Maloney disappointed with goal-kicking

Vodafone Warriors standoff James Maloney is never backward in coming forward about anything and he didn’t shy away from a rare off night with his goal-kicking in the heart-breaking 8-10 loss to the Broncos in last night’s gruelling contest in appalling conditions at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

In an enthralling match the Vodafone Warriors outscored the home side two tries to one but while Corey Parker kicked three from three – all from handy angles – for Brisbane, the Vodafone Warriors were left to rue the three attempts Maloney missed.

While conditions overhead and underfoot were challenging to say the least, it was out of character for the reliable Maloney, the competition’s second highest points-scorer, to fail to that extent.

Reflecting on the match afterwards, Maloney told Fairfax Media he would take the rap for the outcome.

“It's obviously disappointing. It's not good for the boys – you’ve got 16 other blokes out there busting their arses,” he says in a story on www.,stuff.co.nz today.

“Goal kicking is part and parcel of doing the job so I have to go back, kick a few and make sure I get my confidence back."

Maloney missed conversion attempts of the tries scored by Kevin Locke and Manu Vatuvei to leave the score locked at 8-8 and then right on halftime he was astray with a penalty from in front of the posts. The only points scored in the second spell came via a Parker penalty despite the Vodafone Warriors mounting real pressure on the Broncos.

It hasn’t taken long for Maloney’s team-mates to start ribbing him. Nathan Friend tweeted this today before the team flew home from Brisbane: Optional kicking session @MtSmartStadium with Daryl Halligan tomorrow for anyone interested @jim_jim86??