NZ Warriors 2021 Round 19 Review: Seven on the trot as Rabbitohs demolish lacklustre Warriors

After round 18's valiant effort against the Panthers, the Warriors moved to the Sunshine Coast to face the Rabbitohs. This was always going to be a tough task, especially with the Warriors missing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tohu Harris, and the Warriors were blown off the park, losing 60-22 in their seventh loss in a row and their worst performance of 2021.

Well, the positive feelings I had from last week did not last long. I praised the Warriors for going down swinging in trying circumstances against the Panthers, but they barely threw a jab in this match. The match started well with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scooping up a Cody Walker dropped ball to run 50 metres to score the afternoon's first try. Then the Rabbitohs flew into action, scoring six tries at a rapid pace, aided by some poor kicks from Reece Walsh and some woeful defensive reads from the Warriors. Sitting at a 34-4 scoreline, the Warriors finally showed some spark with back-to-back tries after Adam Pompey broke the line before passing to Chad Townsend, who flicked it to Marcelo Montoya, who juggled it on the way to the try line in comical fashion. They then scored right from the preceding kickoff when Kodi Nikorima threw a cutout pass to Watene-Zelezniak before getting the ball back to end the half trailing 34-16. It didn't look great, but I was hopeful that the Warriors late surge was a sign of a bounce-back in the second half. Still, the Rabbitohs scored in the first minute of the half and did not allow the Warriors back into the contest, scoring another four tries with the Warriors only highlight of the half being Walsh diving on Townsend grubber. 

It was a disappointing performance that has squashed any slim hopes the Warriors had of making the playoffs; hopefully, this was just a speedbump (although a mighty one at that) in what has been a tough season, and we start to see some better efforts in the last six rounds.

There wasn't much, but I had a few things that I liked, which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

I thought Taniela Otukolo had a solid outing; he missed a few more tackles than you would want ideally. However, he delivered quick ball from the ruck and sniped a few times out of dummy-half. Still early days in his career, but I think the Warriors have a decent hooker in the making here.

We got to see slight glimpses of the attacking threat this side can possess; Watene-Zelezniak can open up games with his pace; the Warriors just need to get him the ball with room to run. It was also nice to see Adam Pompey pass the ball. I might be a bit facetious we that statement, but we have seen Pompey hold onto the ball with an unmarked winger outside far too often this year. I think with a few players back into the lineup, this side could string a few wins together.

Lastly, this was the last game against a top tier side; the six remaining games are against the Tigers, Sharks, Bulldogs, Broncos, Raiders and Titans. Now while there is really no such thing as an easy game in the NRL, the Warriors should be able to get some more wins under their belt; however, they have a lot to work on.

This leads me to my negatives from the match.

Match negatives

The Warriors defence was horrible; they missed 41 tackles here, so many of the Rabbitohs tries were simple. After watching them scramble their hearts out last week, it was disheartening to see them just let Souths stroll their way up the field with relative ease. And Walsh was targeted heavily out the back, and he really needs to stop jumping on guys running with the ball; I know he is small, but koala hugging guys when they are a metre away from the try line does not work. I know it is easier said than done, but in those situations, just go for the ball and makes sure they cant ground it. Like I criticised last week, the wingers still came of their man, but the Rabbitohs were monstering the Warriors all over the park.

Errors were high once again, with the side making 12. With the Rabbitohs dominating the contest, I was getting frustrated watching the Warriors just throw the ball away with poor carries and no chance offloads. After praising him for the past two games, Matt Lodge had me screaming at the TV every time he threw an offload to the ground. I love offloads, but I hate when a player just throws the ball out the back when there is no support player there.

My last negative is just the attack in general; bar that slight glimpse at the backend of the first half, the Warriors didn't ask any questions of the Rabbitohs defence. The forwards lost the battle in the middle and the Warriors kicking options left plenty to be desired. They lacked direction from their spine, and given the limited possession they had (ending the catch with 33% possession), they needed to make it count. The impending return of Chanel Harris-Tavita may help here, but they need more effort from their experienced halves if they want to win some more matches before the season ends.

