Stephen Kearney's reputation for serenity is disappearing at the same rapid rate as the Warriors' NRL finals hopes following their abject loss to Canberra.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2019
For a second straight week, the Kiwi club's coach has uttered some earthy words to describe his emotions - but this time his fury was directed at his players rather than referees.
The 46-12 loss to the Raiders on Friday left Kearney feeling angrier than he could remember.
His team trailing 30-0 at halftime, the coach was captured by television cameras delivering a dressing down to his players in the shed which involved furiously kicking a stray towel. It would have hit Peta Hiku in the head if the centre hadn't taken evasive action.
Kearney was angry that after a run of six gritty showings, in which no game was decided by more than four points, his side failed to front in their first game in Auckland for a month.
"We had worked so hard over the last six weeks too and we endured a fair bit along the way," Kearney said.
"Four of those games were away from home and we created some really good habits.
"That's what I was pissed off about. I thought the first half, we got bullied off the park. That's why I was pretty animated.
"Let me put it this way, I can't remember the last time I was that angry."
Kearney said he didn't see the performance coming, believing the players had come to terms with last week's contentious two-point loss to Parramatta which was dominated by the fallout from the game's poor officiating.
This time there were no excuses; the in-form Raiders performed all of the basics better than the 12th-placed Warriors on a wet evening.
The hosts at least improved in the second spell, manufacturing a brace of tries to rookie replacement five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita, who Kearney said lacked support from more experienced teammates.
Kearney couldn't shed light on injuries that forced off five-eighth Kodi Nikorima (ankle) and hooker Karl Lawton (shoulder).
"I wasn't in the mood to check out how they were feeling," he said.
The Warriors will need to beat Manly next Friday if they are to avoid an outright club record of seven straight losses at Mt Smart Stadium.
- AAP
