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Mike Hosking: Ignore the doubters - Warriors still have playoffs chance

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Mon, 22 Jul 2019, 12:46PM
Blake Green has fitted in beautifully, and is a consistent presence, writes Mike Hosking. (Photo / Getty)

Mike Hosking: Ignore the doubters - Warriors still have playoffs chance

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Mon, 22 Jul 2019, 12:46PM

Welcome to the doubters.

A couple of weeks ago, the calculation was made by the New Zealand Herald in a way that was supposed to imply a negative outcome. That the mighty Warriors needed to basically win all their remaining games this season to make the playoffs. It was based on the assumption you need 30 points at the end of the regular play.

The weak link in the logic was it was based on averages, over the years the average number was 30. Averages forget specifics, and if you forget the specifics - the here and now, the individualities of the season - you open yourself up to believing in things like polls and think they're accurate.

But to be fair, the general message was that given the way the season has gone, it would be a very good idea if we basically won most of the remaining games.

Well since that fateful prediction, three down and seveb to go, we could not really be more on target.

Since we have last started our week with a good positive Warriors summation we have beaten the Knights, the Sharks and drawn with the Broncos.

The Knights refereeing was so bad, they had to apologise and I am not sure another one of those isn't coming this week. There was a Sharks try that was so obviously wrong, yet again we find ourselves asking the question, just why is it we expect professionalism and the sort of physical and mental sacrifice from the players. But nothing close from the officials, and given they're so woeful,  when is it being fixed?

But a win is a win, and it was a good one. For several reasons.

One, we got a penalty. Two, it was a penalty from Green who replaced a bloke called Johnson and, to be frank, I think in the exchange we probably ended up with the better end of the deal. Green has fitted in beautifully, and is a consistent presence. Johnson remains an issue for his new cub with the same old vagaries that plagued him here. Three, it was Green's first ever penalty. And four, we won while missing a couple of real heavyweights from the side through injury.

Yet again we must pay tribute to RTS, who week-in, week-out is proving to be the sort of leader, contributor and game changer you would break a salary cap to afford.

But above all else, we must acknowledge we are winning. And we are winning when we need to win.

Seven to go and even if we don’t win all seven, we look like a side that is coming together at the right end of the season. I'd rather be peaking now, than have had a blistering start and fallen over. Ask the Panthers how that feels, they're on a roll after a disastrous start.

Belief at this level is everything, and as each week passes and each point is put on the board next to our name surely the belief is getting stronger thus leading to the inescapable conclusion that this is still our year. 

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