Warrior of the Match

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My Warrior of the match goes to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. It was hard to pick a player that impressed me this week, but DWZ was a rare highlight when it came to the Warriors attack. His first try for the club was a nice display of his speed, and his dart up the sideline was key in the Warriors third try. He is a threat with the ball in hand, leading his side with 156 running metres (only DWZ and Lodge ran for over 100 metres in this match), and I'm sure we will see plenty more tries from the winger. He just needs to work on his defensive reads as he allowed his counterpart Josh Mansour to score a double in this match.

Warrior to Improve

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My Warrior to improve goes to Chad Townsend. I know he is not 100% right now due to his shoulder injury, but the Warriors need him to direct the play better. It doesn't help when you forwards are not setting the platform, but when Walsh was clearly struggling with his kicks, the experienced half need to step up and take over. He had his moments, including that pass to Montoya for his try, but he needs to deliver more of that this week.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 20 sees the Warriors head to Suncorp Stadium to face the Wests Tigers, who are actually the last team the Warriors managed to defeat this season. However, the Tigers have shown that they can put on a decent performance when they want to, so it is by no means an easy game for the Warriors. The team will be rejigged once again, with Addin Fonua-Blake potentially out injured after his gruesome finger injury, and Lodge is suspended for a match, so that's a big loss upfront. Still, the Warriors could welcome the returns of Chanel Harris-Tavita and Peta Hiku. I would move Bunty Afoa and Leeson Ah Mau into the starting front row spots and Hiku into the centre spot, replacing Pompey and CHT into the halves with Nikorima moving into hooker. I would also bring Ben Murdoch-Masila back into the 17. It is a tough match to predict, but I will go with the Warrior to end their losing streak, winning by 8.

RTS has left the building

The Stand-Off hosts with the Skipper

Before I go, I just wanted to touch on the recent news of RTS requesting and being granted an early release from the Warriors. With the news of the Trans-Tasman travel bubble being shut, New Zealanders have seven days to get back into the country before it shuts for possible 8 weeks. This means that it could hinder his transition to Union, so he asked to be let out. It is disappointing to see him leave early, and I would have liked to see him end his NRL career with a victory, but sadly it was not to be. He leaves the club as one of its greats and will forever hold a place in the heart of this fan. He emulated the spirit I want all Warriors players to have, and the sacrifices he has made for the club will never be forgotten. Thank you for everything you have done in a Warriors jersey RTS, you have left a legacy, and I wish you nothing but the best in your new journey. I'm sure we will talk about this in more detail on Wednesday night on The Stand-Off with Brad and Richie, so check that out.

So that was an embarrassing Round 19, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What would be your gameday 17 this week? 
Who was your player of the day?
Where does RTS sit in your all-time Warriors player ranks?
What is your score prediction against the Tigers?

NZ Warriors 2021 Round 18 Review: Heroic effort not enough as losing streak extends to six

After round 17's disappointing loss to the Sharks, the Warriors travelled to Suncorp Stadium to face the Penrith Panthers. Facing the Panthers was always going to be difficult but injuries added to the forced the Warriors to play with no bench for 50 minutes. Despite the challenge, the Warriors had one of their better performances of 2021 going down 30-16 in their sixth loss in a row.

