No chop for sub-par Warriors NRL team, yet

Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has opted not to wield the axe on an underperforming squad for Saturday’s NRL clash with Brisbane, but admits his patience is wearing thin.

The Auckland-based side slumped to a 30-14 loss last week to St George Illawarra in Hamilton, their second consecutive defeat after capitulating at Penrith.

They have dropped to 14th on the ladder with just four wins from 11 games, and need a major form boost to even think about finals football.

Nevertheless, Kearney has picked a mostly unchanged side for the Auckland match, with Simon Mannering’s inclusion the only notable change.

He maintained the squad were more than capable of working their way up the table but needed to play with more focus and physicality.

The Warriors gave up 57 missed tackles and 20 offloads to a rampant Dragons outfit and their right edge was carved open.

A Warriors attack, led by their all-Test spine, also struggled.

Their poor form baffled Kearney, who had previously seen his troops produce gritty wins over the Sydney Roosters, Parramatta and Gold Coast.

“We’ve made a couple subtle adjustments, get Simon back this week, a couple of changes – but the last thing I want to do is send panic through the organisation,” Kearney said.

“I’ll look at that (other playing options) certainly after this weekend.

“I take myself back to two performances ago and, for five weeks previous to that, the guys have done a pretty good job.”

Mannering’s return from a hamstring strain is a massive plus for the Warriors, who will draw on his leadership, intensity and defensive work rate.

The 30-year-old ex-captain often makes up to 50 tackles per game – but Kearney warns against expecting the back-rower to solve every problem.

“What I’m very mindful of is that it’s not for Simon to come back and fix the issues – we’ve got issues individuals have to fix themselves,” Kearney said.

The Broncos have been ravaged by State of Origin call-ups this week, with Darius Boyd, Anthony Milford and Matt Gillett to miss their side’s trans-Tasman trip.

Veteran playmaker Benji Marshall steps into Milford’s shoes for a Broncos debut, while Kiwi regulars Jordan Kahu and Adam Blair will play.

The Warriors will only lose veteran prop Jacob Lillyman, named on Kevin Walters’ Queensland bench for a 14th Origin appearance.

Kearney expected no drop-off in performance from the Broncos, where he spent four years as an assistant coach.

“Regardless of who they put in there, they’re going to come ready.”

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