NZ Warriors Round 3 Review: Warriors surge past wounded Raiders in record-breaking comeback

After Round Two's heartbreaking last-minute defeat to the Knights, The Warriors had their first trip away from the Central Coast when they travelled to the Australia Capital to face the Canberra Raiders.

The day didn't start well, but the Warriors mounted a second-half comeback to overcome a fatigue Raiders side 34-31 in one of the most entertaining games this season.

What a game to watch; it was a true nailbiting, edge of your seat encounter that reminds me why I love the NRL. I picked the Raiders to get the victory here, and it certainly looked like a Raiders win was on the cards when they scored 4 tries in the first half to go into the break leading 25-6. Canberras did suffer game-ending injuries to Ryan James, Sebastian Kris and Joseph Tapine, which meant they would have to play the second half with a one-man bench. This was the deciding factor for me, as the Raiders could not keep up with the pace of the match and were in trouble for the final 30 minutes of the game as the Warriors continued to pile on the pressure at a pace that the Raiders couldn't handle, scoring 5 tries to score the upset victory as well as breaking the Warriors biggest comeback record.

If the Raiders had a full bench, they would most likely have won the game by a large margin but full credit to the Warriors for taking advantage of an unfortunate situation. Credit needs to go to the Raiders to put up such a valiant effort against the odds and almost getting the win in the dying seconds when Jordan Rapana went over in the corner, only to be stopped in an amazing effort by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

It was a great game to watch; however, the Warriors still had plenty of issues that I will cover in my negatives from the match. Unfortunately for Warriors fans, all the talk after the match will be about Henry Perenara. There were some calls that he missed, like the forward pass, but I thought the Warriors had some tough calls in the match too, like Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad putting his foot out of touch and the Bunker ruling the Bailey Simonsson was taken out in the air, so for me, it evened out. 

So it was an entertaining match, and while it was great to see the Warriors win here, I'm sure they would have learnt plenty of lessons throughout the match which may be more valuable as the season progresses.

There was plenty to like about this match, which leads me to my positives from the game.

I like the way the Warriors changed their attack plan to target the fatigue Raiders. They also started to target Curtis Scott in the defensive line as he was hampered by a rib injury but couldn't leave the field. It's great to see the Warriors being able to change how they approach a game, and it gives me some confidence in their playoff potential. If something isn't working, NRL teams need to have the ability to switch gameplans on the fly, and the Warriors showed here that they can do it.

After another poor first half, the Warriors once again showed improvement with a strong second-half showing. Admittingly it was only against 14 men, but the Warriors showed an increase in energy and started to run with intent, constantly testing the Raiders defence. The Warriors just need to start games with that same effort, so they are not always chasing in matches.

The offloads returned in style, with the Warriors throwing 20 in total. Tuivasa-Sheck lead the side with 6. I have always said that the Warriors are at their most dangerous when playing an off the cuff style, and it showed in this match. They now have the forward pack that can push through the defensive line and pop the ball out to faster back running in the channel. Bring that into the gameplan more and watch the tries start to flow.

On the same note, Kodi Nikorima started to run again, ended the match with 124 metres off 10 runs; this may have been due to his partner in the halves contributing more to the kicking game and a tired defence. Still, Nikorima is at his best when he is on the move. When he probes the line, he causes plenty of headaches for the opposition, and if he doesn't create a scoring opportunity for himself, he at least sets up another Warrior to score. I have my fingers crossed this running display from Nikorima continues for the rest of the season as the Warriors can't afford him to only bring his running shoes to games sporadically. 

My last positive was Sean O'Sullivan; I was worried when it was announced that Chanel Harris-Tavita would be out for 12 weeks, and I wasn't sure if O'Sullivan would be able to step up. Still, I wasn't going to write him off before he had a chance to show what he could bring to the table. I thought he had a pretty good debut; he also brought his running shoes as he ran 14 times for 111 metres, had 4 tackle breaks, made 8 kicks for 211 metres and only missed 1 tackle. Not a bad start to his Warriors career as he helped direct the Warriors attack, and they looked better with the ball in hand this week. It's a good starting point for O'Sullivan, and I'm confident that he will build on this performance as his partnership with Nikorima continues to develop.

I did have concerns, however, which bring some to my negatives from the match.

I think it's time to stop Adam Pompey kicking off; kicking the ball out on the full is a bonafide coach killer, and it's something the Warriors cannot continue doing. Gifting the opposition a penalty at halfway is just too dangerous in the NRL. So many sides in this competition can turn that chance into points. So please, no more Pompey kickoffs.

