Warriors coach Andrew Webster is not surprised at the Dolphins’ success in their debut NRL season, just surprised anyone else is.
“I couldn’t work out why everyone was saying they were going to be bad,” Webster said ahead of his team’s first clash with Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins in Auckland on Saturday.
“The only thing I was guessing was how they were going to get on the same page so quick, because it’s not every day that players just come in from all different teams to play together.
“But the way they recruited was smart, there are combinations of guys that know each other from club football already.
I don’t know if that was planned or not. But I thought they were going to be a team that would compete hard. Their identity is skill, they know what they’re doing and pull teams apart.
“They can defend for long periods and they’re a complete package at the moment, it’s really exciting.”
While the praise for the Bennett-coached side was free flowing, Webster is confident in the Warriors’ ability to deprive the Dolphins of the ball.
“We have to win the possession battle, because they thrive on that. They’re not going to go away, they’ll complete high so we have to complete high as well,” he said.
It’s simple, but it’s effective.”
However, Webster pointed out that in the set-restart era of the NRL, the previously much-vaunted set completion rate wasn’t as much of an indicator of success as it was in the past.
“The possession stat is more important. If you kick off and receive the ball, complete your set you’re one from one. Then if they score two tries in a row, you’re both 100 per cent completions. But they’ve got two-thirds possession, so that’s the main factor.
The Warriors are coming off a 26-22 loss to Brisbane whih left them with a 6-6 season record while the Dolphins are riding higher on the ladder at 7-5 after beating the struggling Dragons 26-12.
Webster welcomes back Dylan Walker and Mitch Barnett to his match day squad. Second rower Barnett has been sidelined since round three with a neck injury.
“If everything goes well he’s going to play… Mitch has got his confidence back…he’s motivated, he’s a bad spectator and wants to play all the time.”
While this will be the first time the Warriors and Dolphins have ever met, there has been a connection established between the two clubs thanks to Covid-19.
Due to regular trans-Tasman travel being impossible over the previous three seasons, the Warriors made Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe a temporary home and drew plenty of support from the local community.
The park now houses the Dolphins in their debut season.
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