NZ Warriors 2020 Round 7 Review: Woes continue as Warriors humiliated by Storm

After last weeks poor performance which saw the end of Stephen Kearney's reign, the Warriors made the trip to Netstrata Jubilee Stadium to face the Melbourne Storm.

Leading up to the match, all the talk about the side was about their reaction to Kearney's sacking and how the team wasn't in the best mindset which had me worried about what kind of performance we would see from them. Unfortunately, it was more of the same with the Warriors going down 50-6 in a disappointing but not overly surprising showing.

Well, that's not the way Todd Payten would have wanted his head coaching career to start, in fact, it was the first time since 1931 that a midseason replacement coach has been kept scoreless at halftime.

The Warriors started the match strongly, but after a few fumbled scoring opportunities they seemed to drop their heads, and the Storm did not take their foot off the Warriors throat, and the New Zealand side never had a chance to claw their way back into the match.

Losing Karl Lawton early on was a significant loss for the Warriors, but it was good to see Chanel Harris-Tavita back on the field again, and I hope it is a sign of things to come as Chanel has too much talent to not be included in the game day 17. 

Fingers crossed however that Lawton is back soon as I think he has been having a strong year.

There have been rumours that players are unhappy in Australia and that some have requested to come home unless their families are moved across the ditch. I know it's hard for the players but the Warriors need to focus on improving their performances on the field, many of them are off-contract. They are fighting to keep their careers alive, and if they don't turn things around now, they will have more than missing their families to worry about.

It may be harsh, but Payten needs to find the Warriors that are focused on the current season and build around them, if players want to leave, let them and give their spot to younger, hungrier talent.

Much like last week, there wasn't much to praise, but there was a couple, which leads me to my positive from the match.

The Warriors discipline improved considerably compared to last week, only conceding 3 penalties.

If they can keep that penalty count low and improve some of the below facets of their game, then they may start to reap some rewards.

The forward pack still impressed me, yes they were outmuscled in this match, but they kept on fighting.

The Warriors missed Eliesa Katoa tremendously, and they need him to recover from his injury sooner rather than later especially with the unfortunate news that Poasa Faamausili will be heading back to the Roosters now due to all the injuries they sustained this week.

Faamausili has been a shining light in the Warriors pack this year, and I was hoping that the Warriors would be able to obtain him long term, but it wasn't to be.

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

Last week I criticised the Warriors abysmal defence and said if they did not sort out their defensive model then the blowout scores would continue, and I wasn't wrong.

The Warriors did cut down their missed tackles but still ended the match with 31 missed tackles, they need to reduce this stat tenfold to stem the flow of points being scored against them.

The Warriors respect for the ball was dire, making 13 errors during the match. You could say that the Warriors were trying to force opportunities as they were falling further and further behind on the scoreboard but the basic errors they were making showed how far behind the top tier sides they really are.

That flows right into my last negative from the match, and that is the Warriors inability to convert their chances into points. The Warriors had a few opportunities to score but could not get across the line.

It showed that the Warriors can get themselves into scoring positions they just need to work on capitalising on those opportunities.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck tried inserting himself into a more playmaking role, and it just didn't work in this match, he needs to stop the no-look passes, two scoring chances were squandered when players dropped Sheck's passes.

I know those players should have caught the balls, but if Sheck just delivers the ball without trying to be fancy, then the Warriors could have easily scored.

It may look pretty, but the Warriors need to get the basics working first.

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My Warrior of the game goes to Patrick Herbert.

This was hard as I could have easily not picked anyone from this performance, but I think Herbert was one of the only players that could walk off the paddock with his head held high.

He almost scored a try in the first half and scored the only try for the Warriors in the second half and was always a threat with the ball in hand.

Defensively Herbert was solid too, the Storm has a dangerous backline, but he stuck to his defensive assignments and did not let anyone down.

I am happy to see Herbert continue the season in the centres and I'm glad that pushing him out to the wing is an experiment that is over now.

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My Warrior to improve goes to Peta Hiku.

Peta Hiku makes it two weeks in a row. The Storm did their research and targeted Hiku on defence, and it worked with Hiku missing a team-high 7 tackles. 

