Nathan Brown has been announced as new Warriors coach for the 2021 season.
When it comes to considering his NRL future, Warriors forward Adam Blair will put the needs of others before his own.
The 14-year NRL veteran is in the last guaranteed year of his deal with the Warriors, but has a player option on his contract for the 2021 campaign.
Whilelast month it was reported the Warriors had asked Blair, one of the club's most well-paid players, to either retire from the game or move on at the end of the 2020 campaign, the 34-year-old said ultimately his playing future would be determined by his family.
"I understand how football works and it's a business and obviously salary cap pressure comes into play a lot when you're on good money at the club and they want to try and build and buy players," Blair said. "Because it's my option, it's just about making sure all the options are right for me before I make a decision.
"I would love to be able to stay in New Zealand for at least a few years if I could. For us it's about making sure the option is right for myself and my family. I'll be mostly making the call more on how my family feel than how I feel.
"I'm a competitor and I would love to keep playing footy, but if it's the right time for me to let it go and put my family first, I would make that decision pretty easily."
Adam Blair is yet to decide whether or not he will take his player option for the 2021 NRL season. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors still don't know if they will have to carry out their campaign completely in Australia or be able to return to New Zealand in 2021, and that picture will likely remain foggy as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be prominent.
However, Blair said, because of the pandemic, that picture was starting to look clearer.
"I think it's becoming pretty clear where we're going to end up with what's going on in Australia and New Zealand at the moment," Blair said.
"I think if you're smart enough and watch the news, you can kind of make a picture on where the club is going to end up."
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, contract options had to be either picked up or declined by round 12. However, in the current environment players are being given time to make their decisions.
When asked when the deadline was, Blair said: "Now, I don't even know; I guess it's whenever you're ready."
Spending time in both the starting side and on the interchange bench, Blair has been having his best individual season with the Warriors this season and is averaging over 30m per game more than he did a year ago.
Adam Blair has been having a solid campaign with the Warriors this year. Photo / Photosport
The Warriors will hope to continue getting the best of Blair as they try to make an unlikely charge into the top eight. With just six matches left to play, the Warriors sit six points outside of the playoff spots.
On Sunday, they have a chance to close that gap to four when they meet the struggling Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. The Bulldogs sit at the foot of the ladder and are just one of two teams outside the top eight that the Warriors will face down the home stretch – the other being the 11th-placed Manly Sea Eagles.
"We just want to try and put in performances we can be proud of," Blair said.
"For everything we've done away from home, we want to make sure we go out there delivering our best. If your best isn't good enough on the day, at least we can say we went out there and gave it a crack and the other team was better than us at the end of the day.
"It's an important game against the dogs. They want to come off the foot of the table; we want to be consistent and put in another good performance, we want to win and try at least give ourselves a crack at trying to sneak in (to the top eight) if possible."
The Warriors will be without Chanel Harris-Tavita for the game, after he was ruled out due to concussion. Tohu Harris has been named to start in the halves alongside Kodi Nikorima, though 20-year-old Paul Turner could also be an option from an extended interchange bench.
Warriors squad to face the Bulldogs: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Adam Pompey, Hayze Perham, Peta Hiku, George Jennings, Kodi Nikorima, Tohu Harris, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Karl Lawton, Lachlan Burr, Isaiah Papali'i, Jack Murchie, Jazz Tevaga. Interchange: Wayde Egan, Adam Blair, Daniel Alvaro, Josh Curran, Paul Turner, Gerard Beale (two to be omitted)
