NZ Warriors Round 2 Review: Warriors woes continue on the GC

After their poor round 1 effort, the Warriors made their way to their makeshift home ground in the Gold Coast to face the 2019 grand finalist Canberra Raiders.
After their decision to stay in Australia for as long as was required, the Warriors received a lot of love and fanfare on both sides of the Tasman. However, it didn't help them on gameday as the Raiders cruised to a 20-6 victory that left the Warriors with more questions than answers.

I came into this match expecting very little and walked away, feeling I got what I expected.
The Warriors looked to be in the fight for a lot of the first half, but the Raiders appeared to be sluggish, and the Warriors weren't good enough to capitalise.
Honestly, I'm not sure what the Warriors can do to turn 2020 around. Being away from family for an unknown length of time would be a tough situation that many people would struggle and will no doubt be taking a toll on the side, but that is not an excuse for what they offered on Saturday.
If the season does continue on during this crisis, then Stephen Kearney and his players need to make changes now.

Much like last week, there wasn't much to praise, but I had a few highlights which leads me to my positives from the match.

After a terrible display of discipline in Round 1, the Warriors did at least reduce their penalty count, this is a welcome sign as the Warriors continue to struggle on attack and defence and any piggyback they give the opposition will undoubtedly lead to a long day at the office.

I thought Adam Keighran had a strong game and showed some spark when on attack. The Warriors need more of that, so if he is not going to continue to play centre for the Warriors, they need to move him into the halves to give the Warriors someone who will keep the opposing defence guessing.

There was plenty to be concerned with, however, which leads me to my negatives from the game.

While the penalties were down the errors went up, in dry conditions, it is unacceptable to make 13 errors, especially when so many of them were schoolboy errors. Much like the penalties above, the Warriors are currently not a good enough side to let their opponents off the hook with unforced errors, increase the accuracy and it makes it easier to get the victory.

That win will be a long way away; however, if the Warriors attack does not improve.
All the talk of this new gameplan, unleashing the Warriors second phase has not developed into anything on the field. It is the same one out hit ups that have been a staple of the Warriors campaigns since Stephen Kearneys time as coach started.
The halves do not appear to be on the same page and this, in turn, makes the backline appear disorganised, the forwards aren't bending the defensive line or offloading. It makes for a very dull and ineffective attacking platform. If the Warriors are going to continue to suffer defeats at least go down swinging.

My last negative is the missed tackles, the Warriors missed 46 tackles in this match, and if you do that against any team in the NRL, you are going to get punished.
Defence is all about attitude and having trust in your teammates, so on a positive note, hopefully, this team spent isolated in Australia will help develop that much-needed trust.

There is plenty to work on, but with some positional changes and attitude adjustments, the Warriors may be able to get themselves into the winners circle sooner rather than later.

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My player of the day once again goes to Eliesa Katoa.

After a strong debut, Katoa was rewarded with a position in the starting line up, and he did not disappoint. Running for 157 metres, including 4 tackle breaks, an offload and 27 tackles, if I was to nitpick, I would point out his 4 missed tackles, but that was the only blemish on what was a strong second outing for the rookie.

2020 will most likely be a disappointment for Warriors fans, but the emergence of Katoa should at least have fans hopeful for the future.

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My player to improve goes to 2019 regular nominee Adam Blair.
Plenty of players in the side had poor performances, but Blair just made too many errors for my liking. Changes need to be made in this side, and players like Blair appear to be blocking the way for some talented youngsters that the Warriors have in their second-row stocks. I would look to be using Blair in the front row for the remainder of the season where the Warriors have some depth issues currently and let the talented youngsters like Katoa and Joshua Curran flourish with more game time.

Currently, the NRL plans to proceed with round 3 which would see the Warriors face the Manly Sea Eagles at Lottoland in Sydney.
The venue may very well change depending on the Coronavirus situation, but the Sea Eagles will be coming in as hot favourites after their win over the Roosters.
Manly looked good against the reigning premiers and will be a mighty task for the Warriors to face and unfortunately, I don't see the Warriors walking away with their first win in 2020, and I'm predicting a 20 point victory for the Sea Eagles.

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

How do the Warriors start to turn their season around?
Who was your player of the match?
With the talks of loan players currently, which unsigned/reserve grade player would you grab?
What is your score prediction for the Manly clash?