His defence has always been his weakness but what he offered on attack and setting his wingers up to score always meant that you kept him in your lineup, however with his attacking flair currently neutered it is getting harder and harder to not give another player a chance in the centres.

Round 8 sees the Warriors face the Brisbane Broncos.

The Warriors have not had the best season in 2020, but no one has been on a steeper decline than the Broncos since the season started up again the Broncos has been 0-5.

This is the time for the Warriors to get themselves back in the winner's circle, it looks certain that Tuivasa-Sheck will be missing at least this match due to a shoulder charge citing so there will be some shuffling around in the squad.

Even though I just criticised him, I would move Hiku to fullback, just going on previous experiences Hiku has played his best matches for the Warriors at fullback so moving back there could help both him and the Warriors out, at least until their skipper returns.

With Faanausili leaving and Katoa injured, we may also see some changes in the pack, the Warriors have just announced that they have reached an agreement with the Penrith Panthers to obtain prop, Jack Hetherington, for the foreseeable future.

I don't know much about the 24-year-old other than that he was the Panther 2018 rookie of the year, he has size and could be an excellent fit for the Warriors, he just has big boots to fill as Faanausili has been fantastic during his time with the Warriors.

Since they are up against the Broncos, who are struggling, so why not ring the changes and try to spark some life into this Warriors side.

After the past two weeks, I would not be confident in picking a Warriors to win, but I can't see even the Warriors losing to Brisbane right now, so I'm picking the Warriors to win by 18.

There has been no further news on the coaching situation. Still, I am deeply concerned about the future of this club, I want to dig a bit deeper into the facts and figures, so I think I will do a separate write up about my concerns with the direction the club appears to be going so watch this space.

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

Who was your player of the day?

How would you improve the game day 17?

Who would you put at Fullback if RTS is suspended?

What is your score prediction against the Broncos?

NZ Warriors 2020 Round 6 Review: Inconsistency strikes again as Warriors hammered by Rabbitohs

After returning to the winner's circle in Round 5, the Warriors made their way to Bankwest Stadium to face the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Confidence was high that the New Zealand side had turned a corner with newfound attacking potential, but it wasn't to be as the Rabbitohs defeated the Warriors with ease, handing them their fourth loss of the season 40-12.

Man oh man, the Warriors up-down journey continues.

I really thought that the team had clicked last week and they started the match with glimpses of what they can do on attack and my prediction of a close game appeared to be coming true with both sides trading blows with neither getting the upper hand.

That is until the Warriors looked sure to score only for Dane Gagai to intercept a Peta Hiku pass and run 70 metres in the other direction. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck managed to cut Gagai off but then Kodi Nikorima was sin-binned for flopping onto Gagai, and this swung the momentum in the Rabbitohs favour and the Warriors never recovered. Cody Walker also got sin-binned 10 minutes later. Unlike the Rabbitohs, the Warriors did not have that killer instinct to take advantage having an extra man on the field and in fact allowed the Rabbitohs to score once again of an overlap which just highlights the Warriors issues on defence.

A big talking point in this period was David Fusitu'a's dropped try, he looked certain to score and copped a knock to the head by a misguided arm swing by Latrell Mitchell. This knock to the head saw Fusitu'a eventually go off the field for an HIA, and he did not return. There was no penalty for this, and I feel that this was the wrong call, what Mitchell did was an accident, but it was still contact to the head, so a penalty needed to be called.

You can't say that the result would have been any different if Fusitu'a had scored there, but the Warriors would have been closer on the scoreboard, but I think their defensive issues would still have cost them the match.

Unlike last week, there wasn't much to praise, but there was one, which leads me to my positive from the match.

I thought the young forward pack had another strong showing, Lachlan Burr being ruled out of the match after only ten minutes meant that the young prop rotation had more minutes and I don't think they let anyone down. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown is my standout in the front row to date this season closely followed by Poasa Faamausili who unfortunately will be returning to the Roosters soon, it would be great if the Warriors can someone negotiate to keep him long term, but I don't the Roosters will let him go. Either way, my confidence in the pack for 2021 has grown after what I have seen this year, especially with Ben Murdoch-Masila arriving.

