Ingers League Wrap-Up: March 2019

Monday, March 25, 2019

NZ Warriors 2019 Round 2 Review: Farrah's masterclass humbles Warriors

After their massive win in round 1 which saw the Warriors sitting atop the NRL ladder, the Warriors made their first trip across the ditch to face the Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium.
My prediction of a 12 point victory was sorely mistaken as the Warriors were their own worse enemies going down 34-6.

Where do you begin with this performance?

It was a performance that was best left forgotten as the Warriors were polar opposites to the dominant team we watched last week as they offered very little against a Tigers team that wasn’t that impressive bar a mighty performance from Robbie Farrah.

Speaking at the press conference after the match; Stephen Kearney stated that he thought some of the squad might have been complacent after last weeks win and it showed in a lethetic effort.

Hopefully, this loss is the wake-up call the Warriors need as they look to get their season back on track in round 3.

There isn't much to praise, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Leeson Ah Mau and Jazz Tevaga were the only bright lights in what was a weak forward pack; this pack needs to return their performance level to what we saw in round 1 urgently if the New Zealand side wants to avoid a heavy defeat.

My last positive is that the issues with the performance can be fixed, a kick in the pants and attitude adjustment can bring this side back to the winner's circle.

That is all I can pick out as positives which bring me to my negatives.

Errors! The Warriors were never in this match but creating 14 unforced errors well and truly made sure of that.

It was an amateur display that was hard to watch; there is nothing worse than watching a team throw the ball away, the silver lining is that ball handling can improve; the Warriors just need to have more respect for the ball.

The Warriors defence took ten steps backwards this week, it didn’t take long for Tigers to expose the Warriors edge defence and once they did that targeting it consistently and were rewarded handsomely.

The edge defence was a concern last year, and it hasn’t improved, Im not sure what they need to do, replacing the centres is an option, but I don’t see Kearney making a change anytime soon as he appears to have a liking for Kata and Hiku.

My last negative goes hand in hand with the weak defence, and it’s the poor discipline with penalties.

With the Warriors throwing possession away flippantly; and the defence not being adequate; the last thing they needed to do was give away silly penalties.

They gave the Tigers all the opportunities in the world to run away with this match, and they took it with both hands.

My last negative was Stephen Kearney's interchange rotation, last week I felt like he found the right balance, but this week it felt like he was back to his old tricks.

With Issac Luke making his return this week it may have made things tougher for the rotation, but I feel like Lachlan Burr needed more minutes out there after having a strong showing last week.

With a game under his belt Luke should be able to offer more in round 3, and hopefully, this helps the rotation go back to normal.

In such a poor performance there wasn’t many players that shone but my

Warrior of the game goes to Ken Maumalo.

Ken had another massive game running for over 160metres, and the only times the Warriors looked to off anything on attack was when they went down his wing.

Ken is integral in the Warriors marching out of their own half, and hopefully, his performances can be rewarded with some more scoring opportunities.

My Warrior who needs to improve was hard to choose for all the wrong reasons with many putting their hands up, but I have gone with Agnatius Paasi.

In 40 minutes, Paasi only ran the ball 7 times for 52metres which is inexcusable.

The Warriors rely on Passi and Bunty Afoa to get their momentum rolling, and Paasi just didn’t deliver; if his performances stay at this level, he may find himself in reserve grade very shortly.

Round three sees the Warriors head down to Christchurch to face the Manly Sea Eagles.

It will be an emotional night for all involved, and the Warriors will be looking at making a statement after this weeks embarrassment.

The Sea Eagles have not been very impressive so far in 2019, and if the Warriors arrive with the right attitude, they should be able to come away with the victory.

I’m picking the Warriors to return to form and win by 10; sending the Christchurch crowd home happy.

So that was a disappointing Round 2, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What went wrong in this match?

Are there any changes you would make for Round 3?

Who was your best and worse players from the match?

What is your score prediction for Round 3?

Monday, March 18, 2019

NZ Warriors 2019 Round 1 Review: Warriors dominate toothless Bulldogs

The NRL is back, and the New Zealand Warriors got to kick-off their campaign at Mount Smart against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

Both sides have spent the preseason being written off and were determined to prove that they deserve to be taken seriously.

The Warriors made a statement with their biggest first-round win with a 40-6 victory that has them in first place at the end of round one.

What a way to kick off the 2019 season, the Warriors looked like a team that should not be taken lightly this season.

The Bulldogs offered very little in this matchup but you can only play who are across the paddock from you each week, and it was promising to see the Warriors put the Bulldogs to the sword, and they will need more performances like this to cement their claims for a top four.

The Warriors played an up-tempo level that the Bulldogs couldn't keep up with and were clinical while still containing a hint of the razzle-dazzle they are known for.

Firstly my positives from the match.