NZ Warriors Round 1 Review : Warriors embarrassed in Newcastle shutout

The NRL is back, and despite cancellation fears, the Warriors made the way to McDonald Jones Stadium to face the Newcastle Knights.
Widely written off as playoff contenders, the Warriors needed to deliver a strong performance to prove the doubters wrong, but the 20-0 defeat left plenty for the Warriors fans to worry about.

I have been writing these reviews regularly for the past four years, and I don't recall the last time I felt this demotivated to write a review, so this may not be a long one.
What a disappointing performance from the Warriors, despite the poor preseason I still expected more from the side, but they barely fired a shot.
The Knights were not amazing by any means, but Warriors gifted them far too many opportunities while also not being able to create any scoring chances for themselves.

Work needs to be done by the coaching staff and the team alike if they are to have any chance to turn the season around. That is if the season actually continues for much longer but more on that later.

It wasn't all doom and gloom, which leads me to my positives from the match.

I don't have really have any, to be honest, in fact, I only have one. The debutants out in strong performances, in particular Eliesa Katoa and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown.
Both players took their chance with both hands and did themselves proud. The senior members of the squad need to take a page out of the youngster's book if the Warriors want to get some points on the board.

That was all I could really highlight as positive this week as there was a lot more to be concerned about, which leads me to my negatives.

Penalties, penalties, penalties! The Warriors conceded 13 penalties by the time the final whistle blew and over half of them were easily avoidable.
The Warriors had the same issue in 2019, and if they don't bring some discipline into their game, then you can expect plenty more losses in the foreseeable future.

The forward pack was mostly terrible with the majority of the pack barely making a dent in the Knights defensive line and making poor defensive reads. League is a simple game, and your success is built on the foundation that your forward pack sets and the current crop are not getting it done.
I would be moving the pack around, get Adam Blair into the front row, Tohu Harris and Katoa into the second row and drop Isaiah Papali'i. Kearney was hesitant to make changes last season, but with his job, on the line, he needs to make the big calls with his gameday squad selections.

The Warriors attack was almost no existent. Despite word out of the preseason that the Warriors were going to be more adventurous with the ball in hand, the fans got to watch the same predictable style of play from 2019. Grubbers towards the goalposts are not the only option, take advantage of the new rules and kick to the corners, just try something new.

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My player of the match goes to Eliesa Katoa.
Katoa showed promise in his outings in the trials, but I wasn't convinced he would be able to replicate that form into the regular season, so I didn't pick him in my gameday 17, but I was happy to be proven wrong.
He ran the ball hard and had the most metres of any Warriors forward with 144, had 2 offloads and 19 tackles with only one missed tackle, not a bad effort from the youngster.
If the rest of the forward pack could match his heart and passion, then the Warriors forward pack could really turn a corner.
He has more than earned his spot in the squad and should be in talks to become a first-grade regular.

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My player to improve goes to Blake Green.
Blake, thank you for your service, but it is time to call it a day.
Having Green out on the paddock is proving to be more of a hindrance than it is worth.
He did manage a 40/20, but besides that, the experienced half offered very little and continued to make schoolboy errors and poor attacking options.
If Green continues to be tasked with steering the ship, then the Warriors will continue to sink, bring in Kodi Nikorima or Adam Keighran into the halves and let them build a partnership for the future with Chanel Harris-Tavita.

Round 2 was meant to see the Warriors host the Canberra Raiders at Eden Park, however with the Coronavirus restricting travel, the Warriors have relocated to the Gold Coast and will be playing there.
The Raiders looked strong in there Round 1 win and are going to be a tremendous challenge for the Warriors who will have some personnel changes after Patrick Herbert and Peta Hiku elected to return home.
I think the Raiders are going to be too strong for the Warriors and I'm predicting the Raiders to win by 16.

Since I started writing, I have never encountered anything like what is currently happening with the Coronavirus. It is crazy, and sports competitions around the world have already gone on hiatus until further notice.
The NRL has elected to push forward with Round 2, but we have no clue if Round 3 will continue as planned or if the season will go on hold.
If the season goes on the Warriors will have to stay in Australia long term, and I just don't see that working out, one positive is that this situation could unify the squad and perhaps lead to better performances.
However, being away from their families for however long could have a detrimental effect on the players too, as well as if the Warriors injury form continues they would be unable to send any more players over to fill in.
Cameron George has spoken about the potential that the Warriors may not get to play on home soil this season which would be devastating for the club and fans alike, but everyone just has to wait and see what unfolds in the upcoming days/weeks.
Personally, I think the NRL will cease the competition before we get to round 4 but time will tell.