It's been hard to watch the Warriors for the past month, but I came away from this match happier than I have been for a while. Yes, the Warriors lost, but they went down swinging and gave the Panthers everything they had, and I cannot fault them for that. The match didn't start great with Viliame Kikau charging down a Chad Townsend kick to score the afternoon's first try in the first minute. My head dropped at this moment, but the Warriors went back to business and made headway with some solid runs from the pack and Marcelo Montoya before Wayde Egan put Matt Lodge into space before the big prop passed the ball back to Egan for the Warriors first try. Then in a trifecta of heartbreaks, Tohu Harris left the field after injuring his knee. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck followed after being knocked into next week by a wayward Matt Burton knee before Egan joined them with a shoulder injury. However, despite the setbacks, the Warriors were next to score, with Reece Walsh running on the last before firing a cut-out pass to Rocco Berry to cross in the corner. A few sets later, it looked like the Warriors were over again when Josh Curran crosses after a short ball from Townsend, but it was ruled forward. With the ball back in their hands, the Panthers took over and scored tries through Brian To'o and Kikau to go into the sheds leading 16-10. We started the second half with news that Berry had injured his hamstring and would not be returning, meaning that the Warriors would have to play the rest of the match with no interchanges. I thought we were about to witness a blowout, but the Panthers made several uncharacteristic errors, and the Warriors showed plenty of heart with some great try-saving scrambling defence. Still, Penrith could not be denied scoring three tries via a Charlie Staines double (call me onesided, but if Curran's try was from a forward pass, then I think Staines had at least one if not both come from forward passes too) and a Liam Martin solo effort. The Warriors refused to be counted out, and even though the victory was beyond reach, they dominated the final stages of the match and come close to scoring on several occasions but only managed one more try when Walsh hit Curran with a short ball before flicking the ball back to the youngster in what was the last scoring play of the match. 

I finally got my prediction right this week with the Panthers winning by 14, but this was a great effort by the underdogs here, and I think if they had not suffered those injuries, then an upset may have been on the cards. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be, but if the Warriors can keep this level of effort for the remainder of the season, they have the potential to end it on a high note.

Despite the result, there were things that left a smile on my face, which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

First of that display of heart. I have criticized the Warriors for their mental lapses this season, but in this match, with the chips down and their backs against the wall, they did not disappear. They still made mistakes and poor decisions in both attack and defence, but they played their guts out and made the Panthers fight for the win. Replicating that type of performance for the rest of the season is a must.

I thought the Warriors attack looked better; they ended the match with 20 offloads, 6 linebreaks and 43 tackle breaks. There were still missteps, and I think Townsends kicking wasn't the best, but his experience definitely helped the Warriors stay competitive. Walsh continued to impress, and Egan looked great in the limited time he had out there. Nikorima moved into hooker and played one of his better games this season, except for his poor defensive effort that led to Martins' try. The bones are there; I just want to see more attacking football like that this week.

The attack improved thanks largely to the forwards' effort, namely the superstar combination of Addin Fonua-Blake and Matt Lodge. They just making earning metres look so easy; the rest of the pack did well, too, except for Bayley Sironen, who was moved into the halves, which hampered his running. Still, I think the prop rotation did well, considering the number of minutes they had to play. Eliesa Katoa was a monster on the edge again, and Jazz Tevaga just oozing heart; he was battered and bruised but refused to quit. Really great to see the pack refuse to hang their heads even though they were running on fumes.

I still had a few issues, however, which leads to my negatives from the match.

Match Negatives

Injuries were my biggest negative from this match. Unfortunately, they are something that just happens in football, but to lose two of your spine and your forward leader is a cruel blow. The knife was twisted further when Nathan Brown confirmed in the post-match interview that Harris and Egan would be out for the season. That is a massive loss for the Warriors on the final stretch of the season, but hopefully, the players that step into their spots give it 100%

The Warriors made too many errors again for my likely; they ended the match with 11. They were trying to play expansive football, and fatigue was setting in so you can give them a pass for a few wayward passes or dropped balls. I just want to see them end this week's match with a single-digit error count.

My last negative is tainted by the fatigue as well, but it was missed tackles. They ended with 37 missed tackles, but in context, the Panthers ended the match with 43. They pulled off some great defence at times when you could see they were gassed, but they also continued to have issues with the wingers rushing in and leaving opportunities for their opposition to sneak down the edges. The wingers need to have faith and confidence in their centres doing their job; otherwise, the Warriors will remain in danger of leaking points in the corners.