Alex Corvo's second year with the club is reaping benefits with the Warriors looking in even better shape this season, the Warriors forwards appear to have gained some size, in particular, Bunty Afoa and Sam Lisone and it did not seem to affect their conditioning as they were still fronting in the dying stages of the match.

Watching the round one games I felt like a lot of the teams looked overweight and unfit and I think the Warriors will be able to use that to their advantage in the early stages of the season.

The forwards were relentless in this game, four of them running for over 100 metres with Tohu Harris and Bunty running for 164 and 154 each.

My biggest issue in 2018 was the forward pack not pulling their weight and relying on the Warriors big wingers to do the lions share of the run metres, so it is good to see that this has been addressed.

Lachlan Burr and Leeson Ah Mau both had strong outings in their first games for the Warriors (first game back for Leeson after leaving in 2009).

The key will be the Warriors packs ability to keep this level as a constant throughout the season.

With the forwards marching up the field with ease; Blake Green was allowed the space to unleash pinpoint accurate kicks with his kick to Ken Maumalo for his try being my highlight.

Having an experienced half like Blake directing the backline around the park is just what this side needs as they move towards a more consistent and direct style of play.

It is clear that this is Blake's team now and he showed in this match that he can lead this side to many more victories this year.

Roger, Fusitu'a and big Ken are the best back three in the NRL.

All three had a massive game with all of them running triple digit metres with Ken and Roger running 212 and 208 each.

Roger has increased his playmaking role within the side and is sure to create headaches for the opposition.

If these three can continue their 2018 form throughout this season, the Warrior fans will have a lot to be excited about.

The defence across the park had a dramatic improvement, as I said in my preseason preview the Warriors have excellent goal line defence but everywhere else on the field they seemed to be exposed.

Again the Bulldogs didn't offer a lot in terms of attacking football, but the Warriors kept their defensive line intact and eliminating the majority of the Bulldogs attacking plays.

I thought Solomone Kata and Peta Hiku's defensive effort improved tenfold, but we will see if this is was a one-off when they face the Tigers this week who are sure to offer a more significant challenge.

It was only round one, and there is a long season ahead for the Warriors, but if they can keep their performances at the level they played in this first game then it may well be a fruitful year for the New Zealand side.

My last positive is the Warriors club giving out free tickets on gameday.

With the devasting events that happened in Christchurch, it's fair to say many people had their thoughts as far away from football as possible and it was a great gesture from the club to try and bring some joy to what was a dark time for the country.

Here is where I usually put my negatives from the match and to be honest I don't have many.

All I really have to nitpick is the unforced errors, there were a few too many for my liking, be it dropped balls or forced offloads that should have been left alone.

It's an easy issue to fix, and I'm sure it will be addressed this week.

And the last negative is that the game had to end, I was having a ball watching this match at Mount Smart, and the Warriors looked like they could have kept going for another half.

My Warrior of the game goes to Solomone Kata.

It was hard to pick this week with so many players putting their hand up, but I had to go with Kata.

In my preseason preview I didn't pick Kata in my gameday 17, and when it was announced that he would be moving to the right edge, I had a lot of doubts and started having nightmares of Fusitu'a going from the NRL's leading try scorer to only scoring a handful.

However Kata surprised me, besides an early error I thought he had a strong game, he did actually pass the ball to Fusitu'a, and although Fusitu'a didn't score any tries this week, I am confident that he can score plenty of tries this season off Kata's shoulder.

As mentioned above Kata's defence showed great improvement, there is still work to be done there for the Tongan centre but after one game (again it's just one game) I'm confident that he has worked on his game in the off-season and is a better player for it.

Typically I would have a Warrior that needs to improve, but this week I couldn't pick any player that played poorly enough to be named and shamed.

What I do want to do is mention Adam Keighran.

Adam had a lot of expectations heaped upon his shoulders, and I think he delivered, he displayed great composure and didn't overplay his hand taking his opportunities when they appeared, leading to an excellent solo try.

He is a solid defender, no doubt due to his time playing as a centre in reserve grade and his goal-kicking was superb, only missing one and if this season is anything like the previous few every point is going to count.

I'm expecting big things this year for the young Australian.

Round two finds the Warriors making their way across the ditch to face the Wests Tigers.

The Tigers had a good showing in their defeat over the Sea Eagles and will definitely provide stiffer competition for the New Zealand side.

I don't see many changes being made to the game day 17 for the Warriors with perhaps the only change being Isaiah Papali'i making his return to the side with Blake Ayshford dropping off the bench.

Providing the Warriors bring the same level of intensity into round two I don't see the Tigers being able to match them, and I'm picking the Warriors to win by 12.

So that was a great Round 1, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who was your player of the day?

What was the most pleasing aspect of this performance for you?

Are there any issues that worry you after watching this week's match?