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

Do you have any positives from this match?
What changes would you make to the squad?
How long do you think the season will continue before the NRL is forced to put the season or hold or cancel altogether?
What is your score prediction against the Raiders?

NZ Warriors 2020 Season Preview: All in or Fold?

Finally, after what has seemed like an age, the NRL is back, and tomorrow Round One will commence.
That also means that it's time for me to give my thoughts on how I see the Warriors going in 2020.
As I did last year, I will be breaking down my preview into sections outlining my views on the preseason and trial results, the key signing, the 2020 squad, my gameday 17 and then rounding it up with my 2020 prediction.
As always these are all my thoughts and opinions and I'm always interested in hearing your thoughts too so if you want to share your views, comment below and let me know what you think.

Preseason News: Hello darkness my old friend

2019 was disappointing, to say the least.

After a dominant Round One victory over a poor Bulldogs side, the Warriors looked sure to be in contention for playoff football.

Consistent inconsistencies, however, saw the Warriors slump to 13th place by the end of the season managing a mere 9 wins.

The 2020 preseason has been filled to the brim with change's, albeit many of them off the field.
Gone are head trainer Alex Corvo, manager of football Brian Smith and NSW Cup coach Nathan Cayless.
Joining the club are trainer Craig Twentyman, former Newcastle Knights coach Nathan Brown comes in as an assistant coach. Slade Griffin is now in charge of the Future Warriors program designed to stem the flow of local talent moving across the ditch.
And last but not least, Simon Mannering returns to help in a coaching/mentor role.

One of the most significant talking points of the preseason has been the Warriors recruitment or lack thereof.
Peter O'Sullivan was once the guru of recruitment luring talents like Sonny Bill Williams and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to the Bulldogs and the Roosters. Still, since joining the Warriors, there has been almost nothing but misses for the recruiter.
With 12 players coming off contract this season there is going to be plenty of room for recruiting for the 2021 season, but so far the Warriors have failed to pull in all but one of their targets.

The biggest slap in the face for fans was the youngster Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, who was offered a monster deal to join the Warriors only for him to take less money to join the fledging Gold Coast Titans.
The Warriors did manage a win recently, signing Tongan representative Ben Murdoch-Masila.
Fans are divided on Ben, but it is no secret that the Warriors are in dire need of size upfront and the Warrington Wolves forward fits the bill.

In news that should make fans happy, coach Stephen Kearney has agreed that his structured style has stunted the Warriors attack and moving forward the Warriors are to play a more expansive style.
It's a no brainer, the Warriors are at their best when playing off the cuff and that showed in the Round 26 victory over the Raiders last year.
Does this mean the Warriors are going to be world-beaters, well no but at least they will hopefully be exciting to watch.

Unfortunately, this new style didn't really come to be in the preseason matches.

The nines returned this year, but the Warriors were by far the worst performers of the tournament losing 34-0 to the Knights and 14-8 to the Roosters.
Many of the Warriors strike weapons did not make the trip to Perth, but the experienced players that were there offered very little.
For me the only bright side of the nines was Paul Turner, he showed some class and is a name to remember for the future.

The first of the Warriors two trial saw the Warriors venture to Palmerston North to face the Melbourne Storm, both sides played without their key players, and there isn't much to say about this match with the Storm coming away with an 18-16 victory.
My standouts in this trial were Adam Tuimavave-Gerrad, Setu Tu and Chanel Harris-Tavita.
New signing Wayde Egan only had a short spell in the second half but when he was on the Warriors play the balls were quick and crisp.
There was plenty to work on, but it was at least a step up from the Nines performance.

The second trial saw most of the stars make the trip to Rotorua to face the Wests Tigers.
The Warriors were competitive in the first half, going into the break 6 all but when the regular first-graders went off the Tigers ran away with the match, winning 20-6.
Tohu Harris looked good on the edge and formed a good partnership with David Fusitu'a in his new position of centre.
The Warrior last tackle options left plenty to be desired with Blake Green continuing his poor form from last season.
If Kearney really wants to allow the Warriors to play a more attacking style of football, then he needs to drop Green.

