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Home / Sport / League

Rugby League: Expert predicts Warriors to battle for the spoon

NZ Herald
1 Jan, 2020 06:00 PM3 mins to read

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A dejected looking Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leaves the SCG after a loss to the Roosters. Photosport

A dejected looking Roger Tuivasa-Sheck leaves the SCG after a loss to the Roosters. Photosport

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Stop if you've heard this before.

Australian league writer Phil Rothfield is predicting another bad year for the New Zealand Warriors, expecting Stephen Kearney's side to battle for the wooden spoon.

In his predictions for the year, the Daily Telegraph writer has picked the Warriors to finish 15th in the NRL table ahead of only the Titans.

Rothfield is tipping the Roosters, Raiders, Sea Eagles, Broncos, Cowboys, Sharks, Eels and Storm to make the top eight, in that order.

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The New Zealand TAB have the Warriors listed as $26 to win the NRL title and are third favourites behind at $7 the Titans ($3) and Bulldogs ($4.20) to claim the last-placed wooden spoon.

The Warriors slid back down to 13th in the NRL ladder this year after finishing in the top eight for the first time in seven seasons in 2018.

They will kick off their 2020 NRL campaign away to the Newcastle Knights in March.

Rothfield's prediction won't be a shock at Warriors HQ.

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Late last year Warriors boss Cameron George delivered an expletive-laden speech to his players in an attempt to rally the team ahead of the 2020 NRL season.

In the Warriors' new online mini-series 'All In', which documents the team's off-season, George is filmed speaking to players and staff in an impassioned speech, claiming that everyone is against them.

"Everyone is against us, everyone," he said.

"Everything comes back to us. Somewhere along the way we will be in the trenches, sometime everyone will be out at the front gate throwing stones at us, but we're going to look after ourselves internally."

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George went on further to urge the team to "prove people wrong" and even referenced the Warriors' widely ridiculed Wellington jersey which was released this year.

"We even put a f***ing jumper up (online) and everyone in Australia and New Zealand made fun of us and takes the piss out of us," he said.

"Well f*** it. Let's put that s*** aside, do it for our fans, they're the most important part of this. And let's do it for ourselves.

"Let's prove people wrong. Everyone has to put they're hand up. I want to hear voices, people being loud and if you're struggling with anything at all, say something and let's fix it.

"We have to be all in it and if there's even one fraction that breaks off, you can piss off.

"All I'm asking is that we improve, that's not much to ask, and if we do that as a club I know we will have a better season than we did last year."

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