Warrior of the Match

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For the second week in a row, I am picking Matt Lodge as my Warrior of the match. He was a monster out there. He played the entire match and did not drop his performance throughout. He ran for 144 metres, threw 8 offloads, had a linebreak and a try assist. He also made 27 tackles. At times he looked like the NRL's biggest halfback with the way he was jumping in as first receiver and showing his playmaking abilities. I know he has many detractors due to his past, but I was happy with his signing, and he continues to prove it was a great signing by the club. The Warriors now have potentially one of the best pair of props in the game, and with Lodges ability to play second-phase football, I can see guys like Walsh and Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak having a field day running of his shoulder.

Warrior to Improve

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A few players could have been picked here this week, mainly Euan Aitken and Bayley Sironen, but I have decided to have no Warrior to improve this round. So instead, I want to give a shoutout to Addin Fonua-Blake. Just like last week, he just missed out on my Warrior of the game, but he put in another stellar effort. He managed to spend a handful of minutes of the sideline for a rest but was a warhorse out there. He lead the side in running metres with 262 metres, had 5 tackle breaks, 1 offload and made 32 tackles. With RTS and Harris off the pitch, AFB took over as Captain and lead the side well, questioning the referee after some poor calls but not in the disrespectful way he did last year. He is a hell of a talent, and I think the best is yet to come.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 19 sees the Warriors travel to Sunshine Coast Stadium to face the Rabbitohs in what will be another tough encounter. This Rabbitohs side can beat any team on their day, but they also can be beaten. If the Warriors can pressure them, South Sydney can make silly errors. We are still waiting to see if RTS and Berry will be available for the match, but I expect Nikorima and Adam Pompey to return to the starting lineup if they are not ready. For the pack, Jazz will stay in lock and Ben Murdoch-Masila should return to the second row. If Nikorima stays in the halves, then Otukolo should come back into hooker. I hope that the Warriors come to the party and score an upset, but I think Souths will be too strong, so I'm picking the Rabbitohs to win by 10.

So that was an unfortunate Round 18, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What would you gameday 17 this week?
Who was your player of the day?

Did you have a Warrior to improve?
What is your score prediction against the Rabbitohs?

NZ Warriors 2021 Round 17 Review: Warriors season sinking as Shark circle playoffs

After round 16's Golden Point defeat to the Dragons, the Warriors travelled to Netstrata Jubilee Stadium for what could be the last game played in Sydney for quite some time to face the Sharks. It was another must-win for the Warriors, but a 20-minute mental lapse in the first half saw the Sharks run up a lead that the Warriors could not claw back, losing their fifth match in a row 20-12.

Another week, another loss and personally, this game was hard to watch and even harder to review. It was the cliche "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed". The Warriors were in this match for 60 of the 80 minutes and were the first to score in the 16th minute when Reece Walsh dived on a Dallin Watene-Zelezniak grubber. Then for the rest of the first half, the Warriors fell apart, allowing the Sharks into the contest and boy, Cronulla took it with both hands, scoring three tries in quick succession before kicking a penalty goal in the final stages of the half to go into the sheds with a 20-6 lead. The Warriors managed to prevent the Sharks from scoring any points in the second half and managed another try themselves through skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and had a few chances to score a few more but lacked the polish needed for them to get a comeback victory. Shaun Johnson came to haunt his former (and future) club, keeping the Warriors on their goalline for massive periods of the half with some pinpoint grubbers that earnt his side repeat sets. While they did not score of these, the Warriors were stuck trying to run the length of the field as time was running out. It made for a frustrating watch, and the Warriors playoff aspirations have taken a massive hit, and for me, I believe their chance of making the top eight is now gone.

Despite the result, some things left a smile on my face, which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

I thought Matt Lodge and Addin Fonua-Blake had a solid outing; both were head and shoulders above the rest of the forward pack and continually got the Warriors on the front foot. Both ran for over 100 metres (AFB ran for 166 metres, and Lodge ran 116). If the Warriors had a more competent halves pairing, then they should have run away with this match. This new props pairing should give the Warriors a boost; they just need to take advantage of this edge instead of wasting it.