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

Injuries seem to be the flavour of the season for the New Zealand outfit with Burr and Fusitu'a's failed HIA's and a leg injury to Eliesa Katoa reducing the Warriors to a two-man bench and limited minutes for the exciting rookie.

The reduced bench saw some fatigue set in during the later stages of the match and losing a winger meant the backline had tobe rejigged which saw the Warriors attack suffer. Hopefully, these injuries are nothing major, and the Warriors don't lose anyone else longterm.

The Warriors defence was abysmal, they missed 41 tackles and appeared to struggle with their defensive reads. Alex Johnston's overlap try when the Rabbitohs only had 12 men should never have happened, and the Warriors camp needs to seriously work on their defensively model this week if they want to prevent another blowout.

The Warriors respect for the ball was dire, making 11 errors during the match. You could say that the Warriors were trying to force opportunities as they were falling further and further behind on the scoreboard but the basic errors they were making showed how far behind the top tier sides they really are.

Unforced errors flows right into my last negative from the match, and that is the Warriors lack of polish. Not including Fusitu'a's dubious dropped ball over the try-line, the Warriors would have scored two more tries if they were able to just hold onto the ball as they crossed the chalk. Throw in the intercept by Gagai which should have been a try for the Warriors, and that's three tries the Warriors should have scored.

It showed that the Warriors can get themselves into scoring positions they just need to work on capitalising on those opportunities.

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My Warrior of the game goes to Karl Lawton, he was on the bench to give Wayde Egan a break at dummy half but found himself playing on the edge for an extended period of the game. Admittingly Lawton was one of those players that dropped the ball over the line, but he was also one of the few players that appeared to be out there giving everything he had.

Lawton plays aggressively and always threatens to open the opposing defence up with strong runs and needs to be a constant in the Warriors 17 for the rest of the season.

With Egan looking to spend time on the sideline due to his eye raking incident on Latrell Mitchell, Lawton should walk straight into the starting hooker position and will be looking to make the number 9 jersey permanently his.

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Unfortunately, it was hard to single out a Warrior to improve this week with several putting their hands up, but I've settled on two this week, Gerard Beale and Peta Hiku.

Beale is a solid enough player; however, he lacks size and speed, he doesn't need both, but he needs one of either. His hands let him down, and his defensive reads were sub-par in this match, and I think the sun is setting on his NRL career and it is time that the Warriors look to their youngsters to fill his spot in the side.

Hat trick hero Hiku went from diamonds to rocks this week, he was a handful on attack at times but did lose the ball over the chalk and was the one that threw the pass straight to Gagai. The Rabbitohs did their research and targeted Hiku on defence, and he was a turnstile once again missing 5 tackles. His combination with Maumalo last year was excellent. If he can get Ken into scoring Opportunites once again when the big man returns, then he may keep himself in the side, but with the recent changes with the club (more on that below) he also may find himself put out to pasture.

Round 7 sees the Warriors travel to face a Melbourne Storm side that will still be hurting from their loss to the Penrith Panthers. The game was meant to played at AAMI Park but due to a recent COVID scare the match has to be moved to a yet to be announced location.

The usual Anzac day clash between these sides was delayed due to COVID, but it is usually a bad time for the New Zealand side, normally getting trounced by the Storm.

With the sacking of Stephen Kearney, I have no idea what 17 we will see on the park for the Warriors, will it be the same side or will Todd Payten shake things up? I honestly have no idea but either way, unfortunately, I think the Warriors are going to go down once again, the Storm seldom lose two games in a row, and I'm predicting the Storm to win by 20.

Finally, before I go my thoughts on the firing of Stephen Kearney.

The timing of it I believe was poor, but the decision was correct, I'm just unsure why it wasn't done at the end of last season. From all accounts, Kearney is a great guy, but he just wasn't the right fit, and for the past four years I have questioned his gameplan, team selections and his use of the interchange. I hope he lands on his feet somewhere else and thinks he should go back to being an assistant coach as I believe that is where he flourishes.

