2nd Half Assault at Pepper Stadium

With the opening 10 Rounds of the Season now behind us, let's take a look at just how well the Warriors are travelling in 2017. Before we delve into the important stats and figures, let's touch base on the game that has left plenty of Warriors fans feeling rather salty after the Pepper Stadium second half shocker!

Some serious questions must now be asked of not only the players within this Warriors squad but also the coaching staff and their ability to be regularly "Above the Line".  How a side can go into the break 22 points up, only to come out and be held scoreless in the 2nd Half while their opposition puts 30 on you almost beggars belief. I guess we will never know exactly what was said in the sheds at halftime but all we can do is hope that those words are never repeated.

As if to rub salt into the wounds, the 22 point deficit that the Panthers were forced to chase down was done in only 12 minutes on the back of 4 tries.  The 30 unanswered points Penrith managed to put on in the Second Half was their second biggest come from behind victory. In what is seemingly becoming some sort of a cruel joke, it was again a Warriors side that helped their opposition snap out of a losing streak.

This time around it was the Panthers staring down the barrel of their 6th straight defeat heading into the game as well as having the possibility of being the first Penrith side since 2002 to lose 6 games on the trot. It doesn't stop there for the visitors either, with the 8 point loss officially becoming their biggest come from behind defeat in their history.

The Warriors record on the road is becoming increasingly worrying, with an 0-4 record this season and only 7 victories in Australia since 2015. The club needs to get past the travel factor somehow and start getting results across the ditch otherwise it'll be curtains early for 2017 and yet another season without Finals Footy.

Even the most dedicated fan would agree that being a Warriors Supporter is a bit like being a pube in the toilet, sooner or later you're going to get pissed off.  It goes without saying that the Warriors were that bad in the 2nd Half that i would rather get myself a handjob from Edward Scissor Hands than have to sit through that again. Let's hope that Kearney can turn things around because i for one am growing tired of the Warriors changing coaches and their positions more often than a porn star with a bad back.

THE FIRST 10 GAMES: 2011-2017

It's hard to believe it has been 6 long seasons since we've tasted Finals footy. Trying to comprehend how a side can go from making the Grand Final in one season to then go on and be nowhere to be seen year after year since is a bitter pill to swallow.

With 4 wins and 6 losses, Kearney is in a very similar position to that of many a coach before him at this stage of the season. Only once in the last 7 years have the Warriors had a winning record after their opening 10 games, coincidentally it was the year they made the Grand Final in 2011.

Looking at the points for and against, 2017 has proven to be their 2nd worst effort as far as attack is concerned, averaging only 17 points a game, while defensively they aren't much better off, leaking on average a total of 22 points a game. As for the win/loss record after 10 games, only Elliott in 2013 has a worse record.

Win/Loss Record

2017 - Kearney - 4 Wins, 6 Losses
2016 - Cappy - 4 Wins, 6 Losses
2015 - Cappy - 5 Wins, 5 Losses
2014 - Cappy - 2 Wins, 3 Losses
2014 - Elliott - 2 Wins, 3 Losses
2013 - Elliott - 2 Wins, 8 Losses
2012 - McClennan - 5 Wins, 5 Losses
2011 - Cleary - 6 Wins, 4 Losses

Average Score in First 10 Games

2017 - Warriors 17 - 22.  (174/219)
2016 - Warriors 20 - 26.  (200/260)
2015 - Warriors 21 - 21.  (210/210)
2014 - Warriors 20 - 21.  (200/210)
2013 - Warriors 15 - 28.  (150/280)
2012 - Warriors 25 - 22.  (250/220)
2011 - Warriors 20 - 18.  (200/180)

In another worrying trend, the Warriors have only once had a positive For and Against since 2011 come seasons end, that year being 2014. That particular season, Cappy took over from what was an absolute shambles left behind from Elliott, just 5 games into the season.

There has only been the one season since our last Grand Final visit that we've managed to keep our "against" under 400, again, no surprise with it being in 2011. Cappy's first year of coach in 2014 saw us with our best return in the "for" column, racking up 571 points for the year. A quick run down of our For/Against over those seasons can be found below.

Year: For/Against

2017: 174/219
2016: 513/601
2015: 445/588
2014: 571/491
2013: 495/554
2012: 497/609
2011: 504/393

Debutants and Player Gains/Losses

While i am unaware of an average number for club debutants during any particular season, i find the number the Warriors have gone through on occasion to be alarmingly high. Injuries and suspensions are ofcourse always going to play their part.

Over the 2016 and 2015 season the Warriors had a staggering 22 players make their club debuts, whereas between 2011-2014 they only had 30.

Club Debuts

2011: 7
2012: 8
2013: 7
2014: 8
2015: 10
2016: 12
2017: 4*

Gains/Losses

While nobody can ever really be certain what the player scouts are doing within the Warriors, the number of players leaving the club for various reasons compared to those arriving is insanely lopsided.

Since 2015 we've seen a staggering 33 players leave the club with only 16 new arrivals. With those figures in mind we get whispers from within the club that 2017 will be another big clean out. The "player cleanout" seems to be an enjoyable post season exercise for the club. I hope that someone reminds them they need to replace or have replacement ready for those shown the door. Far too often we see a Warriors side forced to field players who aren't quite ready for 1st Grade, yet due to the clubs borderline horrendous recruitment abilities it is an all too common occurrence.

Funnily enough, those younger players who are being thrown into the deep end a little earlier than desired, have the same person overseeing their development that also oversees the clubs recruitment, Tony Iro, how he has held onto his job is beyond me.

The club must look beyond their playing roster when it comes time for the clean out. The likes of Iro, Wiki, Becht, Mayhew, Henry and Seu Seu, to name a few, have all been filling a particular role at the club since 2011 and have been able to keep their jobs regardless of on-field results.

While the broom is sweeping the place out, not only do they need to get rid of some of these ex-players from taking up roles within the club, they need to keep them out permanently.

I understand the club wishes to keep these blokes around by offering them different positions, and that's all well and good if you're not interested in hiring the best person for the job, but there comes a time where someone needs to understand that as far as employees are concerned, their are better options than that of a retired footy player.

People, for instance, who have gone straight from school to study their profession, someone who has been fullfilling a similar role during their entire working and adult life, someone with experience and knowledge. We can't continue to offer blokes positions within this club just because we feel we owe them or think "it would be nice to have them around" after they retire. You need to set up for success, that begins from work experience kid to the CEO and everyone in between.

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