Another disappointing performance from the Warriors here, they managed to keep the Storm quiet for the first 20 minutes of the match, but after that, the Storm put on a show, scoring five tries before the Warriors managed to cross through the exiting Ken Maumalo. Melbourne went back to work scoring another two tries before the Warriors ended the match, sending Maumalo over for another two tries, giving the big winger his second hattrick of the season with the final whistle blowing as images of Maumalo in tears as his time as a Warrior comes to an end.
Well, that was another game to forget; facing the Storm is never an easy task, but the Warriors barely fired a shot. I was hoping that they would have worked on some of the issues that plagued them through the first half of the season during the bye week, but unfortunately, I didn't see any improvements. They are still in the logjam in the middle of the ladder, so they still have a shot of making the top-eight; however, they need to start stringing some weeks together and do it without their halfback.
There wasn't much for me to smile about, but it wasn't all doom and gloom, which leads to my positive from the match.
Match Positives
The Warriors started the match better than normal, keeping the Storm contained for the first quarter of the match. Their defence wasn't great, but they did enough to hold the Storm off and force some errors, including yet another bone rattler from Chanel Harris-Tavita. However, the Storm kept piling on the pressure, and the Warriors folded. The Warriors need to extend that first 20 minutes into an 80-minute effort.
The Warriors welcomed back Addin Fonua-Blake, and I thought he had a decent hitout for his first appearance in 10 weeks. He played 50 minutes and had 9 runs for 81 metres with 1 tackle break. He also made 20 tackles with two misses. Not the stats were are used to seeing from the marque signing, but once he gets a few games under his belt, I am sure we will see him back to his best.
The Warriors have a string of winnable games; the next three rounds see them facing the Knights, Dragons and Sharks. None of these sides are easy beats by any means, and the Warriors will need to bring their best to get the much-needed competition points. They then have to face the Panthers and Rabbitohs back-to-back, so winning the next three rounds is a must to keep their playoff hopes alive.
My last positive goes to Ken Maumalo getting a hattrick in his last match as a Warrior. Not only was it Maumalos second-ever hattrick, but it was also his second against the Storm after scoring three in the Anzac clash earlier this year. Seeing him in tears as the game ended pulled at my heartstrings, I felt for him, and you can see he clearly has plenty of love for this club. Maumalo has always been a decisive player amongst the fanbase, and I have been critical of the big man myself. However, his time at the club has not been helped by his pairing with centres that did not like passing the ball, and we saw what he could offer when he was partnered with Peta Hiku. I would have kept him with the side, but the current NRL product is moving away from the larger wingers, so I understand the decision. He is on his way to the Tigers, and I'm sure he will do well there; however, I do have my fingers crossed that he doesn't help the Tigers to victory when the Warriors face them in round 20.
There was plenty of things that troubled me, which leads to my negatives from the match.
Match Negatives
The forwards continued to struggle to impact the game, with this being the second game in the row without a single forward running for over 100 metres. The closest were Tohu Harris (84) and Fonua-Blake (81). They weren't helped with several getting limited minutes (Bunty Afoa and Kane Evans got 24 and 22 minutes each), but the Warriors need their forwards to come to the party to help out the backline. AFB will be back to his best soon, but he still is going to need help.
The Warriors lacked direction on attack and once again fell back into one out footy. Nathan Brown mentioned in his post-match interview that this one out style was not the game plan, so he needs to figure out why his side keeps falling back into old habits and fix it quick. The Warriors did start playing a more enterprising style in the final 20 minutes, but by then, the game was out of reach. The Warriors missed Reece Walsh here; he can create attacking opportunities even if his pack isn't pulling their weight. The rest of the spine needs to take a page out of his book if they want to succeed this season.
Once again, the Warriors missed tackles are a huge concern, they missed 31 in this match, and I see no signs that it is improving. Many fans have called for the club to move on from defensive coach Justin Morgan, and I'm sorry to say I think they are right. He hasn't been able to get this side to the level they need to be defensively, and a change is needed.
