Player Profile - Francis Meli

Name: Francis Meli
Date of Birth: 27/04/79
Place of Birth: Apia, Samoa
Height: 188cm
Weight: 100kg
Nationality: Samoa
Warriors #: 65

2017 - What's Gone Wrong?

As with any sports team, the buck stops with the head coach. If the desired results are not forthcoming then it is the coach who is first to fall on his sword, if the results are the desired ones the club is chasing then the coach is the one to reap the rewards. That is, plain and simple, the nature of the beast for coaches in a professional sports team.

Shoulder Surgery Ends Season for Mannering

As the NZ Warriors limp toward the end of the season, the club will now need to face the reality of playing their remaining games without the services of their best player in Simon Mannering. The untimely injury is also a massive blow to the Kiwis World Cup campaign at season end.

Rugby League Live 4: Gamers Heed Warning and Demand Refunds

The gamers within the Rugby League community have been eagerly awaiting the release of the new Rugby League Live video game since the announcement of its impending release earlier in the year. The wait is finally over for those who got in early and secured their pre order copies with the likes of EB Games and JB HiFi being swamped with couch coaches nation wide eager to use their wealth of knowledge they have for the game and lead their teams to virtual glory.

Kearney Reveals the Process

If it wasn't bad enough for the long suffering fans of the NZ Warriors having to deal with the clubs tired and old slogan of "Keep the Faith", which let's face it, is nothing more than a phrase that breeds an acceptance of mediocrity within the establishment, Mr 24% decides to bring his own catch phrase to the table, "Trust the Process".

2000: Financial Collapse and Reinvention

In National Rugby League season 2000 the Warriors could only finish second last. This season included the Warriors' largest ever loss in their history to date, 54–0 to the Dragons in Wollongong. Alarmingly, the problems off-field overshadowed the on-field problems. The majority shareholders were under intense financial pressure, and the club's future was looking bleak at best. The key assets of the club were purchased by business tycoon Eric Watson. This did not include player contracts, and many players were released and had to fight to get the money they had been promised. Ultimately only 10 players from the 2000 season were retained.

Iro Explains Warriors Recruitment Process

One could be forgiven for thinking that the powers that be within the Warriors establishment haven't quite mastered the important and on-going task that is player recruitment and retention. As the 2017 campaign enters the final stages of the season, it's not only hard to stay focused on the number of players leaving at seasons end but the quality of player whom won't be returning in 2018.