Eliesa Katoa appears to be heading back to his 2020 form, which is a welcome sight for sore eyes. He ran with intent and defended well. The Warriors just need the rest of the pack to come to the party and help these three guys out.

The back three are dangerous and combine well, with Reece Walsh, RTS and DWZ all having moments where they threatened the Sharks defensive line. There was that mistime pass between Walsh and DWZ towards the end of the match, but I think we will see these two partnered up for many tries in the next few years. I thought the whole backline played reasonably well, with the exception of the halves.

Lastly, it was nice to see the offloads back in a big way; the Warriors ended the match with 18 and best of all, there weren't as many in poor situations like we saw last week. With the back three, they currently have, these offloads will inevitably lead to points.

I had plenty of concerns, however, which leads to my negatives from the match.

Match Negatives

The Warriors let themselves with poor discipline, conceding 11 penalties. I think many of these calls were a bit rough, but if you know the Referee is giving you the short end of the stick, you need to adjust your play style to eliminate those penalties. It's a fine line; you don't want to just allow your opposition and the officials to walk all over you; you need to find a middle ground where you can be physical and bend the rules without going over the line.

The Warriors made too many errors again. They ended the match with 10, with many of them being coach-killing simple errors. Dropping the ball on a hit up or bumbling around trying to pick up a loose ball. It would have been comical if I wasn't a Warriors fan, but they now have 21 errors in two matches, and with a match against the Panthers this week, they need to get their errors back down to single digits.

That lapse in the final 20 minutes of the first half ended all hopes of the Warriors walking away with the win here. Every week the Warriors have a 15-20 minute window where they switch off and let their opposition walk over them. I'm not sure why it keeps happening. Is it an issue with their fitness, their mental toughness, or is it something else? Whatever the reason, they need to find a solution and fixed it quickly.

Lastly, the Warriors halves. Simply put, they just don't cut it. This team looks good on paper, except for their 9, 6 and 7. Egan has improved in recent times, but Sean O'Sullivan and Kodi Nikorima are not the halves that can lead this side to victories. The sooner Chad Towsend and Chanel Harris-Tavita return to the pitch, the better, as I just don't have any faith in O'Sullivan and Nikorima getting the job done.

Warrior of the game

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My Warrior of the match goes to Matt Lodge. It was almost a flip of the coin between him and AFB, but I have gone for the new recruit. He had solid stats, running for 116 metres of 13 runs and making 38 tackles in his 59 minutes on the field. He had the quickest play the ball in the pack (2.89 seconds). You could just see he was out there with a point to prove, and I'm sure that he will only get better, and I just hope that the rest of the pack follow his lead.

Warrior who needs to improve

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My Warrior to improve once again goes to Kodi Nikorima. The only thing he has managed to do consistently this year is appearing in this section of my reviews. When the Warriors are looking for someone to direct the attack, he is never there. He continues to look lost on attack, and his kicking game has been subpar. Rumours are still circling that he is looking to move to another club next season, and judging by his current form, I just don't see him getting picked up by anyone. If he wishes to continue his career, he needs to get out of the halves and back to the Hooker / No 14 role that he excels in.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 18 sees the Warriors travel to Queensland (like every team) to face the Panthers. Penrith will be without their halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai and potentially a few other players due to State of Origin, so there may be no better time to face them. I am looking forward to the forward battle as I think the Warriors may have the edge here; however, if the Warriors have the same halves pairing again, I just don't see them being able to string enough together to get the win. So I am picking the Panthers to win by 14.

Before I sign off, I just to mention the recent news of the Warriors homecoming in August being cancelled due to the recent Covid outbreak in Sydney. It is a massive loss for the club and fans alike. I am not going to lie; not going to live matches for the past two seasons has been hard for me. I miss watching the boys live and catching up with all the fans and was really looking forward to returning to Mount Smart. I understand the decision, but it does not make it any easier to take. All my fingers and toes are crossed for Australia to get COVID under control again, as I don't want to see the Warriors forced to spend another season in Australia in 2022.

