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Warriors five-eighth James Maloney - Source: Photosport -
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Warriors five-eighth James Maloney has poured cold water on the rumours and speculation swirling that the side are a disharmonious group and unhappy under the coaching direction of Brian McClennan.
Maloney, who has three games left in Warriors colours, concedes the team is unhappy with their lowly position on the competition ladder but insists they possess the drive and resolve to end the year positively, starting today against the Panthers at Mt Smart Stadium.
"I think you're always unhappy when you're losing, we're all competitive and no one likes losing so it's only natural," Maloney said earlier this week at the Warriors weekly media session.
"We're not unhappy as in discontent or disharmony, we're just unhappy with the results and the performances we're putting on show.
"Everyone is a little bit down and it's probably a little bit more somber then you'd like but that goes with the territory but there is definitely still a lot of motivation to turn that around and we're hoping to do that this week."
Critics have pointed to the sides change in playing style as a big reason the side has failed to achieve better results this season with former coach-turned Panthers mentor Ivan Cleary's defensive structures making way for Brian McClennan's emphasis on attacking gameplans.
Maloney acknowledges defence has been the Warriors achilles heel this year but says the problems lie with players not fulfilling their roles rather than their systems or gameplans being ineffective.
"I don't think anyone can knock the attacking structures Bluey's brought into place,
"I think our try scoring ability, there's not an issue with that whatsoever.
"Defensively is where we've been let down this year and that comes down to not necessarily the structures but how the players implement those structures."
Claims the Warriors are mentally and physically unfit were also unfair with Maloney believing a range of factors were behind their run of poor form that has seen the side slump to five losses in a row.
"Maybe some games we're probably looking tired, other times it's skills, other times it's general errors in judgment and making reads defensively.
"There's a lot of little things going wrong. I don't think it's one big major issue."
Sitting on 13th spot on the ladder, just four points above the second-last placed Panthers, is not how Maloney envisioned finishing at the club he joined from Melbourne in 2010.
"You want to play finals football and especially with the side we have we definitely have the potential to be doing that. We've underperformed massively as a side and that is something we've got to be accountable for.
"I know it's three games left now and it's just about putting some pride back into the performances and leave on whatever best high that we can.
"Not just me but a bloke like Micheal Luck, he's given a lot more to the club than I have and I'd hate to see him go out in a heap the way we have the last two weeks so it's about digging in and turning things around this week."
Keep up with all the action from the Warriors clash against the Panthers with our live updates here at onenews.co.nz from 1.30pm.
Warriors: Carlos Tuimavave, Bill Tupou, Lewis Brown, Ben Henry, Manu Vatuvei (c), James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Sione Lousi, Nathan Friend, Jacob Lillyman, Feleti Mateo, Micheal Luck, Elijah Taylor.
Interchange: Russell Packer, Sebastine Ikahihifo, Steve Rapira, Pita Godinet
Panthers: Michael Gordon, Josh Mansour, Travis Robinson, Brad Tighe, David Simmons, Lachlan Coote, Luke Walsh, Sam McKendry, Kevin Kingston, Tim Grant, Clint Newton, Matt Robinson, Cameron Ciraldo.
Interchange: Dayne Weston, Nigel Plum, Danny Galea, Mitch Achurch