Canberra centurion Josh Hodgson has been singled out as the NRL game’s key figure when the desperate Warriors host the Raiders in Auckland on Friday.
Seasoned English hooker Hodgson was identified as one of the NRL’s most influential players by Warriors coach Stephen Kearney, who admits his men will have their hands full containing the visitors if the Raiders skipper is given a platform in his 100th game for the club.
Asked how important it was for his 12th-placed hosts to halt the impact of former Warriors player Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad at fullback for Canberra, Kearney said their focus will be closer in.
“They’re doing it really well with a clever dummy half (Hodgson) who puts them in the right positions at the right times,” Kearney said.
“That’s what brings Charnze’s energy into the game.”
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said Canberra’s recent form – six wins in their past seven games – has hinged around Hodgson’s all-purpose methods.
“Josh playing well has a lot of other people playing well around him too,” Stuart said.
“He’s a very inspirational leader.
“From my point of view as a coach, it’s really worked having Josh here.
“He’s been a great success story so far and he’s got plenty of years to come.”
Stuart said 29-year-old Hodgson’s propensity for one-on-one strips – he comfortably leads that statistic across the NRL – has set a standard that others are trying to match.
While the Raiders are ensconced in fourth and targeting a top-two finish, the Warriors are two points outside the top eight and probably need to win five of their last six games to have a chance of playing finals.
The problem for Kearney’s men is a competition-worst run home which features five games against top-five teams, including two against the Raiders.
Their predicament hasn’t been helped by an awful run at Mt Smart Stadium, where they’ve lost their past five, just one defeat away from matching an unwanted record set more than 20 years ago.
Halfback Blake Green’s theory is that teams are now treating their trips to New Zealand as a mini-assignment, with many arriving days out before kickoff as Canberra have done this week.
“Teams have been coming here and bringing their best game and we probably haven’t been at our best,” he said.