So that was a soul-crushing Round 17, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you think the Warriors still have a shot at making the top eight?
Who was your player of the day?
How do the Warriors fix their issues in the halves?
What is your score prediction against the Panthers?

NZ Warriors 2021 Round 16 Review: Implosion in final ten puts season on life support

After round 15's loss to the Knights and a week off, the Warriors returned to the Central Coast to face the Dragons in yet another must-win clash. Due to the recent COVID outbreaks, this meant the match was played without a crowd. I went into this match confident that the Warriors would come away with the victory and it looked like a win was on the cards until the Dragons surged into the match in the final ten minutes to level the scores before slotting a field goal in Golden Point to see the Warriors lose their fourth match in a row 19-18

Well, that was hard to swallow; the Warriors let another game slip. It was another low scoring match with the Dragons crossing for the first try through Ben Hunt before the Warriors took over, scoring back to back tries via Wayde Egan and Eliesa Katoa to go into the break leading 12-6. A try in the 50th minute by Bunty Afoa handed the Warriors an 18-6 lead, and the Warriors appeared to be in the drivers set; the Warriors had a few more chances but could not get across the line. Then as the clock hit the 70th minute, the Dragons found another gear, and the Warriors went into their shell as the Dragons scored three tries via Gerard Beale, Jack Bird and Cody Ramsey to level the scores at 18, all as the match went into Golden Point. Golden Point was tense with both sides trying to nail a field goal, but in the 88th minute, Corey Norman got the one that counted to break the Dragons losing streak against the Warriors.

It was another tough loss to stomach, the Warriors continue to let victory slip out of their grasp, and this could be the season-defining loss that seems them miss the playoffs. They sit two points outside the eight and have the Panthers and Rabbitohs in back to back matchups in rounds 18 and 19, so they really needed to bank some competition points the past few rounds. They missed Reece Walsh's spark out the back, and the injury to Tohu Harris did not help them, but they had this game won and took their foot if the gas. The Broncos defeating the Sharks has kept the Warriors within reach of the top eight, but if they continue to perform like they have in the past month, their campaign is over.

Despite the result, some things left a smile on my face, which leads to my positives from the match. 

Match Positives

More of the Forwards came to the party this week with five players running for over 100 metres. Addin Fonua-Blake (192) lead the pack, followed by Eliesa Katoa (133), Bayley Sironen (107) and Jazz Tevaga and Leeson Ah Mau (both with 104), Bunty Afoa was just behind them (93), with only Kane Evans (65) and Ben Murdoch-Masila (51) ending the match with subpar numbers. With the recent signing of Matt Lodge (more on that below), I would be worried if I was Evans as he would be the front-rower I would be dropping.

I thought the Warriors looked better on attack with Chad Townsend out there directing traffic; he took a hit on the first set that injured him, so he wasn't 100% for the rest of the match, but his direction was a sight for sore eyes and I think if he had a better halves partner out there, then the Warriors would have scored a lot more points. His field goal attempt when the Warriors were ahead 18-6 was questionable and a horrible attempt, but Nathan Brown advised after the match that Townsend thought they were only six ahead when he made the kick. 

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was solid on debut, he had a few wobbly kick defusals, but other than that, he ran the ball hard and added some speed to the Warriors attack. The Warriors could be a dangerous side to face with him, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Walsh all out the back. I haven't been this optimistic about a Warriors back three for quite some time.

Wayde Egan played one of his better games in a Warriors jersey. I have been very critical of the young hooker, but he showed up in this match. The forwards gave him a better platform, and he was able to deliver quicker ball from the ruck and also scored a nice try when he sniped out of the ruck. I still had a few issues with some of his passes on the last tackle, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

I had plenty of concerns, however, which leads to my negatives from the match.

Match Negatives

The Warriors made too many errors again. They ended the match with 11. A lot of these came from trying to force an offload when it wasn't on. I love offloads, don't get me wrong but seeing the Warriors throw a 50/50 offload early in the tackle count makes me lose my mind, especially when they have the lead. The season is now on the line, so respect for the ball is now more important than ever.

