The Big League Podcast: Former Warrior and Kiwi questions NRL referee and top four hopes

A former New Zealand Warriors and Kiwis player is questioning referee Adam Gee’s officiating as the NRL side look to revive their top-four aspirations.

The match official made several controversial calls in the Warriors’ 32-14 loss to the Bulldogs, including penalising Kurt Capewell for tackling a player without the ball who appeared to be shepherding.

Taine Tuaupiki was penalised for kicking a goal-line dropout into touch on the full, which would usually trigger a restart on the 10m line.

Motu Tony told The Big League Podcast that while the calls were debatable, the Warriors used to be able to overcome that adversity.

“If you ask any of those Warriors players, they’d say those calls were questionable but they’ve still got to be defensively sound to overcome those calls,” Tony said.

“I think that’s where the Warriors are just not quite there yet.”

The Warriors’ hopes of making the top four have slipped out of their own hands after three consecutive losses.

They now sit fifth on the ladder, one point behind the Penrith Panthers.

Warriors hooker Wayde Egan has missed the last two weeks due to concussion and a shoulder complaint, respectively.

Tony said Egan is one of the best attacking hookers in the game and will be critical in turning things around.

“He manages to straighten up the attack. When you’ve got a hooker who can take the markers out of play and then hopefully gets one-on-ones further out wide in the attacking line for the Warriors ... that’s what they’ve missed. They’ve been going sideways.”

The Kiwi team host the St George Illawarra Dragons in Auckland on Friday, followed by contests with the Gold Coast Titans, Parramatta Eels and Manly Sea Eagles to finish the regular season.

Tony said it will be tough, but it could be worse.

“I’d rather have the Warriors’ run-in than any of the other teams that are in the top four at the moment or scraping around the eight.”

The Panthers, meanwhile, have to play the top three sides – the Melbourne Storm, Canberra Raiders and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs – then the Dragons.

The sixth-placed Brisbane Broncos are dealing with injuries to a number of key players, while the seventh-placed Cronulla Sharks still have a bye to come.