Warriors coach Matthew Elliott is the first NRL coach to find himself in the firing line this season with pressure mounting following two insipid displays from his side.
Elliott questioned his player's commitment following Saturday's woeful 31-12 defeat to St George Illawarra at Eden Park.
It came six days after they were well beaten by a Parramatta side who conceded 56 points to the Sydney Roosters on Saturday.
With a tough road trip to Townsville to face North Queensland next Saturday, things don't get easier for the former Penrith and Canberra mentor.
"Our will to compete in the game at the moment could be questioned," he said.
"I know we are a much better team than that.
"There's something collectively, starting with me, that we're not doing right.
"I have a heap of belief in the guys but it's certainly being tested at the moment."
The Warriors are bankrolled by multi-millionaire Monaco-based co-owner Owen Glenn and expectations were high this season with star England fullback Sam Tomkins signed for a world-record transfer fee of around $1.2 million from Wigan.
With the likes of Shaun Johnson, Simon Mannering, Ben Matulino and Jacob Lillyman also in the side, the Warriors have the talent to be a top-four contender.
There's speculation Wigan coach Shaun Wane is being lined up to replace Elliott, who is off-contract at the end of the season.
Wane has publicly stated he wants to coach in the NRL and has close links with Warriors head of football Dean Bell, a former teammate during the 1990s who was instrumental in persuading his old club to part with Tomkins at the end of last season.
Elliott was close to being fired last year when his side got off to wretched start when they lost eight of their first nine games.
A mid-season revival saved his job, but they still missed the finals following a dismal last-round defeat to the Dragons in Wollongong.
St George Illawarra coach Steve Price, Brisbane's Anthony Griffin and Wests Tigers Mick Potter were the three coaches under the most pressure going into the new season.
But the trio all notched wins at the weekend with Price and Griffin now possessing 100 per cent records in 2014.
Griffin watched his side follow up their round-one win over Canterbury with a hard-fought triumph over North Queensland on Friday night.
Like the Dragons, who were well beaten in the Charity Shield by South Sydney, the Broncos were humiliated in their final pre-season hit-out, going down 40-4 to the Warriors.
Price knows he needs to make the finals this season after failing in his first two years in the role if he's to have his deal renewed at the end of the year.
Potter's young Tigers ripped apart the Gold Coast 42-12 on a sweltering Sunday afternoon in south-east Queensland, banishing the memory of a poor second-half display against the Dragons in round one.
The coach wasn't getting too carried away following a masterclass from young guns Luke Brooks and James Tedesco against an under-par Titans.
"Defensively I thought we were very, very good," Potter said.
"We forced a lot of errors, which we haven't done previously. It was just good, aggressive rugby league. It was pleasing to watch."
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sp ... z2wIdrGhYV
Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
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josie andrews
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Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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josie andrews
- Posts: 36240
- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:17 pm
- Location: Wigan
- Contact:
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
NZ Warriors put on notice
Warriors players have been warned that heads will roll at the club unless they start getting results.
For the second weekend in a row the Warriors suffered a defeat, going down on Saturday at Eden Park 31-12 to the Dragons in another poor start to the season.
The club's management expected better this year. Not only did they fork out a reported $1.4 million to sign Sam Tomkins from Wigan, but they have also spent heavily retaining players who coach Matt Elliott believed could deliver glory to the club.
Last season management took a back seat when the team went through a dreadful run of just two wins from their first 10 games, including the lowest point in the club's history when they were embarrassed 62-6 by the Panthers.
But that won't happen again this year. Fairfax Media understand that management informed the players after the game at Eden Park that things must change or people will be shown the door.
Whether that extends to the coaching team is uncertain, but what is clear is that they aren't going to sit idly by and watch another campaign crumble.
Next up are the Cowboys away on Saturday night and it will require a huge turnaround to get the required result in Townsville.
Prop Jacob Lillyman says while he felt their performance was a slight improvement on their round one loss to the Eels, they're still not playing well enough.
"It was a game we were confident we could turn into a good performance and get the win, but that didn't happen unfortunately," Lillyman said.
"The fact still remains that they still out-muscled us and our defence wasn't up to scratch.
"There is so much talent here, we certainly have the ability to get out of it, but there's got to be a massive improvement.
"Man for man we need to take ownership over what happened in the last couple of weeks, so that next week we're jumping out of our skins.
"The last two weeks to be fair we've been out-muscled and to be fair this is a team that should never be out-muscled.
"That's the most disappointing thing."
Lillyman said the leadership group had already come together before the Dragons loss and says it's now going to take a united effort to return the club to winning ways.
"The senior players have been trying to [sort things out], but now it's time for all of us older blokes to step up, lead from the front and drive higher standards," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/983 ... on-notice?