On top of giving the Dragons the ball too often with errors, the Warriors made things harder on themselves with six again calls; they only had 5, but almost all of them were late in the tackle count, and that is a coach killer. Giving your opposition an extra 25 tackles is a surefire way to guarantee that you exit the grounds without competition points. Most of the calls were for delaying the play the ball; on the plus side, this is an easy adjustment to make, so I expect to see an improvement this week.

Injuries are a concern, they lost Tohu Harris early in the match, and it looks like he is set to miss at least one week; Katoa and Townsend could also miss some game time. The Warriors depth has tested plenty this season, and hopefully, the light is at the end of the tunnel, and they start to get their full strength side back together on the field soon.

And lastly, my regular negative missed tackles. The Warriors did better this week but still missed 26, and against a team like the Dragons, that is a red flag. The Warriors need to crack down on this before the games against the Panthers and Rabbitohs; otherwise, those games will not be pretty to watch or write about.

Warrior of the Match

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My Warrior of the match goes to Eliesa Katoa. His second year with the club has been less than stellar, but we are starting to see the 2020 Katoa again. He scored a nice try and was constantly threatening with the ball in hand with 133 metres from 12 runs. He also made a line break, 5 tackle breaks and was defensively sound, making 35 tackles without a miss. I have my fingers crossed that we will see Katoa continue in this form for the remainder of the season, and I expect him to go to another level next season with Shaun Johnson back and feeding him the ball.

Warrior to Improve

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My Warrior to improve goes to Sean O'Sullivan for the second week in a row. It was hard to pick this week with Ed Kosi also not having the best game. However, I have let Kosi off as he is technically still a development player and would not be playing this season with the Warriors had better cover (I still don't get why Pompey isn't moved to the wing and Berry into the centres?). So I've gone with O'Sullivan again, he was a late call up for this match when Nikorima was ruled out and had his chance to redeem himself after his poor effort against the Knights, but he struggled once again. His kicking was better on a positive note, but he let the side down with his discipline, getting penalised twice (the Warriors only penalties) and giving away 1 ruck infringement. He is off-contract at the end of the year, and I don't see many people interested in picking him up, although he may get himself an extension with the Warriors just to add some halves cover. Hopefully, Townsend and Nikorima are both fit for this round as I don't have any confidence that the Warriors can win with SOS in the halves.

Next rounds thoughts and predictions

Round 17 sees the Warriors travel to Netstrata Jubilee Stadium to take on the Sharks. This is another must-win match for the Warriors (I feel like I will be saying that for the rest of the season); with the Sharks sitting in 8th spot, the Warriors need the win to keep themselves in the hunt. The Warriors will be missing Harris, but I expect to see Jazz Tevaga move into the lock spot. Walsh should return to fullback with RTS going back to the wing. I have fingers crossed that Townsend and Nikorima are deemed fit to play. Then in the pack, I would bring in Lodge for Evans and bring Otukolo onto the bench to take Tevagas spot. With the team set up like that, I go into the match confident, and I'm going to pick the Warriors to win by 8.

Since I last wrote, the Warriors announced the effective immediately signing of Broncos prop Matt Lodge. The signing comes with a bit of controversy due to Lodge's past discretion, but I am a fan of it; what he did all those years ago was stupid, and he was punished at the time and since then, from what I have seen, has not been in any strife since. He does plenty of grunt work up the middle and should help AFB get the Warriors on the front foot, and the thought of what the Warriors backs could do of the back of them is exciting.

Also, before I sign off, Nathan Brown found out after Fridays match that his brother passed away; I also lost a family member last week and know the toll it takes on you. I offer Brown my condolences in this sad time and hope he has the love and support he needs to get through this time.

So that was a frustrating Round 16, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Are the Warriors still a chance for finals?

Who was your player of the day?

What are your thoughts on the signing of Matt Lodge?

What is your score prediction against the Sharks?