NZ Warriors 2019 Round 7 Review: Storm break Hearts on Anzac Day

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After last weeks disappointing outing against the Cowboys, the Warriors made their annual Anzac trip to Melbourne to face a Storm reeling from their first loss of the season against the in-form Roosters.
With a heavily depleted squad, many (myself included) wrote the Warriors off before they were even flying over the Tasman Sea but the Warriors showed grit and determination and almost came away with the upset of the season but with some controversial calls and some poor play options in the final ten minutes, the Warriors were defeated 13-12.

I was thoroughly impressed by the Warriors in this clash, losing RTS and Blake Green in the days leading up to the match was concerning but seeing  Patrick Herbert get his first match for the Warriors due to Kata's removal was what I was most looking forward too.
The Warriors played well for the majority of this game, showing heart on a night that they are renowned for performing poorly on, but there were still issues which I will talk about further below.

The Warriors started the match strongly, and when the Storm starting to score points and looked to be taking over the game, the Warriors kept themselves in the contest with resounding defence.
Fans and media alike have been critical of the penalty given to the Storm in the dying stages of the game that lead to them tying the game up.
I thought it was an incorrect play the ball but unfortunately, bad calls happen, and if the Warriors had made some better last tackle options they could have shut the Storm out of the match.

There were elements of this game that fans can be proud off; however which leads me to my positives from the match.

That defence was great for the most part.
The Warriors were committed and the pressure that they forced onto the Storm lead to the Storm making many uncharacteristic errors, this is the mindset that the Warriors need to bring into every game for the remainder of the season, it's no coincidence that the edge defence improved dramatically with Blake Ayshford and Patrick Herbert coming into the centres.

The offloads were the only positive from last week, and it was good to see the Warriors continue to throw the ball around, the Warriors are at their most lethal when they play that razzle-dazzle football and I like that they have managed to increase the offloads but decrease the errors, but the errors still need work.

With all the changes the Warriors had this week, the heart they displayed needs to be commended, without many of their stars; I was expecting them to collapse, but the veterans stepped up, and the new additions made the most of their chance, and the team played as a unit.
This year I've felt that the team has just learnt of RTS and expected him to do everything so it was great to see that without Roger there the Warriors were able to come together and perform and if they can continue that when RTS returns then the Warriors will string together some victories.

It wasn't a masterclass by any stretch though which leads me to my negatives from the match.

The Warriors still lack the ability to close out games in the dying stages, Chanel made a poor play kicking the ball into touch just in front of him when Cameron Smith rushed him.
It may have been different if Issac Luke was on the field at the time bit at that point it was all on Chanel, and he made the wrong call, but he will learn from it and can only get better when Green returns.

Penalties and errors are still too high for my liking, the Warriors were able to defend themselves out of most of the holes they put themselves in with unforced mistakes, but if they tighten that up, they will cause many teams headaches.

Although their defence was great in this match, they still missed 39 tackles which is far too much, if the Storm had not been dropping the ball as often they might have run away with a significant lead due to the missed tackles.
The positive to takes from the negatives though is that they can all be worked on with training and personnel returning.

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My Warrior of the game goes to Patrick Herbert.
After begging and pleading for Patrick to be brought into the side over Kata, it finally happened, and he did not disappoint.
He had a fantastic debut running for over 100 metres, but it was his defensive effort that impressed me the most, the Storm like most teams game plan was to target that edge, but Herbert made Will Chambers look like a rookie and staked his claim for the centre spot for the remainder of the season.
It will be interesting to see what happens on team naming Tuesday next week to see if Kearney sends him back to reserve grade and brings Kata back, surely common sense will prevail, and Herbert will be there against the Knights in round 8.