What is your score prediction for the Warriors first away game?

Monday, March 11, 2019

NZ Warriors 2019 Season Preview: The Dawn of a New Era

The time is finally upon us, in a mere few days, the NRL season will begin, and I cannot wait until round one.

It also means that it’s time for me to give my thoughts on how I see the Warriors faring in their 2019 campaign.

As I did last year, I will be breaking down my preview into sections outlining my views on the preseason and trial results, key signings, the 2019 squad, my gameday 17, the team's strengths and weaknesses and then finalising it all with my 2019 prediction.

As always, these are all my thoughts and opinions, and I’m always interested in hearing your views too so if you want to share your thoughts, comment below and let me know what you think.

Preseason News: A year of change

2018 was a much-needed improvement, with the Warriors returning to finals football for the first time since 2011 but the way they bowed out of the finals against the Penrith Panthers was embarrassing, to say the least, that is now in the past, and a lot has changed since that night.

This preseason has been full of stories, from Shaun Johnson exit (more on that in a little bit), the battle of the young halves vying for his spot, accusations of tampering when trying to recruit Dylan Brown and Issac Lukes newly signed deal it’s fair to say that 2019’s preseason will be one to remember for some time.

2019 is a year of change with the one of the most noticeable differences at the club being the teams home jersey reverting back to the clubs original colours in celebration of the clubs 25th year.

Personally, I love the change and would like it to be a permanent change.

The Warriors welcomed Nathan Cayless and Todd Payten into the coaching team with Payten replacing Andrew McFadden and Cayless taking control of the Warriors ISP team.

Stephen Kearney also re-signed for another three years, which I think is a wise move; the Warriors need consistency in the coaches box if they want consistency on the field.

In regards to the squad, the Warriors lost Johnson, James Gavet and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad all in the preseason when they requested and were granted their releases, all are players that will be missed, but the Warriors have players willing and able to step up and replace them. The most intriguing story to come out of the player exodus being the battle between halves Adam Keighran and Chanel Harris-Tavita both have displayed potential so far in the preseason trials and have no doubt given Stephen Kearney plenty to think about for his round one team.

The first of the Warriors two trials saw the Warriors make the journey to Geelong to face the Melbourne Storm, both sides played without their key players, and there isn’t much to say about this match with the Warriors staying in control for the majority of the game-winning 12-6.

My standouts in this trial were Lachlan Burr who brought a lot of energy in his spells and looks to be a worthy inclusion to the Warriors bench, Patrick Herbert also had a strong showing and has thrown his hat in the ring for the battle for the two starting centre spots.

The second trial saw a Warriors team with all its stars bar Issac Luke travel up to Whangarei to defeat the Wests Tigers 26-16 in what was an excellent final blowout before round one.

Peta Hiku’s shift to the left edge made an immediate impact with Ken Maumalo scoring a double, Solomona Kata’s switch to the right edge didn’t stop Fusitu’a scoring a double too.

The game wasn’t perfect with some silly penalties and the forwards not being as dominant as I had expected, but these are issues that should be resolved before round one.

During the last trial it was announced by Cameron George that Issac Luke had re-signed with the club to stay for the 2019 season, I think it’s a good move for the club, and it also gives Nathaniel Roache more time to learn his trade from Luke.

Lastly, my take on Shaun’s exit.

I have kept mostly quiet on the exit of Johnson, but I believe the Warriors have done the right thing in moving on from Shaun.

In my mind that playoff game against the Panthers was the final nail in his coffin, his vanishing act in that match showed that he wasn’t deserving of his hefty paycheck in my opinion.

When he was told that he was welcome to test the market, instead of proving his worth like Issac, Luke said he took his ball and went home.

Half-hearted players don't win championships and winning the NRL is what every team should be aiming to do.

The way the departure happened wasn’t pretty, and at times it seemed more like a toxic relationship breakup with the Warriors and Shaun both looking like petty exes at times in the media, but he is gone now and although the media will continue to go on and on about the situation I have moved on.

The media in Australia have written the Warriors off due to them having an inexperienced half starting, but they did the same when James Maloney moved here and look how that turned out.

Key Signing: Leeson Ah Mau

After nine years across the ditch, Leeson Ah Mau has returned to where it all began.

Leeson was a significant component of the Dragons forward pack, and after a strong 2018 which saw him earn a Kiwis jersey, he has proved to be a formidable prop. He will be an integral component to the Warriors success in 2019.

One of the Warriors most significant issues in 2018 was the lack of go forward by the pack and Leeson will have to lead the way for the young props in the Warriors rotation.

Defensively he is reliable also and will help solidify that defensive line in that middle channel.

2019 Squad

The Warriors recruitment for 2019 has left a lot to be desired with Leeson the only notable signing.

