Kristian Inu, please close the door on your way out as surely your time at the New Zealand Warriors must now be coming to an end.

Yes, you are contracted through until the season’s end of 2013. But after your performance last night in Melbourne where you single-handedly contrived to gift the Storm a 32-14 win, there can surely be no way back for you. Such a shame it was, what with the superb way in which you’re fifteen teammates (Kevin Locke was injured early in the match and played very little part in proceedings) played.

Without doubt it was the team’s best performance of the season thus far.

They matched the Storm in every facet. In fact, it’s fair to say that they dominated Melbourne for long periods. Fourteen points apiece with eighteen minutes to go and here was a side showing why, despite the ramblings of all the doom and gloom merchants during the opening rounds of the season, they will be serious contenders for a top four finish, and maybe even another grand final appearance.

The defence was dogged and unfailing in its attempts to diminish Melbourne’s attacking flair. On the whole, they were successful. More efforts like this and a fine season looms.

Mixed with some sharp attack, they were a handful for the home side. A performance like this against any other side in the competition and victory would be a mere formality.

But, this is Melbourne. They put the professional in professional. If even one opposition player has a bad night, the Storm will pounce. And they did. You gave them that chance with a performance that bordered on the farcical. Larry, Moe and Curly would be in awe of your efforts to generate slapstick, and then some.

Don’t get me wrong, everyone has a bad game occasionally. No big deal there. It’s just that with you we can never work out whether you care or not. You do care don’t you? I mean, I suspect you care, I think you’re trying you’re hardest, but it’s so hard to know for sure. And if there’s one thing that the supporters who part with their hard earned can’t stand, it’s someone who doesn’t give their all for the cause. They’ll cop a loss, but if a team or individual don’t die for the cause, God forbid.

So why carry the ball out from your own line in one hand? If that isn’t inviting a calamity to introduce itself, I don’t know what will. And, of course, you dropped it. That led to one try to the Storm. If that wasn’t bad enough, later in the encounter you deemed it necessary to offload to Bill Tupou in a similar position only ten metres out from your goal line and he knocked on. It was hardly Tupou’s fault though as he wasn’t expecting the pass and neither should he have been. Another try was the result and the match was beyond the reach of the Warriors.

You may wonder why all the criticism from all and sundry. Well, here’s the thing. If you – or anyone else for that matter – are going to make several hundred thousand dollars per year as a professional sportsman then you give away the right to be on the receiving end of only positive feedback. Produce and the plaudits will come. Play like an amateur in a professional game and, quite rightly, the brickbats will be heading your way.

Do feel free to go out and prove us all wrong. That is if you get a chance.

Sadly, I doubt you will.