Five Players that need to Improve in 2020

After last weeks list of players to breakout in 2020, I thought I would offer my opinion on the five Warriors that I feel have the most to prove this season. Once again the rankings are in no particular order.

1. Adam Blair

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Adam Blair is one of the most divisive players on the roster, some fans love him others want him out of the Warriors squad asap.
Whatever your opinion on Blair is, it is fair to say that 2019 was not a great year for the veteran backrower.
With the talented youngsters, the Warriors have in the second row, my first action would be to move Blair into the front row rotation if he is to be in the 17.
Too often in 2019, Blair appeared to avoid running with the ball, which was a mistake as he can be dangerous with the ball in hand.
With the proposed plans to play more expansive football in 2020, Blair really needs to utilise his offloading ability and lead the young forward pack in what could possibly be his final year in Warriors colours.

2. Isaiah Papali'i

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Second-year syndrome hit Isaiah a year late in 2019, and I think the biggest issue for him was being given the unenviable task of taking Simon Mannering's spot.
It looked like Isaiah was relegated to just being a tackling machine, so when it became time for him to run with the ball, he was fatigued, and this lead to far too many handling errors.
The future is bright for Isaiah, he is a talented footballer, and I'm confident that 2020 is going to be a lot better for him and the fact that he has been named the captain of the Nines team this weekend shows the faith that the club has in him.

3. Blake Green

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Blake Green had plenty of pressure on his shoulders last season with the exit of Shaun Johnson, and he failed to deliver.
Too often last season, Green would decide to the run the ball himself on the fourth tackle, leaving the Warriors scrambling on the last tackle option.
It looked like he was possibly doing it to avoid having to make the last tackle play, and if he is to improve in 2020 that is the first thing to fix, he cannot disappear in games and needs to lead the backline.
His kicking left plenty to be desired, and he needs to expand his arsenal, his grubbers are accurate, but if he can add some kicks directed towards the giant wingers he has at disposal, then the Warriors could find themselves in playoff contention.
He has plenty of experience, and I would ensure that he passes as much of it over to the young halves in the roster before he retires/leaves the club.

4. Nathaniel Roache

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I genuinely feel for Nathaniel, he has the potential to become a great hooker but has been plagued with injuries.

2020 very well could be his last chance to keep his NRL dream alive.

The first thing Roache has to do is stay injury-free this season, if he can do that, then it would be hard to keep him out of the game day 17.

Perhaps to help keep him healthy the Warriors could look at having him on the bench and bringing him on late in the first and second halves when the forward packs are tiring and utilising his pace running out of dummy half against lethargic markers.

I have my fingers crossed that Roache gets through this season healthy and I look forward to watching the battle for the hooker spot between himself, Wayde Egan and Karl Lawton.

5. David Fusitu'a

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The last man on my list is perhaps the most talented out of the five.
David Fusitu'a had a year to remember in 2018 scoring 23 tries but then had a season to forget in 2019 where he only managed to cross for 5.
This huge dropoff was primarily due to change of the centres with Peta Hiku leaving the right side and moving to the left (which dramatically increased Ken Maumalos try tally).
David's combination with Solomona Kata and then Patrick Herbert, Gerard Beale and a few others just didn't seem to mesh,
Hopefully, for David's sake, it's something that the Warriors have been working on this offseason, and we can see a more cohesive right edge in 2020.
With the new rule regarding contact to a player in mid-air, I expect to see the ball kicked David's way a lot more as when he goes after the ball in the air he is so hard to stop, so he has to be the main target when it comes to corner kicks.


So those were my picks for Warriors players that need a big 2020. Next up is my season preview, but that has to wait until the nines and preseason games are done.
Until then let me know what you think about my choices and who you think needs to improve the most in 2020.

Five Players to Breakout in 2020

With the 2020 season nearing and my season preview on hold until the NRL Nines and preseason matches are played, I thought I would offer my opinions on the five Warriors that I think are going to have a big season in Warriors colours. The rankings are in no particular order.

1. Wayde Egan

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The Warriors only new signing for 2020 (at the time of writing) has big shoes to fill replacing Isaac Luke, but he has a high chance of claiming the Warriors starting hooker spot.

Andrew Johns tagged the former Penrith Panthers NYC Captain as a future star of the NRL even going as far as comparing him to a young Cameron Smith.