The make or break of this club is now placed firmly on the shoulders of Warriors management, and they need to pick the right guy to turn this side around otherwise they too may be looking for new career opportunities.

In regards to who I would pick I cannot say, I know Geoff Toovey has put his hand up, and he could do well, he also hasn't coached for a few years.

There were also rumours that Craig Fitzgibbon and even Wayne Bennett (or at least Bennett's management) have let the club know of their interest. If the Bennett rumour is real and he could get out of the final year of his contract, I would take him in a heartbeat.

Fitzgibbon has also shown great potential as an up and coming coach who won't get the top job at the Roosters for some time, so this may be his best chance. 

The club could also throw a hail mary and throw cash at Craig Bellamy who is in his final year at Melbourne, the odds of he coming to New Zealand are slim but what's the harm in asking?

Another option would be the Walker brothers, now they may not even be interested, but they encourage the type of exciting playstyle that we all would like to see the Warriors return to. They appear to have been tailormade to coach the Warriors.

As long as the Warriors take their time and make the correct decision instead of just trying to make a quick one, I will be happy.

The performances on the field may continue to disappoint, but at least there may be some interesting stories in the upcoming months off the field as the search for the saviour coach continues.

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

Who was your player of the day?

What changes would you make to the game day 17?

What is your take on Kearney's sacking, and who would you sign as the new coach?

What is your score prediction against the Storm?

NZ Warriors 2020 Round 5 Review: Attack shines as Warriors impress in Central Coast

After a poor performance in round 4, the Warriors made their way back to their makeshift home ground of Central Coast Stadium to face the North Queensland Cowboys.

Last week I questioned the New Zealand sides lack of attack and had concerns that the Warriors wouldn't be able to create opportunities. The Warriors, however, showed up to play and put on their best performance of 2020 with a 37-26 victory.

Well, what a way to prove me wrong.

After scoring a measly 24 points in the first 4 rounds of the season the Warriors turned their attack around scoring 7 tries. It was a great performance in my eyes and hopefully is something that the side can keep up for the rest of the season.

The Warriors had a gameplan to combat Jason Taumalolo and the Cowboys, and it worked, the loss of Valentine Holmes and Jordan McLean to injury did not help the Cowboys, and you could see that they were getting fatigued. 

Still, credit must go to the Warriors for not letting up, there were moments when the game could have gone the other way, but the Warriors kept attacking.

The young players stepped up once again and continue to stake their claim for spots in the gameday 17 and with players like Ken Maumalo and David Fusitu'a due to return soon the side could starting climbing their way up the ladder.

Peta Hiku needs a mention, when he let Kyle Feldt score a soft try, I was pulling my hair out and screaming at the screen, but he didn't drop his head and went on to have a strong game scoring a hat-trick and made some good defensive reads.

There is still plenty of improvement needed in this side, but it's another step in the right direction, which leads me to my positives from the game.

The forward pack was strong once again with all the starting forwards running for over 100 metres, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown was a standout consistently bending the defensive line and threatening to breakthrough. Tohu Harris and Adam Blair performed well once again, and loan player Poasa Faamausili continues to impress. With such a young pack, it is going to be exciting to see how they all develop and could well become a dominating pack once they get some experience under their belt.

I have been very harsh on the Warriors halves this season but credit where credits due they really came to play. When Holmes got injured both Green and Nikorima changed up their attack and started to incorporate some chip kicks into the attack which really worked. As long as they can continue to offer a bit of dimension to their attack, then I am happy to see them continue playing together. They just need to play with the same intent each and every week.

The teams' defence improved this week, the biggest issue against the Panthers last week was the Warriors inability to wrap the ball carrier up; however this week they hit the forwards in groups and ensured that the Cowboys could not throw many offloads.

If the Warriors can continue to shut their opponent's second phase down, then the Warriors will give themselves plenty of chances to walk away with a victory.

There are still concerns; however, which leads me to my negatives from the game.

The Warriors cut down on their errors, but when they did make unforced errors in their own half, they allowed the Cowboys to capitalise and score some soft tries almost immediately from the scrum. 

I'm not sure if that is down to a weakness in the Warriors backline or the Cowboys just having some good set plays, but the Warriors will need to show the ball a bit more respect when they are stuck in their own half.