It was another poor first half from the Warriors. To concede 4 tries in the opening 40 minutes is normally more than enough to dampen your chances of a comeback, and while the Warriors managed to get it done this week, they will not be able to do that every week. Coming out of the gates hard and fast will make winning the match that much easier.

The Warriors defence took a massive step backwards this week; in the first half, the Warriors were falling off tackles, leaving huge holes for the Raiders to target. The goal-line defence, usually the Warriors saving grace, looked disorganised, and the Warriors let in some pretty soft tries. With some tough clashes on the horizon, they will need to get back into the defensive form I praised in round 1.

  

The Warriors also didn't help themselves with errors, ending the match with 10. With the game's pace now, you need to keep momentum on your side and showing a lack of respect for the ball is a surefire way to derail any game. At times it looked like the Warriors were starting to panic, trying to force passes that weren't on. That was understandable due to being so far behind on the scoreboard, but hopefully, a stronger start would alleviate this from happening again. 

Lastly, that pass. I thought it was forward from what I could see, and I thought Perenara was in the prime position to call it. As a Warriors fan, I have seen many forward passes cost the Warriors a game before, so I'm happy to see the Warriors get the rub of the green this time around. I feel for Raiders fans, but again I have seen it happen to Warriors so often, and I still believe that if that try hadn't been scored, the Warriors would have still done enough to get the win; the Raiders were gassed by that point and were leaving massive holes open for the Warriors to attack. It just is unfortunate that Perenara will be the talking point from his match.

Copyright Photo: Stuff.co.NZ

My Warrior of the game goes to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

RTS was on fire in this match, running for 253 metres, 2 line breaks, 10 tackle breaks, 6 offloads and that try-saving effort in the final minutes. It was just another masterclass from the Skipper; he got himself involved in the attack and just continues to give his all for the Warriors. It may be his final year, but he is determined to make his last season with the club a good one. Hopefully, the rest of the squad bring the same level of effort for the rest of the campaign.

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My Warrior to improve goes to Ken Maumalo.

It was hard to pick a player this week after riding the high of a Warriors win, but I ended up selecting Big Ken. While he ran for 167 metres, I feel like he was a bit one-note in this match. He lacked the normal impact we expect from him. I want to see him get himself involved a bit more on attack when in the opposition half instead of just being a truck barging out of the Warriors own 20. I'm a fan of his; I just want to see the Warriors start to use him as an attacking weapon again.

Round 4 sees the Warriors head to the Sydney Cricket ground to face the Roosters on Easter Sunday.

This is the Warriors biggest test to date after the Roosters won convincingly in Rounds 1 and 2. Still, a tough round loss to the Rabbitohs saw the Roosters suffer some big injuries with Luke Keary gone for the season. Youngster Lachlan Lam may also be missing the game, not to mention they will also be without Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend, and Lindsay Collins. 

This gives the Warriors a fantastic opportunity to get the win here, and I'm picking them to get the job done, so I'm going with the Warriors by 8. The Warriors will be missing Peta Hiku, who injured his MCL this week, so that opens up a spot in the centres. The Warriors have Hayze Perham and Rocco Berry ready to go. Still, I feel that Bayley Sironen (who has some limited centre experience) may get the nod for the centre spot to help strengthen the edge defence. If that happens, I would have Murdoch-Masila moving into the starting second row after his best performance in a Warriors jersey.

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

With Hiku's injury, who would you bring in as cover?

Did you think the pass was forward?

Who was your player of the day?

What is your score prediction for the Roosters clash?

NZ Warriors Round 2 Review: Knights break Hearts with last-gasp Victory over Warriors

After a successful Round 1, The Warriors remained on the Central Coast to play host to the Newcastle Knights.

Throughout the week, everyone was talking about the battle between these sides forward packs. While it did not disappoint, it was Newcastle's 19-year-old centre Bradman Best that stole the show as he snatches victory from the jaws of defeat as the Knights came from behind to beat the Warriors 20-16.

Well, close but no cigar for the Warriors, this was the second game in a row that could have been picked by a coin toss, and it truly went down to the wire. My heart sank when the Warriors started the match with their kick-off sailing over the sidelines on the full, but they were able to withstand the Knights attack. Then once they got the hold of the ball, the Warriors were able to surge up the field and had repeated sets in the Knights red zone but just couldn't turn any chances into points.

