By PETER JESSUP
What value would the Auckland Warriors place on Matthew Ridge in hindsight, now that their season is all but gone for want of a decent fullback and kicker?
Ridge's $600,000 salary would easily have been recovered had the Warriors been playoff contenders, with the resulting crowds and a share of the take from extra games.
Instead, repeat poor performances could prompt their long-suffering fans to vote with their feet in a no-show that will threaten the existence of the whole outfit.
The club let Ridge go after a bad season, with injury and suspension sapping his enthusiasm. Neither was particularly sad to see the back of the other.
Coach Mark Graham commented that goalkicks do not win games. The Warriors lost 16-17 to the Tigers in round two, drew 18-all with Newcastle in round four, went down 22-24 to the Eels at Parramatta in round nine and drew 18-all with the Bulldogs in round 10.
Two competition points from each of those games would have them in the middle of the top eight now.
Instead, pressure mounts in Australia for their exclusion from the competition.
The Warriors are looking at their player roster, with a June 30 deadline after which off-contract players can negotiate freely.
Their off-season buys have to be questioned. None has proved game-breakers, none are streets ahead of what is available locally. Ivan Cleary is the one with true class, but he has been out on the injured list since round six.
Selection raises queries, too. Monty Betham turns in good performances when replacing Jason Death at lock, but is dropped when Scott Coxon returns from injury.
Mark Tookey plays well against the Bulldogs and is dropped against Newcastle. Cliff Beverley drops the ball and is dropped. And when Stacey Jones was out with his arm injury, early season hooker Robert Mears played halfback while Ben Lythe sat sidelined.
Why have Lythe on the books if he is not going to be given his chance? And what message does that give the other developing players?
How come Joe Vagana was on the sideline with 10 minutes to go against the Raiders on Saturday night when he was probably the Warriors' most damaging forward?
This time last season, their competition record was similar. But there was a happiness in the camp that came from recognising that improvements were being made.
There was the feeling that they would make amends in 2000. The team played with enjoyment and produced creditable late-season wins.
That has all gone. It started when Graham Lowe and Malcolm Boyle were sacked by the Tainui-dominated board in an act of harakiri four games into the season. The players responded with a 12-56 loss to the Raiders.
There is little depth of knowledge within the club now, certainly nothing coming from Tainui to lift them out of the hole.
Graham is clearly feeling the pressure, and the players are feeling him feel it.
He needs to look to fellow coaches Mike McClennan and Trevor Clark, trainer Sam Panapa and football manager Hugh McGahan for input, to take on suggestions and advice from outside, because clearly his one-man-band act is not working.
Rugby League: Woeful club should be kicking themselves
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