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Townsend embraces mentor role at Warriors

3 minute read

Chad Townsend is yet to win a game with the Warriors this season but says his final weeks at the club are about mentoring the young NRL side.

CHAD TOWNSEND.
CHAD TOWNSEND. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Under-fire half Chad Townsend will get another chance to prove his worth for the Warriors on Friday despite copping criticism for a mediocre performance against Brisbane.

Townsend was surprisingly thrust into the side for the Broncos' clash ahead of Sean O'Sullivan, this after the Warriors had put together a three-game winning streak that gave them a chance of making the NRL's top eight.

However, Sunday's disappointing 24-22 loss to Brisbane was devastating to the club's finals aspirations with some of the blame heading Townsend's way after he provided just two runs for 21 metres overall.

Townsend is yet to win a game with his new club after a mid-season move from Cronulla, and has just two games left to show himself before fulfilling a $850,000-a-year contract with the North Queensland in 2022.

He was ousted from the Sharks this year and punted to reserve grade with the Newtown Jets before the Warriors provided a lifeline as they suffered depth issue in the halves.

Given his experience the 30-year-old, the oldest player at the Warriors, says his responsibility also includes mentoring the team's young and emerging playing group.

He's been named at halfback alongside O'Sullivan to take on Canberra on Friday.

"I've been lucky enough to play with some great players and learn from some great coaches as well so I feel like I can tip that knowledge on to some of our younger guys," he said on Tuesday.

"Not only here at the Warriors who have a very bright future, but also, the Cowboys."

His big-money move to Queensland's north is focused on the tutelage of the Cowboys' young playmaking pair of Tom Dearden and Scott Drinkwater.

Like Townsend, Dearden is yet to taste victory in his new colours.

But before departing the trans-Tasman club, the 11-year NRL veteran will focus on young Reece Walsh who cost the Warriors the game against Brisbane.

The Warriors finished with five tries to Brisbane's four, but it was the 19-year-old's kicking that proved costly in the end.

"You've got a long career ahead of yourself, you're not going to get every single opportunity, you're going to make mistakes, errors," he told the young fullback.

"You're going to win the game for us sometimes and you're going to lose the game for us sometimes, but what's important is that you take a lesson out of it, you learn from it.

"I've got no doubt that he'll take a great lesson out of that loss on the weekend and he'll be better for it."

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