Fringe player Lachlan Burr has moved across the ditch in a bid to get more first grade minutes and add’s legitimate size to the Warriors pack.

Disgraced centre Taane Milne has received a lifeline from the Warriors; he was released by the Wests Tigers after a second positive drug test and will be looking for redemption.

Adam Keighran can play regular first grade with Johnson’s exit, and I believe his renowned goal-kicking prowess and strong defence will help to push his nose in front as the favourite to start alongside Blake Green in round one.

The Warriors have yet to use the majority of the money left in the salary cap after the exit of Johnson, Gavet and Nicoll-Klokstad and this gives them an edge in obtaining any players that may need to be moved on due to cap pressures at other clubs. You can expect some movement before June.

With the exit of Johnson and Mannering, the Warriors will be leaning on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, even more, to guide them to success this season.

Roger will be looking to build on his impressive 2018 form that saw him become the first Warrior to become a Dally M Medalist, he’s part of one of the best back three combinations in the NRL, partnered with Ken Maumalo and the NRL’s leading try-scorer David Fusitu’a.

The Warriors will no doubt continue to direct their attack down the right edge, but with Solomona Kata moving to the right that question will be if this move will neuter Fusitu’as scoring ability,

The Warriors explosive backline will be of little use if the forward pack does not do their part, with the inclusion of Ah Mau and Burr, the pack has increased in size considerably; their addition to the prop rotation will guarantee the halves will have ample time to create scoring opportunities.

Blake Green has a lot of pressure on him this season, partnered with a rookie halfback; he will be expected to take full control of the team and organising the attack.

It appears that the Warriors are confident that he can shoulder that responsibility for this season’s campaign, but I expect to see Tuivasa-Sheck increase his playmaking role in 2019.

Isaiah Papali’I has big boots to fill, taking over from club legend Mannering.

After a breakout 2018, Papali’i appears to have the potential to take control of the lock position long term.

I think the squad has a good mix of youth and experience and plenty of talent across the park, but it’s imperative that the Warriors convert a good team on paper into a great team on the field.

My Gameday 17

1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 14. Jazz Tevaga

2. David Fusitu’a 15. Bunty Afoa

3. Peta Hiku 16. Lachlan Burr

4. Gerard Beale 17. Leivaha Pulu

5. Ken Maumalo

6. Blake Green

7. Adam Keighran

8. Leeson Ah Mau

9. Issac Luke

10. Agnatius Paasi

11. Adam Blair

12. Tohu Harris

13. Isaiah Papali’i

Strengths and Weaknesses

The back three or the entire backline for that matter continues to be the most apparent strength for this side if Fusitu’a can maintain his 2018 form and Ken can keep improving they will be causing plenty of headaches for their opposition all year long.

The Warriors goal-line defence still appears to be as robust as it was in 2018 and with their draw being tougher in 2019 their defence will need to be even better, that goal line needs to be an impenetrable wall.

In terms of the team's weaknesses although the depth in the squad is adequate the depth in the spine is where most Warriors fans will have their concerns, any injuries to Green or Tuivasa-Sheck during the season could derail the whole campaign.

Even though the goalline defence is good, the Warriors need to improve their defence in the middle of the park, too many times in 2018 the Warriors opponents easily marched up the field, if the Warriors can bring that goal-line intensity to their defence everywhere else, their chances of coming away with the victory increases tenfold.

Lastly is the tough draw, in particular, the final month.

If the 2019 season is as close as 2018 was, that final month of the season could be the deciding factor for the New Zealand club with three out of the final four matches being in Australia.

Including starting that last month against the title favourite Roosters in Sydney in round 22, the Warriors away record was impressive in 2018, and it will need to stay that way this season.

My 2019 Prediction

My prediction last year was close with me being only one position off with my prediction of seventh.

In what has become a common occurrence most of the NRL pundits in Australia have written the Warriors off with most even predicting the Warriors to get their first-ever wooden spoon this season.

I don’t agree with them and providing the Warriors stay injury-free, this is a top-eight side, and I see them sitting seventh at the end of round 25.

So let's bring on the new season, I cannot wait for round one and to get back to Mount Smart.

I will once again be writing game reviews every week throughout the seasons, and I’m looking forward to talking to all of you as the year progresses if you are at any of the home games you can always find me in the members tent before and after the games so come and say hi and talk some football.

If you like what I’m doing here, please share my blog around with your friends and leave comments telling me how you think the seasons going to go.

I've also been fortunate to become the Warriors correspondent for NothingbutLeague.com this season so please show them some love by checking out my articles on their site each week.

As I did last season, I will end my preview with some questions, so let me know your answers, and I will talk to you all again after round one.

What would you do with the money left in the cap?

Where do you think the Warriors will finish in 2019?

What changes would you make to my gameday 17?

Who is your key signing?

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