Stephen Kearney will spend the NRL off-season revamping the Warriors’ playing style but won’t devote a minute to worrying about the security of his own job.
With a game remaining in Canberra on Saturday, a blunt Kearney ran the rule over his team’s mediocre season on Thursday and conceded they didn’t warrant a finals berth.
“It’s an easy line to use but I just don’t reckon we were good enough,” he said.
“When I look back on the year, there’s frustration in terms of injuries, in terms of referee decisions, whatever, but I reckon we had enough chances.”
A closing loss would leave the Warriors languishing in 14th, their equal-worst finish since 2004.
While their defence has been porous, notably during some fearful hammerings over the past month, they also average just 18 points per game – their lowest attacking return for a decade.
Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been a beacon, along with powerhouse winger Ken Maumalo, while Chanel Harris-Tavita’s rookie campaign was promising.
Many others fell below expectations although Kearney didn’t want to single out culprits.
He said a review next week would be honest and would begin the process of changing their methods for 2020.
“We definitely need to make some adjustments to our game style, without a doubt,” he said.
“Some personnel in terms of their performance, will help that.
“I reckon if you asked the players to give themselves a pass mark in terms of the course of the whole year, I don’t know there’d be many that would be able to say ‘I got a tick’.
“I’ve got to ask myself that question too.”
Kearney, who is signed through to the end of 2022, was aware pressure would mount over his position but insisted he would be oblivious to it.
A pragmatist by nature, he said he won’t spend energy on issues that don’t affect him such as the current dispute between the club’s co-owners, or external criticism of his coaching.
“I’m not looking back worrying about my job or anything like that,” he said.
“What I focus on is we’ve got gaps in our footy game, our game style.
“I spend my days and minutes thinking about how we can improve, not ‘poor old Stephen’s under pressure’.”