Lastly, the Warriors still need to work on their penalty count, they reduced it this match but only by one so fewer penalties in the game would help them stay in the fight. 

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My Warrior of the game goes to Kodi Nikorima.

This was Nikorima's best performance to date in a Warriors Jersey, speaking after the match Nikorima said he was told during the week by Stacey Jones to be greedy and run the ball.

Nikorima ended the match with 97 metres, 1 line break and 2 try assists and showed how dangerous a player he can be.

By simply engaging the defensive line, he creates holes and can put players into attacking situations. His combination with Eliesa Katoa on the left edge was particularly damaging and I look forward to that partnership building this season and beyond.

Plus when you throw Peta Hiku and Ken Mamalo on that edge too, it just screams try-time and could help the Warriors get back into the season.

If Nikorima can continue to play this more engaging and exciting style, then the Warriors will be all the better for it.

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My Warrior to improve goes to Jack Murchie.

It was hard to single out anyone in this match as I thought everyone played well, but I've gone with Murchie this week.

He was a bit quieter in comparison to the other forwards, only averaging 8 metres a carry and missing 2 tackles. It's clutching at straws, but with Agnatius Paasi ready to return, Murchie is the only player I would pick from this pack to be replaced by the veteran front-rower. 

Round 6 sees the Warriors face the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Bankwest Stadium.

The Rabbitohs suffered a 22-8 defeat to the Melbourne Storm and will be looking at making a statement against the New Zealand Side.

Latrell Mitchell looked good in defeat and will be dangerous if the Warriors don't reduce his impact on this match.

If the forwards have another strong showing and Nikorima continues his new found form, then the Warriors have a good chance to walk away winners here.

I think it will be a close match, but unfortunately, I think the Rabbitohs will be walking away with a narrow win here, so I am picking the Rabbitohs to win by 10.

So that was an improved Round 5, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How do you think the halves went?

Who was your player of the day?

Do you think the Warriors can deliver this type of performance regularly?

What is your score prediction for the Rabbitohs clash?

NZ Warriors 2020 Round 4 Review: Back to Earth for inconsistent Warriors

After achieving their first win for the 2020 season, the Warriors made their way to Campbell Stadium to face the Penrith Panthers.

Confidence was high that the New Zealand side had turned a corner after a poor start to the season with a near-perfect completion rate in round 3, but it wasn't to be as the Panthers defeated the Warriors with ease, handing them their 2nd scoreless loss of the season 26-0.

I will be honest, this was an unexpected performance, although the loss wasn't that much of a surprise it was the way the Warriors lost that caught me off-guard.

After a step forward last week, the Warriors have stepped backwards all the back to how they were performing pre-lockdown. 

This was the biggest worry for me, are the Warriors still the same struggling team we saw in the first two rounds that defeated a Dragons team that is even poorer than I initially thought?

I'm hopeful that this isn't the case and with the return of Agnatius Paasi, Ken Maumalo, Peta Hiku and David Fusitu'a that the Warriors will become a better outfit for the remainder of the season.

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

Loan player Poasa Faamausili showed some promise in his debut for the club, he only had a limited stint, but he was aggressive with his ball running, averaging over 10 metres a carry. 

He bent the line at will and really helped the Warriors march up the field.

I also thought Hayze Perham had a solid game as a last-minute call up into the centres, he was reliable on defence and offered some spark on attack. It will be interesting to see what role Perham will play within the side when the injured backs return.

My last positive was the young forwards continuing to step up, they did not dominate the ruck like they did last week, but still showed heart and were getting the Warriors up the field. 

Unfortunately, once the forwards had done their part, the halves failed to take advantage but more on that below.

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

After making minimal errors last week, the Warriors let themselves down with 14 errors, on top of that the Warriors were penalised 7 times.

With the faster gameplay style, you mustn't give the opposition any piggybacks up the field, and every error or penalty is just another scoring opportunity given away.

The Warriors defence also had some issues, they missed 26 tackles but what was more concerning was the Warriors inability to wrap that Panthers ball runners up which leads to 18 offloads. 

