Stacey Jones: Long Term Plan not Short Term Fix

Written by Gareth Sykes

There has been plenty of talk surrounding the future of Andrew McFadden as head coach of the NZ Warriors, some would say "and rightly so" while others will argue the blame doesn't fall directly on his shoulders.  As it is, whenever any coach has his position come under scrutiny, the rumour mill begins to churn and we start to see suggestions as to who his replacement may be if the club were to decide his services were no longer required.

If there is one thing that i have learnt over the last 2 and a bit decades supporting this organisation, it's that when it comes to coaches, we don't seem to learn from our past mistakes.  It doesn't seem to matter who we have running the show within the club, we tend to make very poor decisions when it comes to deciding who we thrust into the vacant, or soon to be vacated, head coaching position.

Beasts Issues Have Come Home to Roost

Recent media has come out with Manu Vatuvei saying his family suffered and his children were bullied in the wake of his Shameful Six incident. He was close to giving it all away to protect himself and his family from the public backlash they endured when his night out against team curfew became public.

The Other Half - Her First Warriors Experience at Mt Smart

Written by Ryan Lamont
FaitherRyan tells us the story of when he took his wife to her very first Warriors Game

We all remember certain Warriors games, some for different reasons. The very first game in '95. The grand finals in 2002 and 2011. That is just a few examples. But a round nine game against St George? Are you telling me in 10 years it's going to be a game you will remember? Most will say no, but that is a game myself and my wife will never ever forget! 

I love the Warriors a lot. They can break your heart and they can make you feel all warm and fuzzy (come on!! You have all been there after a Warriors win). As much as I love the Warriors, I love my wife even more. 

Today is her first ever warriors game day experience! We have been together for 10+ years and it's only her first one? I know!! Crazy right? She's not the biggest sports fan but she knows how much I love the Warriors. She has finally decided to come to a game. 

The opposition we face on this grand ocassion are St George. This is the week of the energy drink/prescription pills drama. I should also tell you she is 7 months pregnant. It's a boy and I told her if we win this game then his middle name will be the surname of all the players in the team that day. 

After a little baby scare an hour before kick off we finally head to Mt Smart. She is quite excited too which I am glad. I want her to get the whole Warriors game day experience.

When we get inside the gate the first thing we do is head to the bottom by the members tent to give her a close up look of the field. She said it's pretty cool. We then see the photo tent where you can have your photo taken with a couple of the players. Today's players are Simon Mannering and Ben Henry. Once our photo is taken I tell Simon today is my wife's first ever game and he says hi and he hopes she enjoys the whole day. ( I would turn for Simon by the way). 


Next we head to get a feed. Now because she is pregnant she has to be picky about what she eats. So after spending $500 on a bag of popcorn and a drink we head to the merchandise van. On our way there we are stopped by the TAB people that walk around asking if we want to buy a first try scorer bet for $5. She eventually caved in. They only had 2 options left. Blake Ayshford or Shaun Johnson. Gee, I wonder who she picked? Even though she doesn't know many players EVERYONE knows SJ. 


Then we moved on for merchandise. She chose a cuddly toy for the baby. Then it was on to our seats. Up high in the east stand. Now you would know all those steps ain't easy for a pregnant chick. But she does it like a champ. As we sit she takes the view and atmosphere in. She likes it. Great seats on the 40m line too so we can see all the action. Then the players run onto the pitch, I stand up clapping, cheering and whistling, while she does a good old fashioned "golf clap". 

The game kicks off. I try to tell her some rules as the game goes along but I'm sure she gets lost in all I'm telling her. 10 mins into the game we get the first try. And who should score it? Shaun bloody Johnson!!!! NOW she gives it more than a golf clap!! 10 mins into her first Warriors game and she wins $65. You couldn't get the smile off her face. I was loving it too. We opened the scoring and the wife was getting more and more into it. Although I'm sure the money had something to do with it. 

Tries to Matt Allwood and Charlie Gubb rounded off the half. Great start considering the mess that the club was in the last 7 days. After a couple of half time photos and the halftime entertainment it was back on again. It's only then did she ask me if Manu was playing! I had to hold in the laughter. But of course I very nicely told her the true story of why he didn't play.

Play in the second half was tough but a Jeff Robson try after an hour sealed a 26-10 win for us. A great result after the disaster against Melbourne and having the naughty five stood down for this weeks game. 

So we both left the game and we were both very happy. A great day out. More importantly SHE LOVED IT!! Then again, the money probably had something to do with it, but she did love the whole experience. 

She's not gonna watch full games on tv but she will check the score now and then. It's more notice than she has ever given them before. I must add, thank god she made the decision not to use the Warriors team list as our baby's middle name!

For those of you who have a partner who has never been to one, try and get them to a game. It will be something new for them. They will also see first hand the passion behind a Warriors supporter and why at times you wanna cheer them and sometimes you want to shoot them.

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On behalf of all Faithers, we would like to extend our gratitude to both Ryan and his wife Robyn for sharing their story. Awesome read and glad you both had a great time by not only seeing the boys get the win but also win some money in the process. I think it's fair to say that it was a wise call from Robyn not to hold Ryan to his word with the middle name of their unborn child, that would have been epic! Thanks again guys! Legends!

If anyone out there would like to submit anything for the blog please feel free to contact us with your ideas. Whether it be an opinion piece, an experience or whatever else you may wish to get off your chest, we're more than happy to post your thoughts.

This blog was created by the fans, for the fans. We aim to make this as interactive for our fellow fans as possible. 

Faither: "It's not just a slogan, it's a movement."

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Flashback Friday - Konrad Hurrell

This Flashback Friday we take a look at Konrad Hurrell's highlights package from his time at the Warriors.

After being picked up from Rugby Union he would star for the Warriors 2011 U20 team setting a tackle break record that's unlikely to ever be beaten and helping his team win the U20 Grand Final.

The following year he would make his NRL debut and be one of the few bright sparks in Bluey's year of extreme disappointment. In seasons to come he became more famous for his social media antics (particularly one involving a former Shortland Street actress), training ethic, weight issues and late night activities. He showed glimpses of his brilliant ability but was inconsistent and let down by his fitness, running technique and defensive issues.

Despite all those issues there will always be a question mark over Konnie and what could have been if he had of put in more effort and the coaching staff were able to better develop him.

Anyway, here's a clip of Konnies short but memorable career at the club. Wish you well Konnie and hope you fulfill your potential at your new club the Gold Coast Tits.

Click HERE to view the Konrad Hurrell highlight package

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Round 11 Faither of the Week

Round 11
Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth
NZ Warriors 12 - Canberra Raiders 38
Faither of the Week - Sam Lisone

Our "‪Faither of the Week"‬ winner vs the Raiders was Sam Lisone. Sam made 11 tackles and 120m with some barnstorming runs and 4 tackle breaks.

Player Profile - Gene Ngamu

NAME: GENE NGAMU
WARRIOR NUMBER: 6
NICKNAME: GENO
DOB: 27/1/74 (AGE 42)
BORN: NZ
WARRIORS DEBUT: 10/3/95
POSITION: FIVE-EIGHTH/HALFBACK

Pack Your Bags Mannering

Written by Gareth Sykes

All good things must come to an end and for me the time has come for Mannering to pack his shit and walk away from the NZ Warriors.

Simon is one of the few that has pulled on the Warriors jersey and worn it with pride and through his actions has shown the meaning of leadership, commitment, pride and courage on a weekly basis. Mannering regularly tops the tackle count throughout the competition at seasons end and has more often than not gone above the 1000 tackle mark for the season.