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I don't have a player that needs to improve this week, I think Blake Ayshford didn't have the best game but it was his first game since 2017, and he made up for his dropped passes with solid defence.
The same goes for Adam Blair.
He only ran the ball once in this match, and he scored off that run but his defensive effort was fantastic, he has been rightfully highlighted for his poor performances, and I think he stepped up.
Blair has a long way to go but it looks like he cares enough to try so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

So the Warriors get an extra long break before they host the Newcastle Knights at Mount Smart next Sunday.
The Knights have been poor this season, and this is game the Warriors can target to get themselves back in the winners' circle.
If RTS, Green and Fusitu'a return and Herbert stays, I think the Warriors will be too strong for the Knights and will run away with a 16 point win.

So that was a heartbreaking Round 7, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What are your thoughts on this performance?
Who was your player that needs to improve?
How confident are you in Kearney keeping Herbert in the centres?
What is your score prediction for Round 8

NZ Warriors 2019 Round 6 Review: Warriors embarrassed as Cowboys break streak

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After their spirited performance in round 5, the Warriors returned home to face a North Queensland Cowboys side that hadn't won a match since round 1 and was desperate to change that trend.
In an ugly contest, the Cowboy broke that streak as they defeated a weak Warriors side 17-10.

Man oh man what a night to forget, this season feels like it's one step forward, two steps back.
The Warriors made more line breaks and offloads and missed fewer tackles but lacked the game I.Q. needed to get the win.
The Warriors had plenty of opportunities in the Cowboys red zone but were like deers in headlights resorting to one out football with little to no attacking plays offering any scoring chances.
The Warriors didn't even try to force repeat sets, they lacked creativity and were punished as a result.
The Cowboys did not play well, but they played smart and took the chances they were given, and their hunger was apparent as they clawed and scratched their way to the win.

Losing Blake Green didn't help the Warriors, but Kearney needs to give up on Peta Hiku as a half.
I know that Adam Keighran also picked up an injury during the week which saw him dropped from both the first and reserve grade line-ups and this may have been a critical factor in Hiku's return to the halves, but this experiment needs to stop if the Warriors have any chance of turning their season around.

It wasn't all doom and gloom however which leads me to my positives.

The Warriors reduced their missed tackles considerably in this match, and if that trend continues with much-needed improvement on their attack, it should lead to more wins in the future.

The Warriors attack did improve until they got close to the Cowboys line, with room to move the Warriors looked dangerous at times but I feel like they have resorted to relying on Tuivasa-Sheck to do everything, RTS is head and shoulders above the rest of the squad right now, but he cannot do it alone.
Issac Luke and Nathaniel Roache both played well out of dummy half with Luke added some much-needed assistance in the kicking department and Roache displaying his pace when running out of the ruck but using three hookers in your gameday 17 is a headscratcher (more on that below).

That is all I have for positives which leads me to my negatives.

Errors, the Warriors lack of respect for the ball is profoundly concerning.
They made 9 errors in the first half alone you cannot expect to come away with a win if you gift that opposition so much ball.

After stepping up last week, the Warriors pack took a significant step backwards in round 6.
Except for Tohu, Lachlan and Bunty, the pack offered very little for the back line to take advantage of.
With a short turnaround before they face the clinical Melbourne Storm the Warriors pack may require another honesty session as if they don't turn up it will be a long night for Warriors fans and the team alike.

My last negative goes once again to Stephen Kearney and his bench.
At first, when I saw the rejigged line up with Jazz and Roache both on the bench, I tried to stay positive believing that Jazz would be used as a forward instead of hooker, but when he entered the game replacing Luke, I saw that my positivity was misplaced.
Kearney needs to sort out his bench selection, but even last year when the Warriors were going well, I was highlighting the unorthodox bench lineup, so it's fair to say that Kearney has not learnt and possibly won't anytime soon.

I don't get his selections or rotation policy and would love to be able to ask him the reasoning behind his choices and why he refuses to budge.

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My Warrior of the match goes to Lachlan Burr.
RTS had another strong showing, but I could not ignore Burr this week.
The story writes itself with Burr, going back to his apprenticeship after almost giving up on the sport he loves and then getting a chance across the ditch and taken it with both hands.
Burr has been a standout even in defeat all season to date, he is always near the top when it comes to both running metres and tackles and never seems to tire, with Alex Corvo highlighting him as one of the fittest in the squad.
Kearney continues to only give Burr 50-60minutes per game, and I do not think it is a coincidence that the Warriors performance takes a hit when he is off the field, if I were in charge Burr would be playing 80 minutes, and the player below would be given less time on the field.