If it was just Viliame Kikau getting away with the offloads, I might have given it a pass, but the Panthers had 9 separate players with at least one offload each. 

Wrapping the ball carriers arms up is an absolute must if the Warriors are to become competitive.

Lastly and in my mind, the biggest concern is the Warriors last tackle options, as mentioned above the Warriors were able to get themselves into the Panthers red zone. However, once the Warriors got there, they appeared to be out of ideas, which lead to much frustration while watching from home.

The Warriors kicking game offered no threat, The halves just don't appear to be on the same page and this, in turn, makes the backline appear disorganised.

I think the Stephen Kearney needs to make some adjustments to the Warriors spine immediately to reignite their lacklustre attack.

There is plenty to work on or the New Zealand side, 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 Warrior of the match once again goes to Tohu Harris.

Tohu had another monster night with 224 running metres and 56 tackles. Harris is definitely flourishing now that he is 100% fit and I hope that he can continue performing at this level with it rubbing off on the other players in the squad. 

If a few more of the players can come up to his level, then the Warriors will automatically become a much better side.

Copyright Photo: Stuff.co.nz

My Warrior to improve goes to Blake Green.

In both my season preview and season restart piece, I had not selected Green in my gameday 17, and so far this season I have not seen anything to convince me that he deserves the number 7 jersey. 

He is too predictable, and the Warriors are suffering as a result.

Green and Kodi Nikorima are not clicking, and I still would like to see how Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita would go together.

Green still has plenty to offer; however, I believe it is from the teacher side of things, passing on his extensive knowledge to the younger halves. 

But the Warriors need to find their spark, and that won't happen while Green is directing the side's attack.

Round 5 sees the Warriors back at Central Coast Stadium hosting the North Queensland Cowboys. 

The Cowboys also suffered a loss in Round 4 going down 26-16 to the Sharks but will be most likely welcoming back Jason Taumalolo and Coen Hess to the gameday 17.

Unless the Warriors make some changes fast I don't see them having a great night.

They will need to shut Taumalolo down as best as they can. Eliminate the Cowboys second phase and then throw some caution in the wind while on attack. 

One out running and throwing up a bomb or grubber on the last is not going to strike fear into the Cowboys defence. 

The Warriors should hopefully see the return of Maumalo and Hiku which will help strengthen the Warriors left edge attack and should direct some kicks that way.

I don't see the Warriors fortunes improving here, unfortunately, and I'm predicting the Cowboys winning here by 16.

Lastly, I was invited to co-host a rugby league show on New Zealand Sport Radio, and we had our first show last week. I thought it was a great first hit out and look forward to seeing the show grow.

It airs live on Facebook every Wednesday at 8pm.

The name of the show is currently pending (any suggestions would be much appreciated) but if you would like to show some support go like the Facebook page (click the below link) and tune in to the show every Wednesday.

New Zealand Sport Radio

https://www.facebook.com/nzsportradio/videos/285427629500756/

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

How do the Warriors get their attack on track?

What did you think of loan player Poasa Faamausili's debut?
Who was your player of the match?
What is your score prediction for the Cowboys clash?

NZ Warriors 2020 Round 3 Review: Warriors near perfection in Dragon slaying

After poor performances in round's 1 and 2 and an enforced 2-month break, the Warriors made their way to their makeshift home ground of Central Coast Stadium to face the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Many pundits (myself included) predicted another loss for the New Zealand side here, but the Warriors stepped up and made easy work of a struggling Dragons outfit getting their first win in 2020 with an 18-0 shut out.

The 2-month hiatus was perhaps a blessing in disguise. 

After the nines, preseason and first two rounds, it was clear that the Warriors were either not ready or had the wrong gameplan for 2020 and a trip back to the drawing board was needed.

And judging from the one game we have had the Warriors did look like a different, much-improved outfit.

The most significant difference between rounds 2 and 3 was the improvement of the forward pack, on paper the Warriors pack was severely lacking compared to the Dragons monster pack, but they didn't back down and this coupled with a much faster game style allowed the Warriors halves to get the backline involved on the attack.

