NRL: Warriors coach Andrew Webster passes Addin Fonua-Blake test with flying colours

If Addin Fonua-Blake being dropped for breaching club standards was a test the Warriors didn’t need, coach Andrew Webster has passed it with flying colours.

 

Following the Magic Round victory over the Penrith Panthers, when the Warriors stunned the three-time reigning premiers in Brisbane, Fonua-Blake was punished for leaving the team environment early as they celebrated arguably one of the best wins in the club’s history.

Despite an ever increasing casualty ward for last weekend’s clash against the Dolphins, Webster made the huge call to drop Fonua-Blake, leaving one of the NRL’s best sidelined for a home clash against a top-four side.

But even as the toll of absentees hit 11 players by kickoff at Go Media Mt Smart Stadium, the Warriors backed up the win over the Panthers with another equally impressive backs to the wall display.

With the benefit of hindsight, Webster’s decision appears a masterstroke. Had Fonua-Blake played against the Dolphins, his authority as head coach would have taken a real hit among the rest of the playing squad.