Despite that, Newcastle drew first blood when Jayden Brailey spotted some slow markers and scooted out of dummy half. The Warriors appeared to have responded when Wayde Egan barged over similarly to Brailey; however, the try was denied when the bunker checked it as Kodi Nikorima was setting up for the conversion. A bit of a controversial call, in my opinion, as it looked like Egan still had control of the ball; thankfully, the Warriors were given a penalty due to the markers not being straight, and it didn't take them long to score when a quick play from Egan saw Tohu Harris send Ben Murdoch-Masila across the line with a nice short ball. The rest of the first half saw both sides trade sets with neither getting the upper hand until a penalty against Jazz Tevaga for the use of a knee in the tackle gave the Knights the chance to take an 8-6 lead into the break.

Bradman Best showed his skills to open the second half when he put Hymel Hunt away in the corner to push their lead out, and it looked like the Warriors could be in trouble. But the return of Addin Fonua-Blake, who left the field early in the first half with a calf strain, added some much-needed punch up the middle. The Warriors backline started to show glimpses of attacking threat and score back to back tries through Adam Pompey and Ken Maumalo, which saw the Warriors take the lead for the first time in the match with only 13 minutes remaining. It was edge of your seat stuff as the Knights kept testing the Warriors defensive line until it finally broke when a missed tackle saw Best break the line and then offload to Hunt for his second try of the night. The Warriors had one last attempt at winning the match in the dying staged when Bayley Sironen broke the line, but as his offload went to the ground, it was all she wrote for the Warriors.

It was a hard-fought match, and without Best's influence on attack, I think the Warriors may have got themselves home here; it will be a tough loss for the side to take. Still, I'm sure they will have taken some valuable lessons from this match as they set off for two very tough challenges back to back against the Raiders and Roosters. 

Despite the result, some things brought a smile to my face, which leads me to my positives from the game.

The weather wasn't the best, but the Warriors achieved a high completion rate of 87%, completing 41 out of 47 sets despite the conditions.  Just like I said last week, the Warriors need to keep the completion rate at this level but focus on turning these sets into scoring opportunities. 

The Warriors showed heart and kept themselves in the fight; being down 14-6 early on in the second half, they could have easily folded and suffered a heavy defeat like several other teams have already shown this season. But the Warriors kept their heads in the game and played a much improved second half to get themselves back into the contest; they just need to work on keeping a lead once they get it.

The Warriors forwards were not as dominant as they were in Round 1, with several of the pack not playing at the same level they did last week; it was a quiet night for Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Eliesa Katoam Bayley Sironen and Bunty Afoa. However, Tohu Harris, Jazz Tevaga, Leeson Ah Mau, Ben Murdoch-Masila and Addin Fonua-Blake all picked up the slack.

I want to highlight Fonua-Blake and Murdoch-Masila for praise; AFB only managed limited minutes due to his injury but still lead the pack with 144 metres from 13 runs. BMM also played well off the bench, running 71 metres of 9 hit-ups. His stats may not have been as good as AFB's, but he made a noticeable impact when he came on and could really become a great impact player for the side. The more he adjusts back to the NRL, the better he will be.

I thought Roger Tuivasa-Sheck had a much better game this week, inserting himself into the backline to set up two tries. He had an uncommon dropped kicked, but that was really the only blemish on his scorecard this week. I still want to see him running off the shoulder of his large forwards to be ready for an offload. He could bust opposition defensive lines wide open and score some scintillating tries if he runs that inside channel.

I did have some concerns, though, which brings me to my match negatives.

The side looked flat in the first half like they lacked energy. Now I can't explain why they were stuck in first gear, but if they want to compete against the top tier sides, they need to come out of the gate fast and keep the pressure on for 80 minutes. A positive aspect of this match was that the Warriors looked a lot better in the second half.

Much like last week, the team is still lacking cohesion, Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita were struggling to lead the side, and the backline just wasn't clicking for large portions of the match. The Warriors have the pack to get them into the red zone; they just need their halves to create scoring chances for the side once they get there. They showed glimpses of their potential with the tries to Pompey and Maumalo and a few repeat sets due to some nicely weighted grubbers. It's just about increasing those glimpses into a consistent style of play. 

The Warriors discipline went backwards slightly this week, conceding 6 penalties and 2 players placed on report in Jazz Tevaga for his knee incident and Jamayne Taunoa-Brown for a crusher tackle. JTB looks certain to miss at minimum 4 weeks for his charge, but there is no word yet that Tevaga could miss any game time. To pull a positive out of this, the Warriors did not make any ruck infringements and were not caught inside the 10 metres (unlike the Knights, who were caught inside the 10 on five occasions and appeared guilty several more times).

