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Jones wary of repeat late season slide for Warriors
Jaxin Daniels • July 23rd, 2026 6:00 am
Stacey Jones | Photo: Photosport
NZ Warriors legend and assistant coach Stacey Jones says the club is focused on staying fresh and consistent as they look to avoid a repeat of last year’s late season slide.
Speaking on Sport Nation's Millsy and Guy, Jones said there was plenty to review after a frustrating performance last weekend, even though the effort was there.
“There was a lot to talk about, a lot to discuss in our review and whatnot.
"It was a little bit of a frustrating performance, like a lot of effort and all that went into it, but we probably just didn't execute as well as we would have liked.”
Jones said execution was a key focus, with the Warriors identifying areas where their spine could have taken different options, their middle forwards drifted sideways, and their attack out wide lacked its usual polish.
The response from the playing group has been positive, with players taking ownership of their performances rather than looking for excuses.
“Players are really good at owning their game and owning their performance if they're not up to scratch.”
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The Bulldogs now loom as a serious test, and Jones said the Warriors cannot afford to look past a side fighting to keep its season alive.
“They're a class team, you know, they were a top four team last year and personnel wise, they haven't changed much.”
With Viliame Kikau back in the fold and the Bulldogs having already beaten Penrith this season, Jones expects a tough contest.
“You don't take any team lightly, and the Bulldogs are at a stage of their season where they've got to win footy games and, you know, they'll earmark this game.
"We know that this is going to be one hell of a game.”
The Warriors remain in the thick of the finals race, but Jones said the club is conscious of what happened last year when they sat fourth before losing confidence, dropping games and eventually scraping into the eight.
“Any sort of slip in form or anything like that you can certainly find yourself chasing a tail," the 2002 Golden Boot winner said.
"Going back to last year, we were sitting fourth and then lose a little bit of confidence and you drop a couple of games and then all of a sudden you scrape into the eight."
"One thing we've just got to hold on to is to some really consistent form and, that's the old cliche, don't get too far ahead of yourself, so our sole focus is on the Bulldogs this weekend.”
Freshness is another major focus for the run home. Jones said the Warriors have learned from previous campaigns where the side felt drained late in the season.
“Even a couple of years ago I felt that when we went into into playoffs or the back end of the year with a couple months of footy left, I felt we were really drained as a team.”
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He said the priority is getting players to the start line in the right physical and mental state.
“One thing we've really focused on is making sure that our players are fresh and how we do that. So, getting them to the start line in a good frame of mind.”
Jones was also asked about reports linking Nathan Cleary with the Warriors, but had nothing to offer beyond a giggle.
“If there is, I have got no idea."
He was not buying into the speculation but did not need convincing of Cleary’s quality.
“He's a pretty handy player, isn't he.”
Rocco Berry is also edging closer to a first grade return through New South Wales Cup, though Jones said the club is not rushing him back.
For Jones, the message heading into the Bulldogs clash is simple. Sharpen the execution, stay fresh, and avoid the late season slip they know can quickly change a campaign.
Tune into Sport Nation for live commentary of the NZ Warriors all season long - download the app today on Google Play and the App Store.
Listen to the full interview here:
