At the start of a new era for the Warriors, coach Nathan Brown was realistic about what to expect in the opening round of the NRL season.
With Brown new at the helm and several new recruits in key positions, it will take some time before the best version ofthis Warriors team shows itself.
But by following a simple gameplan and executing the basics, the Warriors gave a good account of themselves in their season opener, beating the Gold Coast Titans 19-6 in Gosford.
The win was just the ninth first-round victory for the club since their debut season in 1995, but in a gritty performance, the Warriors impressed on defence and while the attack at times didn't gel, the work of their forwards up the middle led to a comfortable victory.
"We certainly earned everything out there," Brown said after the match.
"We had a lot of defence to do and we lost a couple of players with head knocks early in the second half, and the boys kept turning up for each other; that was the key to our victory."
Despite the win, Brown highlighted some specific areas where he hopes to see improvement throughout the year, noting how important it would be for his side to build on their performances as they look to make the playoffs for the second time since 2011.
"I would like to think that over the course of the year the other part of the game – combinations – that will improve down the track, but we played a pretty simple game and at the end of the day our effort is what earned us the win; our commitment and effort in defence is what earned us the victory.
"We've got a lot of new players and new combinations, some young players in key positions who haven't played much football together, so it was about us starting the year how we did and build on it. There are some sides out there who have had combinations together for a long time and are very fluid about what they're doing; for us, it was about being gritty and earning the win."