My last negative is missed tackles, the Warriors missed 22 missed tackles, and more importantly, it was a missed tackle that lead to the Knights getting the match-winner. I was impressed with the Warriors defence last week, and I am hoping that this was just an off night and that the defence from Round 1 is what we should expect for the rest of the season. 

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My Warrior of the match was Tohu Harris.

Fresh off a new haircut and a new deal, Harris had yet another strong outing. 15 runs for 135 metres, 44 tackles with only 1 miss, 1 linebreak, and 1 try assist. When the going gets, tough Harris is always there putting his hand up to do work. With the backs continuing to struggle, I think he will need to step up and help them in the game's playmaking aspect until they start to gel.

He is the most likely candidate for taking over as skipper in 2022, and I could think of no better successor to RTS; and I hope he can inspire the players around him to deliver the consistency that he displays week in and week out.

Copyright Photo: Stuff.co.nz

My Warrior to improve goes to Kodi Nikorima.

It was a quiet night for Nikorima; he only made 19 running metres from 3 runs. Defensively he wasn't too bad, making 19 tackles with only 2 misses. He also had the majority of the kicking stats with 15 kicks for 460 metres.

Nikorima is the senior half in the Warriors squad, and he needs to step up and lead the side. If he can see that Harris-Tavita is struggling to lead the side, he has to take over. Now that may not be what he has been told to do by Nathan Brown, and if that is the case, he just needs to start running again; he is at his most dangerous when he spies holes in the defensive line. I think the combination of Nikorima and Harris-Tavita has potential, but if Nikorima doesn't come to the party, then the Warriors backline with continue to have issues.

Round 3 sees the Warriors travel for the first time this season, heading to the Australian Capital to face the Canberra Raiders. This is going to be a big challenge for the Warriors. The Raiders are a good team and hard to defeat when on home soil. The Warriors will need to bring their A-game if they want to walk away victors. I expect to see the Warriors bounce back from their round 2 performance, but I'm not sure it will be enough. They have the forwards to win the battle, but I am not confident that the backline will compete with the Raiders, especially with the news that Harris-Tavita will most likely miss the match with a foot injury, so I am going with a Raiders win by 12.

Before I go, I just want to touch on the news that the Warriors have signed Reece Walsh on a 3-year deal. I am sure that you have all seen the highlight reel from the young fullback, and I like what I see. He looks safe under the high ball, has plenty of pace and likes to get himself involved in the action. This weekend he scored a double and kicked 6 conversions for the North Devils, the Broncos will be kicking themselves for letting this talented youngster go, and the Warriors have a bonafide star on their hands. His signing also leaves plenty of salary-cap space for the Warriors to target other players. If it was up to me, I would be throwing an offer put to Adam Reynolds and advising Nikorima that if he wished to take up his player option, he would be moving into hooker. This would strengthen the Warriors halves as well as improving their dummy-half. Sounds like a winning combination to me; I know Nikorima wants to be a half, but I am unsure if any NRL clubs would offer him a deal to stay in the halves.

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

What are your thoughts on the signing of Reece Walsh?

With JTB about to spend time on the sidelines, who would you bring into the 17?
Who was your player of the day?

What is your score prediction for the Raiders clash?

NZ Warriors Round 1 Review: Promising Start as Warriors dominate Titans in Gritty Win

After a short preseason, the NRL is back, and Round 1 saw the Warriors return to their foster home on the Central Coast to face the Gold Coast Titans.

With the last encounter between these sides being the 12-All draw in the trial a few weeks back, this match was meant to be close; however, the Warriors, led impressively by their pack, started their 2021 campaign with the right foot forward with a 19-6 victory.

Man, it's great to start my match reviews off talking about a win.

The Titans have been the talk of the 2020 bottom eight sides after the signings of David Fifita and Tino Fa'asuamaleui, and I must admit I came into this match very nervous.

Don't get me wrong, I picked the Warriors to win this match; I just thought that the Titans would bring more to the table. It wasn't a try fest by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a tough, hard-fought victory that has increased my confidence that the Warriors have what it takes to be competitive this season.

Both sides traded blows in the early stages with plenty of big hits, but neither side could get themselves across the line. The Titans gave Warriors fans a few scares, nearly coming close to scoring twice, but the Warriors were able to scramble and keep them out. The scoring drought was finally broken in the 25th-minute when Warriors recruit Bayley Sironen barged over for his first try for the club. That was the only try scored in the first half, but the Warriors just kept plugging away, and it only took them 10 minutes to cross the line again, with Leeson Ah Mau also crashing; they then crossed for their third and final try in the 68th minute when Kodi Nikorima snatched a Bunty Afoa offload to score untouched. This put the game to bed, but the Titans managed to finally get themselves on the board in the 73rd minute when the found the Warriors edge napping for a brief moment allowing Corey Thompson to score in the corner.