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For the second week on a row, my player who needs to improve goes to Adam Blair.
A lot of the team had a night to forget on Saturday, but Blair continues to disappoint, he offers little to nothing on attack and his leadership and defence has been lacking this season.
To put it simply, Blair just doesn't play smart football, there were two scoring opportunities in this match that were ruled out due to errors at Blair's hand.
As I said above, I would give Blair reduced minutes and then perhaps he can start contributing in a positive way for 2019 season.

The Warriors have a short turnaround for round 7 as they make the trip to Melbourne to face the Storm on Anzac day in what is always a daunting task.
Even when the Warriors are performing well, they seem to have a lapse when the Anzac clash comes around, so I am genuinely worried this week especially with the Storm coming into this match fresh off their first defeat in 2019.
Blake Green should return to the halves this week which should add some much-needed direction to the side, but it looks like they will be without David Fusitu'a after his injury against the Cowboys.
This injury will no doubt see Gerard Beale replacing David on the wing in what will be Kearney's only change.
I think the Warriors are in for a tough night on Thursday and im predicted the Storm to come out on top by 18 points.

So that was a disappointing Round 6, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Can the Warriors get back on track or is a top-eight position out of play?
What changes would you make if you could?
Who would you bring in to replace Fusitu'a
What are your score predictions for the Anzac clash on Thursday?

NZ Warriors 2019 Round 5 Review: Spirited effort not enough to prevent Bunnies comeback

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After returning back to the winners circle against the Gold Coast Titans, the Warriors made the journey to the Sunshine Coast to face a South Sydney Rabbitohs side that was hurting from their first loss of the year against the Manly Sea Eagles.
Despite some last-minute personnel changes, the Warriors showed improved attitude and effort but could not close the game out losing a tight tussle 28-24.

This is a hard game to review, on the one hand, I believe it was one of their better performances this season, and on the other hand, some glaring issues appear to show no signs of getting better.
Losing Blake Green in the warm-up before the match forced changes that didn't help the Warriors cause with Peta Hiku moving into the halves and Gerard Beale moving into the centres.
In fact, when I heard that news my heart sunk, I will admit I the though the Warriors were on the way to a landslide defeat.
But both players did well enough as late minute changes, but the absence of Green was evident as the game progressed, I think his experience would have been vital in that final twenty minutes when the Warriors had a 12 point lead and really needed to play smart and close out the match.

There were some good aspects of this match which lead me into my positives from the game.

Against one of the biggest packs in the competitions, the Warriors forward pack fronted, with the all starting forwards except for Adam Blair running for over 100 metres.
After some poor efforts from the pack at the beginning of 2019, the pack got together and had an honesty session, and after some home truths, it looks to have worked.
Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new mindset for the pack and not just a one-off.

It was good to see the offloads return in this match.
Against a large side like the Rabbitohs, you do need to utilise second phase play to get the larger bodies moving running around and tiring them out.
The Warriors are electric when they bring the offloads out, but the forwards have to do their part.

The new recruits continue to shine, Chanel Harris-Tavita had a good game for his second ever match.
There were some mistakes made by the rookie in regards to game management but without the guidance of an experienced half he did a lot better than I expected and this game will only help to develop his skill set for the future.
Lachlan Burr continues to impress me, he runs strong, tackles hard and still has the ability to offload up his sleeve.
Kearney still seems hesitant to give him longer minutes, but I think he the Warriors are a better outfit when he is on the paddock, so I'm hopeful we see he get more game-time.

There were still issues however which leads me to my negatives from the game.

That right edge defence, the Warriors missed 35 tackles, and it felt like they were almost all out on that side.
Cody Walker had a hell of a game, and he targeted the edge and caused them plenty of headaches.
It won't matter how much the Warriors attack improves if that edge defence remains at the poor level it currently is, they will not have a shot at getting back in the top eight again.
I still think Kata needs to be replaced, and that would approve both the attack and defence on that edge, but I am resigned to the fact that this change will not happen.