Next up is errors. The Warriors made 10 errors in this match, which may not sound like a lot, but against a team like the Storm, you cannot gift them an extra 10 sets and expect to walk away with a win. The Warriors have shown that they can play error-free football; they just need to get back there before it's too late.
Lastly is injuries; the Warriors have lost Chanel Harris-Tavita for the season after he tore his pec. They also look set to miss Wayde Egan for at least a week after he had a head clash that busted him open and saw him assisted from the field. Losing your starting half and hooker when you are attempting to get into the top-eight is not ideal. However, I think Nathan Brown will bring Sean O'Sullivan back into the halves, and I have my fingers crossed that he gives Taniela Otukolo a chance to debut as there are big wraps on the young hooker. You could also look at moving Walsh back into the halves and RTS to fullback. I am happy with that too, as long as Walsh is on the pitch, I am a happy man.
Warrior of the match
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My Warrior of the match goes to Tohu Harris. There weren't many players that stood out for good reasons, which made selecting Harris easy. As mentioned above, he lead the pack with 84 running metres and also lead the side with tackles, making 51 with only 1 miss. It doesn't matter if the Warriors are playing good or awful; you know that Harris will be there giving 100%. If he could get the rest of the side to play at his consistent level, then the Warriors would be a formidable side to play against.
Warrior to improve
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Well, once again, my Warrior to improve goes to Kodi Nikorima. It was another poor showing from Nikorima; he made errors, threw wayward passes and came up with some terrible last tackle plays. If the Warriors have to rely on Nikorima to get them across the line this season, they are in serious trouble, he just lacks spark, and his kicking game is subpar at best. The injury to CHT will keep him in the 17, but he needs to step up as a senior half if he wants to stick around. I would be looking at making him the No. 14 where he plays his best football; however, injuries will prevent that for the foreseeable future.
Next round thoughts and prediction
Round 15 sees the Warriors make the trip to McDonald Jones Stadium to face the Newcastle Knights. The Knights handed the Warriors their first loss of the season in round 2 with a 20-16 defeat, and they will be a tough opponent once again, especially with Kayln Ponga and Mitchell Pearce both scheduled to return. The Warriors will welcome back Walsh, but with the current injuries, I am unsure what the Warriors lineup will be, but if the Warriors can outmuscle the large Knights pack, then they are halfway there. So I am picking the Warriors to get the win by 8.
Before I go, I just want to cover the rumours that the Warriors are looking at signing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak effective immediately to replace Maumalo. I don't mind this signing if the Bulldogs are paying half of his salary, he can be guilty of making errors, but he runs hard and gives 100%, which is all I ask from the players and will add experience to a backline full of young players. If he does sign on, it will only be as a stop-gap as I still believe the club expects big things from Junior Ratuva when he returns to the club after his current injury. He is a big winger but also has a lot of pace to back it up.
So that was a poor Round 14, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.
With CHT and Egan missing some game time, who would you replace them with?
Who was your player of the day?
What are your thoughts on the rumoured signing of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak?
What is your score prediction against the Knights?
Tohu my player of the day like u Brad
ReplyDeleteAgree Otukolo should be given a chance at 9.
D WZ would be a very good signing He is a very determined runner and can break tackles.
His ‘authority’ could well lift the boys.They are in need, apart from Walsh,
to add a bit of energy and ‘bite’ to the attack which is missing at moment.
Score against Knights…Ws by 10
Otukolo has been named on the extended bench with Jazz starting at Hooker, however Nathan Brown loves to play fast and loose with his team naming's so I wouldn't be surprised to see Otukolo enter the 17 before Kick-Off. Yeah I see the upside of DWZ (although at the right price), he adds experience which is needed when RTS leaves and he also adds speed, which the Warriors don't have. Really need the win here so I have my fingers crossed.
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