It's wasn't pretty, but the Warriors promised that their forward pack would be charging right through the front gate, and they did just that. If the forwards continue to deliver on that promise, then I'm sure that everything else will begin to fall into place.

There was a lot to like from this match, which leads me to my positives from the game.

Firstly the forwards, I talked about it above, but the forwards just dominated the Titans right from the start. They came out strong and never let up, now although three of the pack ran for over 100 metres (Addin Fonua-Blake, Tohu Harris and Jazz Tevaga), the rest of the forwards still find their way to contribute. I was worried that the Warriors would take a backstep when Fonua-Blake went off, but there was no huge difference in how the Warriors charged up the middle. With this performance and how the new rules have changed the game, the Warriors wore the Titans down, which led to some poor defensive reads from the Titans, resulting in the barge over tries. It is a great starting point, but the top tier sides won't fatigue as easy, so the Warriors need to continue growing and developing their playing style.

Next up is the Warriors defence. The Titans only threatened a few times, and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck came up trump with two try-saving efforts. With the Warriors winning the middle, the Titans tried to target the edges and were shut down quite well. Euan Aitken and Chanel Harris-Tavita did well keeping Kevin Proctor contained, and Peta Hiku surprised me with how well he defended; I have been highly critical of Hiku's defence in his time with the Warriors, but he stepped up in this match, being a constant nuisance to Fa'asuamaleaui and never letting him get into second gear. There were still a few patches in the match where the Warriors made a few defensive misreads but as far as a first hitout goes, it looks like the coaching staff have worked on a defensive structure that plays to the Warriors strengths, the round 3 clash against the Raiders will be the first true indicator this year on how good this defence actually is.

My last positive is the reduced error rate. The Warriors only made 6 errors, completing 40 out of 44 sets. That's a 91% completion rate. Again not bad for the first game of the year; I think you could put a little asterisk next to this because the Warriors focused on running up the middle, which reduced the chances of errors slightly. The key now is to keep their completion rate up while also increasing their scoring opportunities, simply barging over for tries will not continue to work in the long run.

There wasn't much, but I did have a few issues, which leads me to my negatives from the match.

I thought the backline was still rusty, the forwards set the platform, but the backs just couldn't capitalise on it. It's still hard to gauge due to only being one game in, but I want to see the Warriors get their backs into some scoring scenarios. With players like Fonua-Blake being able to break tackles and get an offload out, the Warriors really need the likes of Tuivasa-Sheck or Nikorima to just hover off his shoulder and make a break. If the Warriors can start to do that, then they will cause defences some headaches.

I thought Harris-Tavita's kicking game was average, it appears like it may have been part of the gameplan, but his kicking in the first half didn't really offer anything substantial for the Warriors backs to latch onto. Harris-Tavita is still not at 100%, and it was his first hit-out after missing the trial, so I'm confident that he will get back into the swing of things. With Fusitu'a back in the line-up, they need to start kicking to him in the corner where he is generally successful in beating his marker for the ball; there are plenty of points just begging to be scored if they bring that play back into the gameplan.

My last negative is the injuries to Wayde Egan and Euan Aitken. Egan went off after failing his HIA, and Aitken injured his ankle but played through the injury to complete the match. There has been no update on if these injuries will prevent them from being available in Round two. I think Jazz Tevaga played well when he had to slot into hooker, so while it is not ideal, he can take that role on without the Warriors losing much. With the news of Karl Lawton's release this week, the Warriors hooker depth is still a huge concern, but I'm sure the Warriors have got something cooking behind the scenes; otherwise, they would have let Lawton go, plus his salary will help the Warriors find an adequate hooker to join the club this season.

With Aitken, I thought he had a great first hitout, and while he didn't get too many chances on attack, he made up for it with the defensive side of his game. He will be a loss if he cannot play in Round two, but if it was me, I would be bringing in Adam Pompey, he impressed me last season, and he deserves to be the first called in as injury cover. The Warriors may have other ideas, but it seems like the logical choice.

Copyright Photo: Stuff.co.nz

My Warrior of the match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake.

Man, what a debut for the Warriors marque signing; playing for 56 minutes, Fonua-Blake ran for 202 metres, broke 5 tackles and had 4 offloads. He also didn't shy away from his defensive responsibilities making 22 tackles and only missing one to end the match with 95.7% tackle efficiency. The Warriors have lacked a metre eater in the front row for some time, and AFB fits the bill perfectly. He was constantly looking for work and, with the ball in hand, was a constant threat of breaking the line; his offloading ability is a fantastic addition; the Warriors just need to take advantage of it.

