When Warriors coach Andrew Webster looks at the abuse his players receive online, he sees a country that doesn't match the one he meets on the street. The contrast, he says, could not be starker.
Recent weeks saw an ugly online tirade directed at Warriors back Adam Pompey. His coach and teammates have rallied firmly behind him, with Webster describing those behind the abuse as absolute idiots who would never say such things to anyone's face.
Speaking with characteristic bluntness, Webster pointed to his own experience as proof that New Zealand's real-world culture differs wildly from its digital one.
I've only ever had one person have the guts to tell me in New Zealand that I was doing a poor job to my face. I think that's a pretty good strike rate because in Australia I'd have it a lot worse than that.
Why the coach won't engage with social media
Webster is not a social media user himself. He didn't see the abuse aimed at Pompey, but he knows his players did. And he has little patience for those who hide behind screens.
The keyboard warriors are there no matter where you are in any team, any code. They're gutless, they've got no guts at all and they're embarrassing. It only affects the people I care about. It doesn't affect me because I don't see it. Those people out there honestly, they surely have got more things to do with their time than write bad things about people.
His disdain for platforms like Facebook and Instagram is well documented. Webster was himself the target of a fake news story that falsely reported the death of his wife.
I know the world's going to pass me by and I know I'm going to be in 20 years time, I won't know how to turn my computer on but I've gone from this guy who's great with technology to just seeing it a complete distraction.
A very different reception in the real world
Unlike the trolls, Webster says the Warriors community treats him with nothing but respect when he's out in public. It's a far cry from his early days in Auckland.
It's been typical New Zealand, people who are passionate and want to say hello but move on quickly. They want to show you that they're behind you, behind the boys, but they want you to have your family time. They say 'g'day Webby,' 'good luck', 'well done last night', whatever it might be, and just keep going.
I can remember the day I arrived the first year, from November 2022 to kickoff in 2023, I don't think anyone said hello to me once. So things have changed for the good and I'm glad they feel comfortable to say hello.
No lectures, just support
Despite the abuse his players face, Webster says he doesn't impose rules on their social media use. He believes in support over sermons.
They don't need me giving them lectures or life lessons. I'm here for them. We've had people far more qualified than me tell them what it does to the brain - how you can't learn as well, how you can't sleep at night.
Warriors forward Erin Clark shares Webster's approach, having also stepped away from social media. He hopes the spotlight on those targeting sportspeople will fade.
I feel like if you give it fuel, it just makes it worse, don't talk about it is the best thing to do, like what's the point? What matters to us is inside these four walls. It's just talk, everyone can talk, they're not out there playing.
What's next for the Warriors
The Warriors face the Manly Sea Eagles at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on Saturday, September 5th, with kickoff at 5pm. Live blog updates will be available on RNZ.
This story was originally reported by RNZ.