Walker sends a two-word warning to the important man: he must improve as the Warriors look to return to form.
Warrior utility Dylan Walker has urged the club’s injury-plagued interchange to stand up as they attempt to snap a three-game losing streak against the Knights in Newcastle on Sunday.
For the second week in a row, the Warriors took an early lead and controlled the first quarter of the match in Round 8, but lost momentum after their starting pack’s opening periods ended.
On ANZAC Day, they raced out to a 12-point lead after eight minutes, but it quickly vanished when senior props Addin Fonua-Blake and Mitch Barnett exited the field, with the Warriors leaking 17 of the 27 points they gave up to the Gold Coast during that time.
While the interchange was employed differently in the Round 7 defeat to the Dragons, with a member of the starting front row always present, a comparable drop down occurred around the same time in the match following a strong beginning.
Walker, who has built a reputation as one of the competition’s greatest interchange players in recent years, told NRL.com that no team should have to chase points after such strong starts, and that the bench bears some of the responsibility.
At the end of the day, it’s all about mentality; our starters have started out well, and it’s definitely up to us on the bench to keep that momentum going.
Dylan Walker
“It shouldn’t be like this, when you’re chasing points after leading 12-0.
“The bench is going to be essential [this week], and I believe it is vital in all areas.
“You simply want to win those periods, and that’s another thing for us to improve on.
“There are little moments in these games, whether it be a dropped ball, back-to-back errors; that’s what is killing us at the moment.”
Long-term injuries to bench regulars Marata Niukore, Jazz Tevaga, Bunty Afoa (who is expected to return in Round 9) and Chanel Harris-Tavita, along with Freddy Lussick’s ban, have prompted coach Andrew Webster to look deep into his squad to fill the vacuum.
