Stephen Kearney

Kearney coy on Nikorima joining Warriors

Nikorima has been left out of the Broncos side to play South Sydney tomorrow with Brisbane coach Anthony Seibold saying he needed time to ponder his future.

Seibold has said he couldn't guarantee the out of form Nikorima a future at the NRL club beyond 2020.

An announcement on Nikorima's early release from the Broncos is believed to be imminent and Kearney confirmed the Warriors had offered Nikorima a four year deal from 2020 but Brisbane appear ready to let him go sooner although Kearney was sensitive about discussing Nikorima's immediate future.

Luke, Johnson and Blair may be right for next week: Kearney

Issac Luke (shoulder), Shaun Johnson (ankle) and Adam Blair (ankle) all failed to see out the match but Kearney's post-match diagnosis will put a smile on the face of the Warriors faithful.

"Shaun will need to get scans tomorrow but I was pleased to see that he walked off the field," Kearney said. "We'll see how that pulls up.

"Bully [Luke] is in the sheds at the moment throwing his arm above his head so he seems OK but you just need to see how they pull up over the next few days. He has had that injury before. And Adam has just rolled an ankle so I think he'll be OK."

Kearney takes positives from Warriors win

Kearney rolled out a mix of youth and experience in front of a vocal Rotorua crowd, his side getting the job done 20-16 over a depleted Storm side without any notable first graders.

"There were some really nice patches there. In terms of expectations this early, I was pleased. For the most part it was good and there are some real positive signs," Kearney said.

"I think we started a bit sheepish, a bit slow there as a group but overall I'm pretty happy with what I saw."

Unwanted record awaits Warriors

A loss at Leichhardt Oval will make it nine-straight defeats for the Kiwi franchise, setting a new record for their worst run ever in a single season, and confirming they will finish their 2017 season without a win in three months of football. 

While some players this week said they weren't aware of the record, and others brushed it off, playmaker Ata Hingano confronted the issue with refreshing honesty.

Why Kearney won't swing selection axe

After his side copped a fifth consecutive NRL Telstra Premiership defeat last week, going down 26-10 to the last-placed Newcastle Knights, Kearney was critical in his analysis and accused some players of not putting in the required effort.

Kearney rules out Vatuvei forward switch

With the 31-year-old having fallen behind Ken Maumalo, David Fusitu'a and rookie Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in the race for a wing spot in the first-grade side, there have been suggestions that Vatuvei could bring his 226 games worth of experience to the pack as an impact forward off the bench.

Why Kearney named RTS captain

An assistant at the Brisbane Broncos since 2013, Kearney arrived in New Zealand in the off-season aware of the tall task that awaited him by taking on a head coaching role with one of the NRL's most inconsistent sides. 

The first thing on the agenda for the 44-year-old was change, dumping veteran Ryan Hoffman as captain and replacing him with a quiet 23-year-old. 

Unexpected to many, Kearney decided to shake things up at the Warriors in the hope it would start a major change in culture at the club. 

Kearney will make Warriors stronger: Luke

The Warriors were the third-worst defensive side in the NRL in 2016, conceding 101 tries and more than 600 points overall as they crashed out of finals contention.