Warriors’ coach Andrew Webster admits his team are in a slump – but is backing them to find a way out of it.
The recent run of poor performances continued on Sunday, with the dispiriting 14-8 loss to the Newcastle Knights. The Warriors were refreshed, coming off a 10 day turnaround and desperate for their first NRL victory in almost a month.
But it didn’t really show, as they were out-muscled and out-enthused – in admittedly terrible weather conditions – by a workmanlike Knights team who wanted it a bit more.
The Warriors were unfortunate with a couple of key refereeing decisions, especially the failure to award a penalty try just before halftime, but still lacked conviction in much of their work.
The Wigan Warriors captain, who missed last year’s Rugby League World Cup with a knee injury, is one of four players from the newly-crowned Super League champions to be included in England coach Shaun Wane’s 24-strong line-up.
Meanwhile, England captain George Williams was named in the squad before being ruled for the first two Tests after an appeal against his ban being extended was rejected by the Rugby Football League.
Williams’ original one-game suspension for a shoulder charge during Warrington’s Betfred Super League play-off defeat by St Helens was doubled for what was described by the RFL as a “frivolous” appeal. That prompted a fresh appeal from Williams but that was also dismissed after a new three-person on-field operational rules appeals tribunal was convened.
