As the knives come out for Warriors coach Andrew McFadden following his side's loss to the Wests Tigers and elimination from the finals race on Sunday, the Warriors players are backing their besieged mentor.
Disappointed fans have pointed their anger at Andrew McFadden on social media and other platforms as they pick over the carcass of another failed NRL campaign.
With limited room to move under the salary cap to make change of ahead of next season many are predicting McFadden to lose his job.
But he has plenty of support from the players according to centre Blake Ayshford.
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Advertise with NZME."I don't know how people are going to take this loss but he is one of the best coaches I have ever had," Ayshford told nzherald.co.nz.
"I put him right up there with Tim Sheens.
"They are the two best coaches that I have had in first grade."
Ayshford - a veteran of just under 150 first grade games across an eight year period - rated McFadden a better coach than Sharks boss Shane Flanagan and others.
He says McFadden is well-liked at the club and respected by his teammates.
"There will be a lot said but I think if you ask any of the boys they won't have a bad thing to say about him.
"The way he has carried himself this year even when we were going through all those dramas at the start of the year and scrutiny he was under was huge.
"I have a lot of respect for him."
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Advertise with NZME.Ayshford says the players feel like they have let McFadden down.
"What he has done for me this year is massive. I feel bad that in a couple of games I probably let him down.
"I feel like I owe him a lot. He brought me over here - it was him that gave me the call and put his trust in me.
"I can't speak highly enough of him."
The Warriors will face Parramatta next Sunday in the final game of the season but the best they can finish is ninth meaning they will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season - the past two and half under McFadden.
