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.
There was plenty to like about this match, which leads me to my positives from the game.
My Warrior of the game goes to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
My Warrior to improve goes to Ken Maumalo.
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.
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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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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?
Great read bro. Good non biased journalism here :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, I try to avoid being biased towards the Warriors as much as I can.
DeleteRTS player of the match without doubt
ReplyDeleteSpecial mention to Harris as usual,Nikorima and I was mightily impressed with O’Sullivan.I think if he continues with that excellent debut for Warriors, CHT might struggle to get the spot back.Apart from the kicking lapse,Pompey was good too.
Warriors to win by 6.
RTS was amazing, great to see him giving his all in his final year, not that I doubted that he wouldn't. Harris, Nikorima and O'Sullivan all impressed and yes Chanel may not just walk back into the side if Sean can play well for the next 12 weeks.
Deletegreat read have enjoyed what really is the plain facts no sugar coating.the forwards played very well the backs needed to shift the ball like the forwards they have lost there running with confidence holding on to the ball like they want to be the hero.BMM is the man and fonua brown and bunty afoa have come up with a winning combo linked up too nikorima deadly .i think warriors needed the win its sets the whole flow for the season.next game is no easier but could see us working hard for the win as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I haven't been shy of my man crush on BMM and I'm happy to see he constantly improving.
DeleteStill love that try saver from RTS but can't help but notice my boy Fus getting exposed on the wing - is that based on him misreading the attack or is his centre dragging him into the middle?
ReplyDeleteWas a great try saving tackle by RTS. Yeah Fus loves to rush in from his wing, huge concern for me and something I'm sure opposition will target. Why it happens I am not sure, could be because he is worried about Hiku's defense possibly?
DeleteMake no mistake, regardless of the circumstances that was a landmark Warriors victory and one of the classics in their history. I agree with your comments about how exciting a spectacle it was, it reminded me of some old Warriors games.
ReplyDeleteI feel I was one of not many who picked a Warriors win (and I was only one point out!) but it was certainly looking unlikely for a long period of the match.
I have found it a bit disappointing that so much post match talk has been about the Raiders amazing effort when I feel that a side as strong as the Raiders, leading 31-10 in the second half should have won that game. Nearly every game sees a team battling unexpected problems (we were debuting a half, missing Taunoa-Brown, Hiku went off late) but I think the Raiders actually took us a bit lightly at times, remember that unnecessary short goal line dropout late in the game?
Imagine having to fight your way back into a game against a side like that trailing by 21 points. Top marks to the Warriors for me.
Of course the pass was forward, but the Raiders also scored off a forward pass,and apart from the forward pass, what else was Ricky Stuart alluding to in his barely restrained fury during the press conference? He just knows they should have won that game after establishing such a big lead.
I like Hayze Perham as a replacement centre. I've said it before but he looks like a guy who wants to be given responsibility and opportunities.
Roger is the obvious player of the day but a few others such as Murdoch Masila were almost as good. I am a bit concerned about Fusitua though, the game isn't going his way in attack and his defence is being found out a bit. Expect the Roosters to head his way this weekend.
A Roosters win isn't such an obvious pick now is it, so I will stick with the Warriors for a seven point win.
Yeah Mark I thought it was an awesome spectacle to watch/
DeleteYes I don't know many people who tipped a Warriors win here so full credit to you.
Yes I agree, I praise their effort but being that far ahead they should have secured the win. Yes I think the Raiders may have taken the Warriors lightly.
Yeah they had a forward pass too, I also thought Ryan Sutton didn't have control of the ball when he scored. So I happy to say the bad calls evened out.
Yes I think Perham should be the obvious first call up, with the rumors of him potentially being offered to the Broncos to get Reece Walsh over early I'm sure he would like the chance to prove himself.
Fus just's needs to stop rushing in on defense. Gives me a heart attack every time the opposition heads his way.
7 Point win to the Warriors not a bad pick.
I think Bunty's chase & tackle of Klokstad speaks volumes of team spirit, the young fella was told to move on, but he decided to stay & fight for his place in the team. Bravo, Kia Kaha
ReplyDeleteYeah It's was a great effort from Afoa, in the first three rounds Bunty has shown more than enough to earn a new contract
DeleteGreat article Brad, I look forward to reading your comments.
ReplyDeleteWhat a game it was, I was lucky to be there in person to watch a game I thought at halftime was going to be a thrashing, but the Raiders misfortune helped us, but the Warriors showed some heart to keep fighting to get the victory.
After the game my thoughts were "if that doesn't build character and belief within the boys then I don't know what would"
Dodgy calls every where in this game, I'll take ours because as Warrior fans we are too use to calls going against us.
Of course a lot to fix, like you said Fus needs to work on his defense, three weeks in a row of the opposition exposing him, needs to fix ASAP.
Our defense needs to tighten up, some soft try's were scored which we can look back and say we could of done better.
I said this to you last week about us being in their red zone,
We have been in the opposition red zone plenty in the last three rounds,
we need to convert those opportunity in to points, kills me every time where are down there and we can't execute.
I agree with you we need to play off the cuff footy more, this team has to much skill to not be using them.
Play structure to a set up those off the cuff plays, easier said than done but second phase plays like the game on Saturday, we need more of it.
But to be picky the off the cuff plays shouldn't be coming out when we are behind the score board and desperate.
RTS as usual was in top form, he was the difference.
Whoever comes in for Hiku hopefully they can bring a solid game.
I hope for a solid performance from the boys this week,
We should get the win this week against the Roosters, with a second string halve pairing we can capitalize on this weakness.
Warriors by 12
Thank you very much, at the start of last year I wasn't enjoying writing about the Warriors but have loved doing it so far this year.
DeleteI am so jealous of everyone that can currently go to live matches and man what a game to have been able to watch live. Fingers crossed for some games at Mt Smart soon.
Yes I think it is a huge confidence builder for the side, so far they are 2-1 and all matches have been against teams that were above them on the ladder in 2020.
Yeah catchup footy is not the ideal place for off the cuff so hopefully we can see a bit more of it this week if the Warriors have a better first half.
Red zone attack is still an issue but I'm hoping that it's something we see a quick improvement over the next few weeks. O'Sullivan has a decent kicking game and could help in this area.
RTS is amazing, just full of heart. Marcelo has been called up, Hopefully he steps up, he has talent but just hasn't lived up to it the past few years.
Warriors by 12 not a bad pick and I hope you on the $.
Definitely hope for some Mt Smart games, But I'm happy to have the Central Coast Warriors here at Gosford Lol.
DeleteForgot to mention O'Sullivan played well he will slowly find his feet in his position, he gained my respect in this game, when the boys were making their comeback he was barking to the boys to get them in line and inspire them, I don't know if the TV showed that but his attitude to show passion to the boys that we can win that game reminded me of Brent Tate when he was the voice on the field for the Warriors to push them.
I agree his kicking game will help.
Maumalo, I know your a fan of this guy but for me he just doesn't do enough for me. I've been a critic of this guy for along time, but to me he's limited in what he can offer the team.
When the ball is bombed his way I cross my fingers.
You've said it he's just a hit up winger and that's all I think he offers.
When I think of a big winger I think of Vatuvei, even though they called him rocks and diamonds at times, that man could break a game open from nothing, be it a simple line break out of our half, an offload, bumping off defenders or making a big hit to gee up the boys.
I don't know if Maumalo can offer our team that kind of game,
As a Warriors fan I always hope for the best from him.
I don't want him to be that big and one dimensional.