Tough season has hardened Warriors for next year - Cleary

Wariors Coach Ivan Cleary on his teams loss

Cleary has the final word!

Story courtesy of yahooxtra
The New Zealand Warriors' National Rugby League (NRL) season came to a screeching halt when last night's results under the complex McIntyre finals playoff system didn't go their way after they lost to the Gold Coast Titans on Friday.



But coach Ivan Cleary today told NZPA that the various setbacks and ups and downs endured by the team will forge a hardened and tighter squad for next season.


Friday's 28-16 loss at Robina meant the Warriors -- who finished the regular season fifth -- needed two of the three teams ranked below them in the playoffs to lose if they were get a second life.


But the sixth-ranked Sydney Roosters came back to beat Wests Tigers 19-15 in a golden point thriller and then the seventh-ranked Canberra Raiders toppled the Penrith Panthers 24-22.


It meant the Warriors were the first team eliminated from the finals, their fate sealed regardless of the result of tonight's final playoffs match between minor premiers St George Illawarra and Manly.


But other than failing to advance deeper into the playoffs, Cleary rates an especially tough season a success.


Tough because injured inspirational skipper Steve Price could not play a single game, and a string of injuries to other key players meant he had to plunge younger players into the side more often than he wanted for much of the season.


"You know, no one thought we would make anything this year but we not only made the finals, we finished in fifth spot," Cleary told NZPA today.


"Unfortunately we did not get a bit further but that's just the way the system works sometimes."

"It has been a fruitful year -- almost just about every player has got better and that's success to me."


"I feel very confident that we will be stronger again next year."




"The injuries to key guys through the year not only made us play younger players more often but some of the other guys really had to step up in their roles and they did that," he said.

"This has made our squad stronger and those guys stepping up such as (Russell) Packer and (Ben) Matulino have really matured and blossomed."


"There's also James Maloney, Lewis Brown, Aaron Heremaia -- there's been plenty of names you can throw in there and that's great (for the future)," Cleary said.


Winger Manu Vatuvei, with 19 tries from 18 matches this season, was a genuine superstar and Cleary thought the club had bought well for next season to augment Vatuvei's impact.

Former Parramatta duo Feleti Mateo and Krisnan Inu along with former junior Kiwi Steve Rapira from the Cowboys would undoubtedly add to the calibre of his squad.


Cleary had no hesitation answering yes when asked if he thought his job was on the line during the season -- particularly if they had not made the playoffs at the very least.


"But the boys came to the party -- everyone kept believing in what we were doing in the end it turned around," he said.


"The thing is the result you get is over a long season -- it's not about a few games in a row, everyone can lose or win a few games in a row. So it's just a matter where you end up and that's what you deserve."






"You got to expect every team, even those that don't make the finals, are going to improve. That's been shown in the past few years... there's a big turnover of teams that make the finals each year."

"We have got to make sure we get better."