The errors continue to be too high for me, I know I praised the return of the offloads, and it is natural for the errors to increase when you are chancing your arm with second phase football, but the Warriors need to find that sweet spot without throwing 50/50 passes.

And lastly, I'm still not happy with their interchange rotation, after criticising Kearney only giving Ligi Sao 7 minutes last week I am pleased to say he at least improved by giving Sam Lisone 13 minutes but really come on Kearney your point of view on the bench is laughable.

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My Warriors of the game goes to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Roger continues to go from strength to strength in 2019, he ran hard and offered plenty of attacking opportunities for the Warriors and stepped up and assisted the halves with playmaking options.
He also never shies away from his defensive responsibilities, and the Warriors would benefit tenfold if the rest of the squad could match with Roger's attitude in defence.
It would be scary to imagine where the Warriors would be right now if RTS wasn't there and I hope he manages to stay injury free for the remainder of the season.

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My Warrior who needs to improve goes to Adam Blair.
Although Blair lead the tackle count for the Warriors, his errors and penalties negated any positives he contributed to the match.
He needs to watch his late hits on players, its good to put that extra pressure on the opposition playmakers but hitting players off ball several seconds late when you are missing key players in your side is just a stupid play, silly penalties can turn momentum, and this helped the Rabbitohs get back into the fight.
With Green's absence, Blair needed to step up and be a leader for the younger guys, but in reality, he just highlighted what a liability he can be.

Round 6 sees the Warriors return home for Easter Weekend to face the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday.
The Cowboys are having a season to forget so far with only one victory to date, and I don't see them getting a win here either.
The Warriors should hopefully welcome back Blake Green from injury which will bring back the much-needed game I.Q. and if the pack brings the same intensity they did in Round they should get the result, so I'm picking the Warriors to win by 12.

So that was my take on a tough Round 5, and as usual, I leave you with some questions.

What is your biggest positive from the Round 5 performance?
How would you fix the Warriors right edge?
Would you be confident with a Chanel Harris-Tavita and Adam Keighran half combo if Green is injured?
What is your score prediction for Round 6?

NZ Warriors 2019 Round 4 Review: Warriors defeat Terrible Titans

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After a night to forget in Christchurch; the Warriors returned to Auckland with their confidence in tatters needing a win against the winless Gold Coast Titans to get themselves back on track.
The Warriors never looked like losing against the hapless Titans and walked away with the victory 26-10.

After last week I can admit I was worried about the Warriors and it was good to see them get the win here, but the Titan offered very little resistance, so my concerns from last week are still very relevant.
But as I said in my round one review you can only play who is across the park from you and the Warriors did make improvement in areas of their game; the key will be doing the same against stronger opponents.

Stephen Kearney made minimal changes to the team although I felt like Adam Keighran was made the scapegoat; I was looking forward to seeing how Chanel Harris-Tavita would fare in his debut, and he did not disappoint.
He didn't overplay his hand and showed no hesitation in taking the line on himself when the opportunity arose.
There is no denying the Chanel is a talent, but if he (and the Warriors for that matter) are to succeed the Warriors forward, the pack are going to need to consistently provide a strong platform.

As mentioned above the Warriors showed improvement in areas which leads me to my positives from the match.

The Warriors showed more respect for the ball this week, reducing their handling errors and ending the match with a 91% completion rate.
If you are to have any chance walking away with a win in the NRL, you need a completion rate of 80%, or more so the Warriors need to keep this up.

It was encouraging to see the Warriors keep the completion rate high without stunting their attack although the offloads did take a hit.
If I could point one thing out to them, it would be to use the inside ball more because with players like Roger being able to hit the inside at pace it is a lethal tool and could be just what they need to break a close game wide open.