Now I don't know if I would go that far, but from the limited amount of footage I have seen from Wayde, I believe he is an excellent addition to the Warriors roster.

He passes quickly out of the ruck and can snipe out of dummy half when the opportunity arises and more importantly has a solid kicking game which the Warriors sorely need.

The biggest concern would be the fact that his limited first-grade experience has come as an interchange player and the adjustment to becoming a starter has been an issue for players in the past. Another potential problem is that he has a bit of history with shoulder injuries, and the Warriors hookers tend to not have the best luck when it comes to injuries. Still, I have my fingers crossed that he can remain healthy for the entire season.

At the young age of 22, Wayde could be a key figure in the Warriors spine for years to come, and I expect him to feature heavily in my reviews this season.

2. Josh Curran

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Despite only playing 2 matches for the Warriors in 2019 I liked what I saw from Josh Curran.

Starting his career at the Sydney Roosters, he has learnt from some of the best in the NRL. Hopefully, the habits he picked up over there are rubbing off on the rest of the young pack.

His strongest attribute is his defence, which the Warriors sorely need after some poor defensive displays in 2019. Still, he has shown some glimpses at what he can offer with the ball in hand too and could be a key figure in getting the right edge attack back to where it was in 2018.

There is going to be a fight for the starting second-row positions and while Curran may not get the chance to start in round one I still see him in the gameday 17 and his chance to start will come sooner rather than later.

3. Chanel Harris-Tavita

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2019 was not a great year for the Warriors, but one positive was the potential Chanel showed throughout the year.
Despite his age, he was able to slot right into the halves, and while his halves partner was not playing to the best of his ability, Chanel displayed a maturity I did not expect.

He can be flamboyant, but what surprised me was how he was able to become the "stable half" that led the side around the park and dominated the kicking duties. Chanel also displayed some excellent defence for a half and did not hesitate to put his body on the line, my hope is that he can keep showing this heart on defence but that he learns to pick his shots as I don't want to see him get injured trying to do a massive hit.

Surprisingly the news out of the club is that Chanel is not guaranteed a starting spot in Round One and is fighting with Kodi Nikorima to partner Blake Green in the halves, but I fully expect Chanel to win that battle.

4. Tohu Harris

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The most experienced player on my list, Tohu has had a run of bad luck in the injury department since joining the Warriors only managing 30 games since signing with the club, and his absence in 2019 severely stunted the Warriors performance.

A fully fit Tohu immediately makes the Warriors a tougher team to face, his reintroduction to the side increases the Warriors attacking potential tenfold. I expect to see him on the left edge, partnering with Peta Hiku once again. This will be great news for Ken Maumalo who will be looking at building on his impressive 2019 season.

Tohu's return to the field will also benefit Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, RTS has been doing his best as the leader of this side, but I believe he has been let down by his leadership team at times throughout 2019.
With Tohu back, he now has a well-respected veteran in the forward pack that is willing to lead from the front and help guide the younger players in the squad.
Any pressure that can be taken off Roger's shoulder can only improve the Warriors chances of playoff football.

The only potential issue for would be the possibility of Tohu picking up another injury, it would be a cruel blow for the talented second rower, but I'm hopeful that luck will be on his side.

5. Kodi Nikorima

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Perhaps the most controversial player on my list but I am expecting a good year for Kodi.

Moving to the club after the 2019 season had already began put Kodi on the backfoot right from the start. So having a full preseason with the team under his belt is going to help him find his place within the squad.

His position is probably the most significant talking point, is he a starting half? Should he be Hooker? Or should he be on the bench as a utility?

If I was picking the Warriors gameday 17, I would put him in the halves, partnering with Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Expecting Kodi to take over the kicking duties last year was a mistake, however, with Chanel steering the ship, Kodi would be free to play his natural game, utilising his speed to target weaknesses in the oppositions defensive line.

Of course, this will all depend on how Stephen Kearney decides to construct his team, He seems set to have Blake Green starting, but I think this move will be detrimental to the Warriors chances of success in 2020.

So those were my picks for the five Warriors players I think will have a breakout 2020, next week I will be offering my thoughts on the five players that I think need to improve in 2020 but until then let me know what you think on my choices and who you think will be having a big season this year.