings.”
For Luke Metcalf, the game also presented an opportunity to line up again on of the competition’s leading halfbacks in Adam Reynolds, whose kicking game he admired.
“He's one of the best playmakers probably to ever play, not even playmaker, just halfback in general,” Metcalf said.
“His running game’s underrated, but obviously the thing that sticks out is his kicking game.
“I always say his short, long, goal kicking, field goals, drop kicks; I think in just kicking, he's probably the best kicker to maybe ever play if you take into account the whole facet of kicking.
“He's someone that I watched a lot of being a youngster growing up watching him, so it'd be cool to come up against him again.
“I came up against him in Napier in my first game for the Warriors and I remember he put on a real good kicking display.
“I remember thinking ‘oh, well, that's what it takes almost if you want to be one of the best’, so watching that was cool.
“I'm keen to go out there and be his opposite number.”
With the club’s bye round falling on Multicultural Round this year, the club selected their first home game since the round to celebrate the club’s Pasifika culture.
There will be dancers and musicians at the gates who will also put on a special pre-game performance.
The flags of all nations the players represent have been hanging in the gym this week, while the weekly club barbecue for players and staff had a Pasifika flavour on the menu as well.
The team will run out with the Pasifika jerseys, with forward Bunty Afoa sharing what it means to him.
“I'm a proud Samoan, I come from a big family and it's a great round, we've got a lot of mixed culture in the squad and that's what our club's all about, different cultures, but at the end of the day, they all come together as one, so it'll be a good atmosphere on Saturday, exciting times.”
Match: Warriors v Broncos
Round 7 -
home Team
Warriors
4th Position
away Team
Broncos
5th Position
Venue: Go Media Stadium, Auckland