The forwards played a lot better this week, and you could see a change in attitude, Tohu Harris showed sparks of his 2018 form and Lachlan Burr had another strong showing providing some steady hit-ups and a significant defensive effort.
I really like having Bunty starting the game from the bench.
The Warriors had dipped in the first 3 games of 2019 when Bunty and Agnatius left the field so to have Bunty come on at the 20-minute mark.
The Warriors were able to keep a hard running prop on at all times, the interchange rotation still needs work (more on that below), but I think Bunty on the bench would be a good move for the rest of the season.

So that was my positives which means it's time for my negatives from the game.

Missed tackles are still a concern, they reduced in this match, but the Warriors still missed 37 tackles including several in one play that lead to one of the easiest tries the Titans will ever get.
Apart from that play, the Warriors goal line defence was a lot better it just that edge defence that continues to let the Warriors down.

The Warriors discipline let them down again, 9 penalties is a huge issue, and if the Warriors were playing any other team other than the Titans, those penalties might result in the Warriors walking away in defeat.
Now I thought they were a bit hard done by with some of the penalties, but you need to adjust to how the referees are calling the match so if they are blowing the whistle very quickly when you are holding the opposition down in a tackle you need to start getting up quicker.
It is an easy part of the game to work on and improve, so I'm sure the Warriors will be working on that this week.

My last negative is the interchange once again, Kearney finally had a decent looking bench but only gave Ligi Sao seven minutes at the end of the game.
I don't understand why Kearney struggles with his rotation but he needs to sort it out now, bringing on fresh legs when the opposition is getting tired is a crucial component to gaining the upper hand in any contest, but much like dropping poor performing players perhaps it is something Kearney will never learn or do?
Since Kearney only likes using a 3 man bench, perhaps the Warriors can just look doing a competition and give the fourth spot to a Warriors member?

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My Warrior of the game goes to Tohu Harris.
Tohu hasn't had the greatest fortnight, and as one of the veteran players in the squad, he needed to up his game and provide a better example for the younger players, and I think he had a strong showing in this match ending the game with the most running metres by any Warriors forward.
The try he scored towards the end of the match showed the strength he possesses, and if the Warriors can get the ball to him close to the line im positive, he can become a dangerous weapon in the Warriors arsenal.

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My Warrior who needs to improve is Solomone Kata.
Kata's nine lives must be close to running out, except for his Round 1 performance; Kata has been one of worst each week, and with the depth, the Warriors have at centre I can not fathom how he is keeping his spot.
It is no coincidence that the only time David Fusitu'a looked like scoring was when Roger skipped Kata and put David away in the corner.
If you need to skip a player out to get you biggest attacking weapon into the game, then that is a big red flag.
The Warriors need to give one of the other centres a chance in his spot but to be honest we are more likely to get the news that he has signed a new deal with the club than seeing him play reserve grade.

Round 5 has the Warriors heading back across the ditch to face the South Sydney Rabbitohs in what will be a tough encounter.
The Rabbitohs are fresh of their first defeat of the season against the Manly Sea Eagles and will be looking at the Warriors as a team they can steamroll on their way back to the winner's circle.
The Warriors are yet to win away from Mount Smart this year, and the Rabbitohs will be a tough matchup.
The Rabbitohs forward pack is formidable and the Warriors will need to perform at their best if they are to get the win.
Unfortunately, I think the Rabbitohs will be too strong for the Warriors and im picking South Sydney to win by 8

So that was an improved Round 4, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How do you think Chanel Harris-Tavita went?
What concerns do you have leading into Round 5?
Who was your best and worst player from this performance?
What is your score prediction for Round 5?

NZ Warriors 2019 Round 3 Review: Hello darkness my old friend

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After a disappointing performance against the Tigers; the Warriors made the trip to Christchurch to face the Manly Sea Eagles vowing to redeem themselves.
This was not to be with the Sea Eagles soundly defeated the Warriors 46-12 in a low point for the New Zealand club.

