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Despite a poor record at Panthers Stadium, the Warriors added to the Panthers woes handing them their sixth successive loss, winning 30-10.
For the first time, this season the Warriors have won games back to back, and despite not being a complete performance it was good to see the Warriors build on their Magic round performance.
The Panthers had a night to forget, dropping the ball every time they had an opportunity, the Warriors goal line defence was solid for the majority of the match, and you could see the Panthers lack of confidence was affecting their last tackle options with repeats sets on the Warriors line bearing no fruit.
The Warriors still have a lot to work on, but they got the result against a woeful team, which leads me to my positives from the match.
That Warriors defence was vital in this match, withstanding four repeat sets in the early stages of the game, set the platform for the Warriors to break the Panthers mentally.
You could see the Panthers frustration set in, and the stronger the Warriors defensive line got, the more it forced the Panthers into forcing passes and ultimately making unforced errors.
Their defence in the middle of the park still needs work, but if they can keep that goal line secure, they are going to set themselves up for more victories.
The forwards came to the party getting some quality going forward and more importantly getting a quick play the balls allowing the Warriors to play an uptempo style of play that the Panthers couldn't keep up with.
It was good to see the Warriors take advantage of the Panthers lethargic markers with several sniping runs out of dummy half from Issac Luke, Kodi Nikorima and Karl Lawton.
The spine is really starting to gel, and this only bodes well for the remainder of the 2019 season.
The interchange once again worked well, Kearney's bench has been something I have critiqued all year but Afoa, Tevaga and Sao have added starch in the middle, and Lawton adds a spark on the attack when the opposition is starting to tire.
With Paasi most likely missing this week due to being on the report, the Warriors 17 will most likely see the return of Adam Blair, but hopefully, this doesn't impact the work the Warriors have put in.
The Warriors effort wasn't perfect, however, which leads me to my negatives.
I don't have too many negatives to point out, but I did notice a couple of slight concerns.
The Warriors error rate was too high, they ended up with only one less than the Panthers, but they were at least able to convert some opportunities into points.
Against a semi-competent side, the Warriors may have been in trouble so they will need to show the ball more respect when they clash against the Broncos this weekend.
After starting the match strong, the Warriors fell out of sync at times throughout the rest of the game, never being able to really put their foot down and run away with the match.
They had done enough to get the result, but if they want to be a playoff team, they need to find that killer instinct.
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| Copyright Photo: Mark Kolbe / Getty Images |
Once again several players could have easily picked this week, but I liked what I saw out of Nikorima.
Kodi's pace has added a new dimension to the Warriors attack, his try highlighted the threat he is, and his combination with Tuivasa-Sheck is going to lead to many more scoring chances this season.
He needs to offer more of a kicking game to take the pressure off Blake Green but Im confident that will come as he grows comfortable in his new surroundings.
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| Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi |
Maumalo has grown so much in the last season and a half, ironing out the issues that plagued the beginning of his career.
His damaging runs at the start of the Warriors sets are crucial in getting the Warriors on the front foot.
If Maumalo can insert himself into the contest as he did in this match, then the Warriors are one step closer to victory.
Round 10 sees the Warriors return back to Mount Smart, hosting the Brisbane Broncos.
The Broncos have had a less than stellar 2019 but showed how dangerous they still are with a tightly fought win over the Roosters in Round 9.
Despite that performance, the Broncos haven't been travelling well, and the Warriors will want to keep them that way.
Nikorima will be out to make a statement against his former club, and if the Warriors forwards can bring the intensity they displayed against the Panthers, then they should be able to walk away with the win here.
I think the Warriors will be too strong here and will get their third win in a row winning by 10.
So that was my take on a good Round 10, and as usual, I will Leave you with some questions.
After two wins in a row, do you think the Warriors are still in the playoff hunt?
Who was your player of the match?
Do you have a Warrior to improve?
What is your score prediction for Round 11?
Q 1. Yes they have, as good as a chance than the 2 teams ahead of them on the table. String a couple more wins in the coming weeks then we should break into the top 8..
ReplyDeleteQ 2. Nikorima
Q 3. Bully...not the greatest form atm with Lawton making a charge. However he slowly getting that want back whether its the pressure from the young chargers or him believing in himself again. He will pick himself back up from the weekends game against the woeful panthers, he had a couple good darts and scored off 1.
Another good summary Brad. I particularly agree with you about our errors being potentially more costly against a better team, and also our inability to really finish them off. We were obviously the better team, but our own mistakes were leaving the door open for a recovery which luckily didn't come and it just seemed to take so long for us to put the game beyond doubt.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the Panthers fans at the moment. We, as Warriors supporters can definitely relate to how they must be feeling. A lot of teams go through these periods some times and it is interesting to consider how it comes about and what it takes to put things right. Seasons can change quickly though with a few good wins, which is hopefully what is going to happen to us!
Playoffs are still a possibility for our side, but I can't help feeling we will just miss out, finishing between 10th and 12th. Hope I'm wrong.
My player of the match was Jazz Tevaga, he just seemed to make such a strong impact at times when we really needed him.
Player to improve? Hard to think now but perhaps rather than improve but to look to maintain recent strong attacking form would be my perennial favourite Peta Hiku. He has been good lately but I just want him to keep being good and challenging defences, he can be prone to lapses in form.
This weekend presents quite a challenge. A few weeks ago we probably felt pretty confident about beating the Broncos but their confidence will be up at the moment, and sometimes we can appear to get a bit complacent and fall down again after a couple of wins. Still, I pick a Warriors victory by 6 points.