Another positive is that AFB didn't give away any silly penalties; I mentioned earlier this year that his discipline was my biggest concern, but he appears to be enjoying his new environment, and the extra responsibility of being in the Warriors leadership will help him improve that facet of his game.

I fully expect AFB to feature in this section of my reviews multiple times this season.

 

Copyright Photo: Getty Images

I have no Warrior to improve this week, I thought a few players didn't play to their potential, but they also didn't let themselves down. Fingers crossed for more weeks of no Warriors to improve.

Round 2 sees the Warriors stay on the Central Coast to host the Newcastle Knights fresh of a 32-16 win over the Bulldogs. It's hard to gauge the Knights right now due to them only playing the Bulldogs, but even with Kalyn Ponga still out with his shoulder injury, there is still plenty of danger in this squad. The Warriors pack have another big day ahead of them, and they will need to keep Daniel Saifiti and David Klemmer quiet. With some tough matches against the Raiders and Roosters coming up, the Warriors need to get the result here, and I confident that they will get the job done, so I'm picking the Warriors to win by 10.

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

What are your first impressions for the Warriors chances this season?
Who was your player of the day?

Do you have any players to improve?

If Aitken is ruled out, who would you bring in?

What is your score prediction for the Knights clash?

NZ Warriors 2021 Season Preview: Return of the Pack

Well, we are finally here, the NRL is back, and the first round is only a few weeks away.

That also means that it's time for me to express how I see the Warriors going in 2021. As I did last year, I will be breaking down my preview into sections outlining my views on the preseason and trial result, my key signing, the 2021 squad, my gameday 17 and then rounding it up with my 2021 prediction.

As always, these are all just 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: Road Warriors Once Again

2020 was a season to remember; the Warriors had a tough start to the season, finding themselves camped across the ditch for the entire year. They also started the season poorly, with many questioning if not seeing their families would derail their campaign. This horrid start led to Stephen Kearney's firing midway through the season.

I had concerns when Kearney was let go, not because of the decision but the timing, and I was concerned that when he left the camp, the team might just pack it in; however, as the season progressed, the side developed grit, and from Round 11 they started to show that they could compete with the elite teams in the competition, narrowly missing the top eight.

Not making the top eight is still a fail for me, but the way the club ended the season definitely made me feel more confident for their 2021 campaign.

The biggest stories in the Warriors 2021 preseason have been Covid and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's decision to leave at the end of the season.

Covid continues to affect everyone, and for the Warriors, it means that they have had to move back to Australia with the possibility of being there for the entire season again. It's a tough situation for the club and the fans alike, but the Warriors had time to prepare for this situation this time and have really set themselves up for success. They split the team into two camps, one in New Zealand and one in Australia before Christmas and then sent the New Zealand contingent over in January to continue the preseason. Going early is great for the players' preparation, and bringing their families over will make being stuck in Australia easier.

With a recent covid scare in Victoria, it meant the Warriors first trial game against the Storm had to be cancelled; that's a huge blow for the Warriors as it only allows them one trial match to give the squad a run. It's not ideal, but it's the world we currently live in.

With the changes of lockdown levels in Auckland, I grow less confident that the Warriors will be able to play any matches at Mount Smart in 2021; as a season ticket holder, I hope that isn't the case because I miss going to live games but just like the club we need to just wait it out and hope for the best.

Copyright Photo: New Zealand Herald

Rumours started to swirl again about Tuivasa-Sheck leaving the Warriors to go to Rugby Union and push for an All Black's jersey. The club decided to get ahead of the rumours and make a statement advising that RTS would be leaving at the end of the season and that he is solely focused on the Warriors right now.

It's disappointing to see the Warriors skipper leave, but after everything he has done for the club, I fully respect his aspirations and hope he does well in the other code. He has been a truly inspiring leader, and I have no doubts that he will be true to his words about focusing solely on the Warriors this season.

I also commend the Warriors for making the announcement early, it's out there now, and they get back to preparing for the season.

With RTS leaving, it also gifts the Warriors a serious chunk of change in their salary cap to either replace him from outside the club or recruit a marque player in another position.

Every player off contract has been linked with the club, but one player that seems to be a legitimate option is Jahrome Hughes; I like him as a player and think he could be a great addition to the club, but the rumoured price for his services seems a bit high for me. 