So that was a disappointing preseason with zero wins but the biggest issue coming out of preseason is the Warriors casualty ward.
Prop's Bunty Afoa and Jackson Frei are out for the season with knee injuries.
Agnatius Paasi and Josh Curran's injuries will see them miss Round One and Jazz Tevaga is slated to be back around Round 6.
Nathaniel Roache and Gerard Beale will be back even later.
As the trial match against the Tigers showed, the players at the next level down are not good enough, so the Warriors will be hoping that the rest of the squad remain healthy.

Lastly, I have a little rant.
Early in the preseason, the Warriors showed a video of Cameron George talking to the players about being "All In", playing for each other and the fans.
I liked the video don't get me wrong, but last week the Warriors had their season launch and did not include the fans.
They usually have a small event at SkyCity for the fans, but this was cast aside for an event for the suits.
It's great to keep sponsors happy, but at the end of the day, it's the fans that show up in all types of weather regardless of how the Warriors are performing.
In what is most likely going to be a rough year the club should be embracing the fanbase instead of shunning them.                                                                                                                                                            

Key Signing: Wayde Egan

Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi

With only two new signings for 2020, there weren't that many options for my key signing, but I've gone with Wayde Egan.

Wayde has big shoes to fill replacing Isaac Luke, and he will have plenty of opportunities to show Warriors fans his calibre when he makes his debut for the club in Round One.

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 what I have seen from Wayde in the trials, 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, he has a solid kicking game which the Warriors sorely need.

My 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 issue is his history with shoulder injuries, the Warriors hookers tend to not have the best luck when it comes to injuries, but 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.

2020 Squad

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The 2020 squad is not too different from 2019, gone are Blake Ayshford, Issac Luke, Tevita Satae, Ligi Sao and most recently Sam Lisone.

And in are Wayde Egan and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown with Adam Pompey and Eliesa Katoa getting upgrades from their development contracts.

With 12 players coming off-contract this season I'm hopeful that they will be playing out of their skin for a new contract either with the Warriors or elsewhere. I'm clutching at straws, but the Warriors could benefit from player desperate to continue their playing careers in the NRL.

Kearney announced that Fusitu'a is going to be moving into the centres and I'm not sure if that is going to be a good move or not, but at least if it doesn't work out, he can swap with Patrick Herbert and go back to the wing.

The rest of the outside backs are easy picks, Tuivasa-Sheck is one of the game's best, and the combination between Peta Hiku and Ken Maumalo needs to continue to build.

Blake Green needs to move out of the 17 and be used to pass on his knowledge to the younger halves at the club. I believe that pairing up Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita in the halves is the way to go.

Kodi excels running with the ball in hand and would partner up nicely with Chanel, give the young talent time to gel together and build for the future.

With the injuries upfront, it is now the perfect time to do what should have been done a while ago and move Adam Blair into the middle. The Warriors have some good young players that should be playing in the second row, and personally, I think Blair is more productive when he plays at prop.

I would have Joshua Curran, Tohu Harris and Lachlan Burr as my second-row lock combination but there several players that could slot into the 11 and 13 especially when Jazz Tevaga returns from injury.

If Warriors carry three forwards on their interchange, I would be happy with any mix really.

The team on paper isn't really that bad, but the Warriors forward pack is going to struggle this season which means we could be in for a long season.

My 2020 Prediction

Last year I was way off with my prediction when I said the Warriors would finish 7th.

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

I don't agree with them about the spoon, but I do think the Warriors will struggle, and I see them sitting 12th at the end of Round 25.

I hope I'm wrong and the Warriors have a good season, but with a small forward pack and a tough draw, I just don't see it happening.

So, let's bring on the new season, I cannot wait for the first game this Saturday.

I will once again be writing game reviews every week throughout the season, and I'm looking forward to talking to all of you as the year progresses.

If you are at any of the home games this year, you can always find me in the member's tent before kick-off so come 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 been kept on as the Warriors correspondent for NothingbutLeague.com this season so please show them some love by checking out my articles on their site each week.

So that's my take on the Warriors upcoming season, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

1. Are you excited for the 2020 season?

2. What are your thoughts on Ben Murdoch-Masila's signing?

3. Who would be in your gameday 17?

4. Where do you think the Warriors will finish in 2020?