I was 19 waking up from a nap. Walking out of my room I saw all my mates partying on the deck. Running, I slipped on my stonewash jeans, chain wallet and Dead Kennedys T-shirt. In a whirlwind of excitement and sprinting I did not notice the ranch sliderwas shut. I hit the ranch slider at full speed, knocking myself unconscious. I missed the party - and this is pretty much what happened to the Warriors on the weekend.
Halftime in the match against the Storm was a good place to be for a Warriors fan. We were a converted try behind and all the points Melbourne scored had come from Warriors' errors - Edward Kosi should be counted under the Storm's salary cap for a week.
Then we hit the ranchslider and the floodgates opened. Melbourne glided into top gear which was to be expected, and from the 55th minute on we did something unacceptable in professional sport. The Warriors threw in the towel. Watching Xavier Coates be allowed to run in a try from the wing to under the sticks with a Warrior giving up the chase was a low point for me as a fan.
Are we playing a style of football beyond our ability? Should we just try and go through the front door with our big forwards, earning metres then having some set plays to use when we are in opposition territory?
Is Shaun Johnson taking on the line as fearlessly as his counterparts? Perhaps most worryingly, do blow-out losses affect our ability to attract players to a club which has not made a decent dent in the finals for more than a decade?
This weekend's match against Canberra is going to show the true heart of the club. This is a winnable game.
We have injuries, we are a bit of a shambles, but do we have heart? Tune in 5pm Saturday to find out.
You can hear more from Dai Henwood on The Mad Monday podcast which is part of the Alternative Commentary Collective. Check out more podcasts, events, details on live commentaries and sports watch-alongs HERE.