He would most likely move into the Warriors halves, which still leaves the fullback position open. Joseph Manu is another rumoured player. He has stated his desire to move to fullback so he could be an exciting prospect. Internally the Warriors also have Paul Turner and Rocco Berry. Depending on how much game time they both get this year, the club may decide to give one of them a chance. I think Berry is still too inexperienced right now, but Turner is almost ready and deserves a first-grade spot, so I would be giving him the first shot.

With the Warriors being in Australia, it has meant that the local fans have not had a lot of chances to be involved with the club as they prepare for 2021. To alleviate this, Cameron George has created a Facebook page called On the Road with the Vodafone Warriors 2021. On this page, he basically goes around with a GoPro and films the facilities, trainings and interviews players and coaches. I love it and think the insight it gives the fans is top-notch, and I look forward to watching more of the videos he uploads throughout the season.

There was also a brief bit of news surrounding Nathan Brown and his decision to pull Tohu Harris, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Kodi Nikorima from the All-Stars match. Some people did not agree with his decision, but I am ok with it; with limited time to prepare for the start of the season, the Warriors could not afford to allow three of their key players to leave the camp for the match. I enjoy the All-Stars game, but I would prefer the Warriors to focus on the upcoming season. The Warriors did allow Jamayne Taunoa-Brown and Joshua Curran to play in the match, and I thought they both played well, which will help their chances of featuring in the gameday 17.

The Warriors also announced their leadership group on one of Cameron Georges video; the players in the group are Tuivasa-Sheck, Tohu Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake, Wayde Egan, Ken Maumalo and Elisea Katoa. I think it's a good group of talent, and I hope the extra responsibility they now have will take their performances to another level.

Lastly, let's talk about the Warriors solo trial against the Gold Coast Titans at Oakes Oval in Lismore. Both sides were basically full strength, with the Warriors only having David Fusitu'a, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Eliesa Katoa and Karl Lawton unavailable for the match.

The game ended in a 12 all draw, and both sides looked rusty, which is to be expected, but by the end of the match, I was confident that the Warriors will be competitive this season.

That forward pack is pretty potent, easily marching up the field, led by Fonua-Blake, who was my standout in the forwards. Ben Murdoch-Masila made an impact when he came on with some good runs; I think this forward pack will make all the difference this year, and it makes me really excited for round one. 

Wayde Egan's injury early on was my worst fear realised; it will make things difficult with limited hooking options. Jazz Tevaga and Bayley Sironen filled in for the rest of the match, and while they did a serviceable job, an actual Hooker needs to be used; there have been rumours that Junior Ratuva has been released from his contract due to his injury, which opens a spot in the squad for the Warriors to sign a hooker. Currently, the only hookers that are free that spring to mind are Danny Levi and Issac Luke (not going to mention Cameron Smith because that is not an option); I would be happy with either Levi or Luke, to be honest. Still, we just need to wait and see on Egan's injury first. 

If I had a negative to pull from the trial, it would be that I felt that the backline wasn't meshing just yet; I'm sure once Harris-Tavita returns, the backline will be more cohesive, but the Warriors struggled at times with their attacking options after the pack had got them on the front foot. They did show how good they could be with a few good runs from Tuivasa-Sheck and Nikorima showing some nice short passes; my standout in the backline was Euan Aitken; he made some nice runs and was solid on defence, helping keep David Fifta reasonably quiet. There were a few defensive lapses, but all in all, I think it was a good first hit-out, and it should be a great clash when they have their rematch against the Titans in Round One.

Key Signing: Addin Fonua-Blake

Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi

The Warriors marquee signing of 2021. Fonua-Blake comes into the Warriors camp as a top tier front-rower. Voted by his peers as the top front-rower in the NRL Players Poll in 2020, there is plenty of expectation on the 25-year-old, and I have little doubt that he will deliver.

In 2020, Fonua-Blake played 15 matches, averaging 166 running metres per game. The Warriors sorely need this as most of the Warriors other front rowers did not reach triple digits with their average running metres. He also finished the 2020 season with a 93.9% tackle efficiency; with missed tackles being one of my constant bugbears in my match reviews, he should be able to help the Warriors defend the middle.

In my Five Players to Stand Out Article, I highlighted my concerns with Fonua-Blake's discipline and attitude, but from what I have seen so far, he has reduced my worries a bit. He appears to be fitting into the squad well and is becoming a leader in the Warriors impressive pack, his inclusion in the Warriors leadership group fills me with confidence that he is just what this team needs.

I'm biased due to my love of front-rowers, but I truly cannot wait to see Fonua-Blake in Warriors colours.