This was the first time this season where the Warriors attack looked threatening and hopefully is a sign of more to come.

Don't go overboard though, this was just a win over a Dragons side that is in trouble, but the Warriors don't select the draw, they just need to continue to build self-belief and momentum as they head into some tougher matchups.

There is still plenty of improvement needed in this side, but they can hold their heads high after this match, which leads me to my positives from the game.

First up, the completion rate. The Warriors broke the NRL record for most completed sets in a match with 45. They also broke the most completions in a row record with 44 (the previous record was 39). They ended the game with a 96% completion rate and impressively were sitting at 100% right up until the last 5 minutes of the match.

This type of accuracy is not generally associated with the Warriors, but it was good to see that they were able to keep the silly errors that plagued them at the start of the season out of this match. The Warriors will want to keep the completion rate up but also look to increasing their scoring opportunities as while it's great to keep hold of the ball, it's not much use if you cannot get points on the board.

I mentioned it above, but the forwards had a monster game, size of the Warriors pack ran for over 100metres, and I cannot recall the last time you could say that about a Warriors team especially one that is missing some many players through injury.

Adam Blair had a strong game and showed why he should move into the front row permanently for the Warriors, he gets more involved in the games when he is in the middle. It also means young stars on the rise like Eliesa Katoa can get more minutes and strengthen the Warriors edge attack without Blair blocking the way.

I was also impressed with the Warriors fitness and discipline. With the new 6 again rule increasing the pace of the matches I was worried that the Warriors would be in trouble, I had visions of the Warriors get punished for holding on too long in the tackle and the Dragons just holding onto the ball for continuous back to back sets. However, the Warriors kept up with the pace and showed minimal signs of fatigue, time will tell if this is something the Warriors can keep up for the next 17 weeks.

This was also the first time the Warriors have held a team scoreless since 2006. Yes again it was against a lacklustre team, but the Warriors need to improve their points differential, so they need some more defensive efforts like this in the upcoming weeks.

Attitude is an integral part of any sides defensive performance. I think Ken Maumalo's try saving attempt on Mikaele Ravalawa displayed the attitude adjustment the team has, the game was already won. Warriors teams of old may have just let the Dragons score instead, so fingers crossed that this is a sign of more mentality tough Warriors outfit.

No game is perfect; however, which leads me to my negatives from the game.

I don't really only have one which is that I was surprised that Wayde Egan didn't run out of dummy half much, in fact, he only had three.

The Dragons were unable to adjust to the quicker game style. There were plenty of chances to take advantage of the Dragons slow markers by darting out of the ruck, Kodi Nikorima showed him how it was down later in the game, but Egan needs to start doing this too, or he may find himself out of the side.

Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi

My Warrior of the game goes to Tohu Harris.

Tohu Harris had a night to remember in his 150th NRL match, he lead the side in tackles with 48 and also ran for 212 metres. After an injury-plagued stint with the Warriors, Tohu is 100% healthy, and the Warriors are going to reap the benefits.

His experience will help develop the many exciting young forwards the Warriors currently have, and his playmaking skill adds another dimension that is sorely needed for the Warriors to thrive in 2020.

Copyright Photo: Stuff.co.nz

I don't have a Warrior to improve this week, but I want to give Eliesa Katoa a special mention.

This was only his 16th game of league ever, but it sure didn't look like it. He scored the first try of his career, but I'm sure there will be many more.

He ran hard, was hard to stop near the try line and also did not shy away from the defensive side of the game.

He is a star in the making, and I look forward to watching him develop this year.

Round 4 has the Warriors travelling to Campbelltown Stadium to face the Penrith Panthers.

The Panthers played to a draw against the Newcastle Knights this week but did not look overly impressive.

They still do not have Nathan Cleary, so this may be the best time for the Warriors to strike, they will need another big showing from their forward's, and if that happens then I think the Warriors have a good shot at walking away with the victory.

Judging from what I have seen from both sides this week I am going to go with a Warriors win by 8 points.

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

How do you think the forward pack went?
Who was your player of the match?

Do you think the Warriors can deliver a similar performance against tougher opposition?
What is your score prediction for the Penrith clash?