To steal a quote, I'm not mad Warriors, I'm just disappointed.
The abysmal effort that the team put up in front of the Christchurch crowd was embarrassing, Stephen Kearney indicated that the loss to the Tigers may have been due to some of the team being complacent, but after this showing, it is clear that the issue is bigger than that.
Two horrible games in a row is the start of a slippery slope, and the Warriors need to act now if they want to claw themselves out of this hole that they have dug themselves into.
Stephen Kearney lambasted the side in the press conference labelling the team's defensive effort "not acceptable" and stated that he was disappointed with their effort.
He's not wrong, but he needs to make the tough calls now, Kearney didn't make any changes to the team before this match, but he needs to make some now (more on that in my negatives below).

I was hopeful that last week was a wake-up call, but it is clearly the start of a trend that needs to be stopped.
For the second week running, I am picking at the bones when it comes to praising this match which leads me to my positives from the game.

I don't really have any, to be honest, but I did like the effort from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Lachlan Burr, I think both players show tremendous heart and the rest of the squad should take note and follow in their shoes.

There is nothing else I can think of as a positive other than the fact that the game is over we can move on to Round 4.

That, unfortunately, brings me to my negatives.

The Warriors were woeful on attack, in the second half they had three repeat sets on the Sea Eagles goal line and never looked to even sniff a try.
Blake Green has taken complete control of the playmaking, but I think he needs to give Adam Keighran, so more chances to insert himself into the game (or Adam needs to stand up and take control himself).
The opposition is focusing all their attention on Green, and he is not the style of player that can use that extra attention to his advantage.
Moving Kata to the right edge has neutered David Fusitu'a and the Warriors are suffering because of it.
If the Warriors don't sort out their offensive woes, 2019 is going to be painfully long.

Defensive the Warriors were even worse, missing 40 tackles and making the Sea Eagles look like they were having a training run.
Defence is all about attitude and technique, and the Warriors lack in both; too many times they resorted to jersey grabbing and failed to wrap up the ball carrier which lead to the Sea Eagles offloading at will.
I'm not sure what the Warriors can do to fix it, but they need to do it now.

The errors were reduced but still too many to be competitive in the NRL, the Warriors have so much to work on but if they can sort the errors out; it's at least a step in the right direction.

My last negative actually coincides with my player that needs to improve so I will leave it for that section.

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In the second poor display in a row, there weren't too many players that stood out for good reasons, but my Warrior of the game goes to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
With the majority of the side failing in all aspects; Roger appeared to be one of the few that seemed to even care, that may be facetious on my part, but it's just how it looked.
Roger was the only player that looked like he could open the game up with his elusive steps and dangerous running; if the Warriors are to turn their performances around Roger is going to have to insert himself as a playmaker fullback more than he ever has before.

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My Warrior who needs to improve actually goes to Stephen Kearney.
I know that the coach isn't out there missing tackles and failing to deliver on the field but how many times do they Warriors have to fail before he makes the tough calls and makes changes.
His use of the interchange is laughable, and once again he had people scratching their heads when he selected Gerard Beale on his bench with Sam Lisone being suspended, he didn't give Beale any minutes in this match either so why bother having him there.
If you want a back on your bench, I would have gone with Blake Asyhford who can at least fill a spot in the second row.
Kearney has a reputation of not making difficult decisions but he needs to make them now, I would be moving Hiku and Tohu back to the right edge and bringing in either Taane Milne or Patrick Herbert into the left centre spot; with a three forward and one hooker/utility bench.
The only question is will Kearney make the tough calls or just repeat the same mistakes, but with team naming Tuesday tomorrow, we don't have long to wait.

Round four sees the Warriors return to Mount Smart to face the Gold Coast Titans on Friday night.
The Titans are the only side yet to score a win in 2019, so the Warriors should be able to come away with a victory here.
Provided there are some personnel changes and an improved attitude im expecting the Warriors to get the win here.
Im picking the Warriors to win by 12 in what will hopefully be a return to the winner's circle.

So that was an embarrassing Round 3, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What changes need to happen to turn this team around?
Do you think Kearney will make changes?
Are there any positives for you from this game?
What is your score prediction for Round 4?