2020 Squad

Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi

The 2021 squad has changed plenty compared to the 2020 one; gone are Gerard Beale, Adam Blair, Lachlan Burr, Blake Green, Patrick Herbert, Adam Keighran, Taane Milne, Agnatius Paasi, Isaiah Papali'i and Nathaniel Roache. Joining the club are Euan Aitken, Kane Evans, Addin Fonua-Blake, Marcelo Montoya, Ben Murdoch-Masila, Sean O'Sullivan and Bayley Sironen.

I'm a fan of most of the signings, and the Warriors now boast arguably one of the best packs in the NRL. They have recruited plenty of size, but their large players still have a bit of mobility, which is crucial with how the new rules have affected the game. Gone are the days of the big lumbering giants, now replaced with quicker players that can keep up with the newfound pace in the NRL.

It's still early days in the Nathan Brown regime, so I'm not entirely sure what players he has decided will fit his game plan. The only confirmation out so far is the Murdoch-Masila will not be playing in the front row like so many have predicted and would instead be on the edge like he was in the Superleague. It sounds like Peta Hiku and David Fusitu'a are reuniting, which is great news for Fusitu'a, and I expect his tryscoring to start ramping up again. This also means the Euan Aitken will pair up with Ken Maumalo. Both are good runners with the ball in hand, but Aitken sometimes has issues feeding his winger, so we will have to wait and see it's effect on Maumalo's game.

Unlike 2020, the Warriors are relatively injury-free, with the biggest concerns being Karl Lawton's Achilles injury, Wayde Egan's right arm injury and Eliesa Katoa's fractured eye socket. Lawton is set for a late-season return, but Katoa is still a slight chance to make round one, so for the gameday 17 I would pick, I will assume that Katoa is fit.

Egan's injury is a huge concern with the Warriors lack of depth in the hooker department; we are awaiting the outcome of how severe his injury is, but we may see Jazz Tevaga slot into hooker until Egan returns; I'm not a fan of it, but I think he is the best option right now.

For my 17, the backs basically pick themselves. Tuivasa-Sheck, Maumalo and Fusitu'a are my back three. Aitken and Hiku take the centre spots, and Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita are my halves.

It's the forward pack that is harder to pick with so many players to pick from, but for my pack, I'm going with Addin Fonua-Blake and Leeson Ah Mau as my props; I think that is a great prop tandem to start the match and set the platform. My second row is Ben Murdoch-Masila and Eliesa Katoa; I would have Katoa on the right edge as his combination with Nikorima last year was very effective, then I would have Tohu Harris as my lock. 

For Hooker, I have put Egan in, but if he is not fit to play, Tevaga would move into the starting lineup, and Paul Turner would take his spot on my bench.

Speaking of the bench, I have Tevaga (or Turner), Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Josh Curran and Bayley Sironen. It's a bit forward heavy, but Tevaga, Turner and Sironen all have the ability to play in multiple positions if required. I originally had Kane Evans in my 17, but Curran's performances in the All-Star Game and the trial moved him up.

My 2020 Prediction

Continuing my season preview trend, I was wrong with my prediction when I said the Warriors would finish 12th last season.

For the first time in quite a while, the NRL pundits across the ditch have not handed the Warriors the title of "most likely to get the Wooden Spoon". 

The new signings and their 2020 late-season efforts have filled plenty with optimism. It's hard to argue against it, the Warriors are better on paper, and from what I have seen so far in the trial and all the footage the Warriors have filmed, it looks like the team is really building towards something. With it being Tuivasa-Shecks last year, I am certain that the team will be striving to send him out on a high note, so I'm picking the Warriors to finish 6th.

So, let's bring on the new season, and I can't wait for Round One. The Warriors get to start their campaign on my birthday, and I can't think of any better way to spend my birthday than watching them play.

Once again, I will be writing game reviews every week throughout the season, and I'm looking forward to discussing the season with all of you.

With the Warriors most likely spending the entire season in Australia again, there will be no members tent to meet up in. Still, hopefully, when the Warriors arrange some fan get-togethers, we can catch up 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 season is going.

I've been kept on as the Warriors correspondent for Nothing But League this season, so please show them some love by checking out my articles on their page each week.

I'm also continuing to host my show The Stand-Off on New Zealand Sport Radio every Wednesday night at 8PM NZ time, so come join me there as I discuss everything going on in League and answer your questions live.

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

Are you excited for the 2021 season?

Which signing are you most looking forward to seeing play?

Who would be in your gameday 17?

Where do you think the Warriors will finish in 2021?