Tanah Boyd has bounced back well from his demotion. Photo / Photosport
Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd says his shock axing from first grade a month ago has turned into a positive.
In one of the more dramatic selection decisions of the Warriors season, Boyd was dropped late in the week before the round-23 clash with the Bulldogs, and relegated to reserve grade.
The switch was unusual – and even seemed to catch out the Warriors media department, who had Boyd listed in the No 7 jersey as late as 2.30pm on the Saturday afternoon before the 9.30pm kickoff in Sydney.
Boyd instead featured in the New South Wales Cup, before coming to Accor Stadium with the squad for the NRL clash, with Te Maire Martin preferred as playmaker.
Caught on camera as the team alighted their bus, Boyd’s face said it all, as he was still digesting the decision.
However, Martin was unavailable the following week – stood down due to concussion protocols – which allowed Boyd to return.
Opening up for the first time about the period, the Australian admitted it wasn’t easy.
“It was tough but a good reality check as well,” Boyd told The Big League Podcast.
“I had some things to work on and it was good. I feel like I’ve worked on those and got to keep building on it as well. So, yeah, it was tough.”
The 25-year-old has enjoyed his most consistent period since returning.
He was solid in the tense round-24 win over the Dragons – willing to take the line on and kicking well, both off the tee and in general play.
Boyd then proved a point against his former club on the Gold Coast, with some impeccable sideline conversions and strong involvement on attack.
Last Friday against Parramatta, he had assists for both of Leka Halasima’s second half tries and was involved in the sequence for the other two.
He also made 16 runs for 121m and mostly kicked well. There is plenty of room for improvement but it feels like he is on the right trajectory.
“It’s been good,” said Boyd of the past few weeks.
“I feel like I’m finding my feet a bit again and building confidence. I just want to keep going well and I just want to win mate – that’s the most important thing. It will come.
“I’ve got full confidence in this squad and we have good connections.”
Boyd has faced a steep learning curve. It’s easy to forget now but the former Titan was behind the other three halves at the club and didn’t play a single minute of first grade until mid-July.
That chance came with Luke Metcalf’s ACL injury, with Andrew Webster saying that Boyd would be “handed the keys”.
He has made seven appearances since then. Boyd asserts he is feeling more comfortable as a playmaker in Webster’s system and that is evident.
There have still been wobbles – with his kicking radar off at times and a poorly judged pass to Kurt Capewell on Friday – but the foundation is there.
He has worked on his running game and being more direct to commit defenders.
“It’s slowly coming off - just got to keep doing it.”
Now it is about taking the right options in linking play.
Boyd admitted Friday’s 26-22 defeat to the Eels was a highly frustrating night.
“A couple of things didn’t go our way but you create your own luck and we just weren’t good enough,” said Boyd.
“We threw a lot at them but we did make a few errors too.”
He didn’t have an opinion on the bunker’s no-try decision for Adam Pompey – “I didn’t really get a good look at it” – but knows the team have to move on.
Like Webster, Boyd said the main issue for the Warriors in their hot and cold display was inattention in critical moments, which has become a familiar pattern.
“It’s just little lapses in concentration, that’s all it is,” said Boyd.
“We know, we’ll address it, we’re well aware of it and it’s something we need to clean up. We’ll keep each other accountable.”
It will be an area of focus – again – before their trip to Sydney to face Manly on Friday (8pm NZT), where the Warriors need to win to have any chance of returning to the top four.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of The Big League Podcast.