Warriors players have been warned that heads will roll at the club unless they start getting results.
For the second weekend in a row the Warriors suffered a defeat, going down on Saturday at Eden Park 31-12 to the Dragons in another poor start to the season.
The club's management expected better this year. Not only did they fork out a reported $1.4 million to sign Sam Tomkins from Wigan, but they have also spent heavily retaining players who coach Matt Elliott believed could deliver glory to the club.
Last season management took a back seat when the team went through a dreadful run of just two wins from their first 10 games, including the lowest point in the club's history when they were embarrassed 62-6 by the Panthers.
But that won't happen again this year. Fairfax Media understand that management informed the players after the game at Eden Park that things must change or people will be shown the door.
Whether that extends to the coaching team is uncertain, but what is clear is that they aren't going to sit idly by and watch another campaign crumble.
Next up are the Cowboys away on Saturday night and it will require a huge turnaround to get the required result in Townsville.
Prop Jacob Lillyman says while he felt their performance was a slight improvement on their round one loss to the Eels, they're still not playing well enough.
"It was a game we were confident we could turn into a good performance and get the win, but that didn't happen unfortunately," Lillyman said.
"The fact still remains that they still out-muscled us and our defence wasn't up to scratch.
"There is so much talent here, we certainly have the ability to get out of it, but there's got to be a massive improvement.
"Man for man we need to take ownership over what happened in the last couple of weeks, so that next week we're jumping out of our skins.
"The last two weeks to be fair we've been out-muscled and to be fair this is a team that should never be out-muscled.
"That's the most disappointing thing."
Lillyman said the leadership group had already come together before the Dragons loss and says it's now going to take a united effort to return the club to winning ways.
"The senior players have been trying to [sort things out], but now it's time for all of us older blokes to step up, lead from the front and drive higher standards," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/983 ... on-notice?
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
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Owd Codger
- Posts: 5628
- Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:20 am
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
What make anyone think that Wane would want to go to New Zealand Warriors?
Being a successful English Coach in the Super League does not mean that you will be a successful English Coach in the NRL.
Being a successful English Coach in the Super League does not mean that you will be a successful English Coach in the NRL.
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Owd Codger
- Posts: 5628
- Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:20 am
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
Perhaps better not to try, than be a fish out of water in a alien country with a nasty press ready to pounce on a limey if he were to fail!TWO EYED WARRIOR wrote:Are you Homer Simpson, If you tried your best and failed lesson is dont try ?Whelley Warrior wrote:What make anyone think that Wane would want to go to New Zealand Warriors?
Being a successful English Coach in the Super League does not mean that you will be a successful English Coach in the NRL.
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
If at first you don't succeed ... give up.
In fact, why even try in the first place in case you don't succeed.
In fact, why even try in the first place in case you don't succeed.
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Kittwazzer
- Posts: 11307
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:31 pm
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
I don't think Wane could be a successful coach anywhere other than Wigan!Whelley Warrior wrote:What make anyone think that Wane would want to go to New Zealand Warriors?
Being a successful English Coach in the Super League does not mean that you will be a successful English Coach in the NRL.
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Panchitta Marra
- Posts: 6134
- Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:24 pm
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
Why's that Kitt?Kittwazzer wrote:I don't think Wane could be a successful coach anywhere other than Wigan!Whelley Warrior wrote:What make anyone think that Wane would want to go to New Zealand Warriors?
Being a successful English Coach in the Super League does not mean that you will be a successful English Coach in the NRL.
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Kittwazzer
- Posts: 11307
- Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:31 pm
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
Wane is a Wigan lad from Worsley Hall, OK, he did a stint at Leeds but his heart was never there, ask him! He's coaching the only team he ever really cared about. He is passionate about his town and his club. The players know this and accept his demands for 110% because they are playing for HIS town and HIS team. If they don't accept this, they will be history. He couldn't take that anywhere else.Panchitta Marra wrote:Why's that Kitt?Kittwazzer wrote:I don't think Wane could be a successful coach anywhere other than Wigan!Whelley Warrior wrote:What make anyone think that Wane would want to go to New Zealand Warriors?
Being a successful English Coach in the Super League does not mean that you will be a successful English Coach in the NRL.
That's my take anyway. He would be a disaster at NZW as he is impervious to 'personalities'. Egos get no change from him. He would have no idea how to deal with the Kiwis, Maoris, Islanders!
Re: Elliott under pressure as Warriors wobble
So no chance of any modern day Iro's or Botica's at Wigan while Wane is in charge then?Kittwazzer wrote:He would have no idea how to deal with the Kiwis, Maoris, Islanders!