Blackmore calls on NZ Warriors coach to bring in young guns

Richie Blackmore has called on Warriors coach Andrew Webster to give the youngsters a go after the coach named a nearly unchanged team to face the Brisbane Broncos on Saturday night.

The league legend who appeared on SENZ’s Running It Straight said that it’s the time in the season to start making changes.

“You've got to put your big boy pants on when it comes down to it. It’s one of the things you get paid for in any position as a leader you got to make the hard choices.”

Blackmore played for the Warriors across two stints in his professional career across 1995-96 when they were still known as the Auckland Warriors, and then again in 2001.

The 54-year-old is no stranger to the Auckland rugby league scene where he coached the likes of Running It Straight co-host Anthony Gelling when he was with the Vulcans, guiding them to the NSW Cup Final in 2011.

Speaking from his experience, Blackmore noted that Webster has relied too much on loyalty rather than who’s in form.

“Loyalty to individuals should never override loyalty to the game and to the purpose of what you've been fighting for over a course of time,

“It should not make it any harder for him to drop an Addin Fonua-Blake or Shaun Johnson, as it will be to drop one of the young kids because in the end, you've got a principle that you live by."

SENZ NRL commentator Sam Hewat said that he feels like the younger guys have been a little hard done by Webster's selections following the Warriors' recent loss to the Gold Coast Titans.

“They're seeing, you know, a team lose by 60 points, and guys that really didn't have the effort, who just get named again. I wonder what message it does sort of send to the younger guys?”

Hewat also noted that this result is the first time that Webster has faced significant criticism from the passionate Warriors fanbase.

“It's the first real chink in Andrew Webster's armor, right? He's been basically invincible for 18 months, and yes, before that game this season has been struggling along.”

The pressure will be on the Warriors as they face the Brisbane Broncos at Go Media Stadium this Saturday. Hewat and Blake Ayshford will have live coverage on SENZ starting at 4pm, kick-off is set for 5pm.

Listen to the full interview: