Ruben Wiki: Justified criticism this team can handle

A fair amount of criticism has been flying around the Warriors on and off the field in the past few weeks.

Some of it has been warranted, like aspects of our game, but some of it has left me a little frustrated.

I think as a club, the Warriors suffer from being a one team, one country outfit. It would be a lot easier, for example, to keep out of the spotlight if we were in Sydney, where there are nine of the 15 NRL teams.

We also find it hard to shake off what has happened in the past, particularly off the field where there have been a few mistakes since we were set up in 1995. The mud tends to stick and I'm not sure if that's fair.

While it was a similar situation in Canberra with the Raiders with one team, one town, it's not on the same scale as New Zealand and there was also the Brumbies to deflect attention.

In terms of the pressure that's now on Tony Kemp because of our record, the team has total faith in him, as we do in everyone involved at the Warriors.

We're a tight unit and are all striving for the same goal.

I hope the fans continue to support us and the best reason we can give them to do that is to win consistently - beginning today against the Roosters.

Last Saturday's loss to the Sharks was heartbreaking, especially as we led most of the game and lost it in the last few minutes.

It just shows that in this competition you can't afford to go to sleep for even a second.

We can't keep saying that we're close to turning things around because we have to prove it. In the end it becomes a broken record and we have to change the tune.

What surprised me was that none of the Sharks faced up to the judiciary this week.

Two of our players in particular, Todd Byrne and Manu Vatuvei, were pretty groggy after high shots by Nigel Vagana and Paul Gallen yet I was suspended for four weeks when my tackle on the Broncos' David Stagg didn't leave him groggy at all.

For a guy who's been in front of the judiciary a few times it's a bit hard to take but, unfortunately, I'm not the one who makes the decisions.

My suspensions are usually pretty severe because of the points I carry over.

I need to keep my nose clean for two years before they start dropping off but the way things have gone every year and given the way I play the game, it's a tough assignment.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY