NZ Warriors Round 3 Review: Hard to watch as Warriors win ugly

After Round two's defeat to the Titans, the Warriors made their way to Campbell Sports Stadium to face the Tigers. Both sides came into this round winless, and with the mounting pressure on the Tigers and Madge Maguire, I was nervous; those nerves stayed with me throughout the match as the Warriors held on for their first win in 2022, scraping through with a 16-12 win.

You could feel the pressure on both sides as they ran onto the pitch, desperate to secure their first win of the season. The Warriors had the first scoring opportunity when Chanel Harris-Tavita kicked early and forced a repeat set; however, Matt Lodge lost the ball on the first tackle after the reset and let the Tigers off the hook. Wests powered up the field on the back of some strong runs from their pack and, after a penalty, found themselves deep in Warriors territory and then on the scoreboard when James Tamou barged his way over the try-line. The New Zealand side fought their way back into the contest and were next to score after Euan Aitken scooped up a Marcelo Montoya tap back to level the score. The clubs started to trade sets but let themselves down with discipline and handling errors, the Tigers pushed a kick through and appeared to have scored when Luciano Leilua placed a finger on the ball before it went over the dead-ball line, but the referee made the call that he had no control when grounding in a decision that may be discussed for some time after the final whistle. The Warriors wasted little time getting themselves back into the Tigers RedZone and ahead on the scoreboard when Adam Pompey was able to snatch a kick out of Daine Laurie's hands to stroll over. 

A penalty against the Tigers allowed the Warriors to push their lead out by two. With the first half almost over, the Tigers would not quit and found themselves in a scoring situation again when David Nofoaluma tapped a kick back to Laurie, who then offloaded it to Zane Musgrove for Wests second try of the night. In the final minute of the half, the Tigers sent the ball down the left edge and looked sure to score until a scrambling Walsh managed to save the Warriors in the final moments with a big try saver tackle as the visitors entered the sheds with a 14-12 lead.

Both sides started the second half with intent but struggled with execution, making poor errors almost in every set. Harris-Tavita looked to have milked a high tackle which the officials correctly ignored; the young standoff was sent from the field for an HIA as a punishment for his poor acting skills. The comedy of errors continued with both sides trading mistakes in repeat sets. The home side gave back-to-back penalties, and the Warriors elected to push their lead out by another two with a Walsh penalty kick. This woke the Tigers up, and they started to run with enthusiasm and looked to be over for another try when Luke Brooks pushed through a grubber for Laurie, but the fullback could not keep his hands on the ball. The New Zealand side started to fight back and made easy work of the Tigers as the home side's players began to look like the walking wounded; however, a wayward kick went straight into the Tiger's arms. Wests darted up the field and put the pressure on with a bomb but had to turn around and chase Walsh, who snatched the ball, running 60 metres up the field before being slowed down by cramp. It was Deja Vu; however, as the Warriors dropped the ball once again, they were able to keep the pressure on with some strong defence and look ready to score before a wayward pass found its way to Jock Madden. He ran 70 metres down the field before being dragged down by Marcelo Montoya. The Warriors winger held Madden down for too long and was sent to the bin for his efforts. Wests had a one-man advantage and excellent field position but continued to make coach killer errors, throwing away several chances to regain the lead. Warriors coach Nathan Brown was pacing in the coaches' box as he watched his team throwing wayward offloads in the dying minutes of the game, but despite doing everything they could to lose the match, they managed to hold on for their first win in what may have been the ugliest game of 2022.

Ugly is the word of the weekend; I don't think I've ever felt this deflated after a Warriors win, and this was their worst performance of 2022. It looked like both sides were doing everything they could to lose this match. Coach killing errors and lacklustre attack is becoming a common trend with the Warriors right now, and my preseason optimism is starting to drain; I won't write them off just yet as I still think this team will show improvement once they manage to get their preferred spine on the field together. I'm not making excuses for them; I expected to see an improvement from the first two rounds, especially when facing a team like the Tigers who have been struggling instead of a decline like we witnessed. Fix the error rate, get Shaun Johnson and Walsh together, and the performances will improve (I'm not sure it can get worse).

There wasn't much, but there were some things I liked in this match, which leads me to my positives from the match. 

Match Positives

They got the win, it was horrible to watch, but they needed those points. 

Getting that first win under their belt should give the side a confidence boost, although the way they played may negate that. This season looks to be a lot closer than 2021, so every point is going to count, regardless of how you get them; just for our sake, please don't get them in efforts like this every week.

I thought Egan had a solid outing, still a few poor defensive reads and a couple of poor options with the ball in hand. However, he continues to grow into his role and is proving to be a capable hooker who can do the job. As long as a player is showing growth, I'm all for giving them a shot, so Egan kept growing and ironing out the kinks, and I'm sure you will have a future in first grade.

Lastly, we are a week closer to the returns of Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris, this side needs them desperately, and I expect a massive improvement once we see them out on the pitch. These players' returns will address issues I mention in my negatives below, so fingers crossed they are doing well in their recovery.

I had plenty of concerns, however, which brings me to my negatives from the game,

Match Negatives

In an ongoing trend, the Warriors were shocking with errors, and for the third week straight, they made 12 errors. They just can't continue making errors in the double digits; they were lucky that the Tigers were making just as many errors; otherwise, this would have been another loss. Show respect for the ball, and the rewards will come, continue to throw it away, and we are in for a long season.

Another trend that's been going on almost as long as I have been writing is the missed tackles; they missed 30 in this match. 

I don't know what is wrong with their defensive reads if it's an attitude issue, a lack of confidence or a general lack of trust in the man on either side of them in the line, but it needs to be addressed and fixed. I know there are some young guys out there that are learning, but the coaches need to sort this out pronto.

After praising the forward pack in the first two rounds, I need to address them this week. They were dominated in this match; only three players ran for over 100 metres (Addin Fonua-Blake - 150m, Matt Lodge - 148m, Josh Curran - 141m). However, besides looking at the stats, most of the pack failed to bend the line, and it looked like they were just hitting a brick wall. If they can't gain the upper hand in the middle, they cannot expect the halves to get this side into scoring positions. I have praised this forward unit as one of the better packs in the comp, but they sure didn't look like it here.

Kind of flowing on from the forward comment, the Warrior attack was dreadful; they scored two tries via lucky kicks and kudos for taking the chance when it was there, but other than that, they just looked clueless with the ball in hand. The Tigers' defence was shutting them down, and they appeared shellshocked, resulting in going through set plays that weren't working. They needed to add some dimension and have a half step up and take control, but neither did. It was essentially just one out football with 50/50 offload attempts thrown in the mix. That is not a recipe for success, so just bin it.

Lastly, the use of the interchange or, more specifically, the prop rotation.

I wouldn't say I'm a Nathan Brown defender, I just don't see the point in sacking a coach if there isn't another coach that can do better out there willing to do the job, but he makes it hard to defend him when he continues to make poor use of his bench. I know Eliesa Katoa's injury and CHT having to go off for an HIA did not help matters, but the fact that Aaron Pene was not used until the second half and only for 12 minutes is ridiculous; I think he has been strong in so far in his Warriors career and he should have been brought in sooner. AB and Lodge are crucial to this team, but they played for too long in their first stint and started to make silly mistakes. Pene and Bunty Afoa have shown they can do their part, so bring them on sooner.

If they sort out the prop rotation to keep all four of them fresh, then the Warriors are in a better position to get the W each week.

Warrior of the Match

My Warriors of the match goes to Reece Walsh.

It was hard this week as I felt not many Warriors did enough to warrant praise this week, but I went with Walsh in the end. He ran for the most metres (157m) and made that big break hampered by a cramp. His defence also improved, still miles off where it needs to be, but I loved his massive tackle at the end of the first half to stop the Tigers from scoring. He also had 100% at the kicking tee kicking two conversions and two penalties which allowed the Warriors to get the win.

I will keep saying it until I am blue in the face, but I can't wait to see what he can do when SJ is out there with him.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Matt Lodge.

Plenty of players could have got the nod here, but I have gone with Lodge; he did well with the running metres, but I have picked him here because of his errors and lack of decision making. He made three errors as the match was winding down, and all the Warriors needed to do was hold onto the ball and soak up some time to get back to 13 men on the field; he kept trying to throw 50/50 offloads. I love my second phase football, but on a night where passes are not sticking, you need your experienced players like Lodge to set an example and tuck that ball. He needs a bounceback against his former club this week; otherwise, he may find himself riding the pine.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 4 sees the Warriors return to their home away from home in Redcliffe to face the Broncos. Brisbane started the season strong with back-to-back wins but was well and truly beaten 38-12 in Round 3 when they faced the Cowboys. This makes them more dangerous in my eyes; they will be looking to make an example out of the Warriors as they aim to get back in the winner's circle.

The Warriors will most likely field the same 17, Shaun Johnson may be fit and ready to play, and if that is the case, he would be my only change, swapping him and Kodi Nikorima, Nikorima can either drop out of the 17 or take a spot on the bench. If he takes a bench spot, I would drop Bayley Sironen (he did improve this week), Jazz Tevaga can fill Sironen's role, and Nikorima can be the No. 14. 

The Warriors will need their forwards to get back to their form from Rounds 1 and 2 and dominate the middle; if they do that and the halves add direction, and most importantly, the team reduces the errors, they have a chance. Unfortunately, I do not see it being enough to beat Brisbane, so I am picking the Broncos to get the win here by 12.

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

Do you think the Warriors will improve, or are we in for a long season?

Did you have a Warrior of the match?

Would you make any changes to the 17?
What is your score prediction against the Broncos?

NZ Warriors Round 2 Review: Close but no cigar as Warriors rue lack of execution

After Round One's defeat to the Dragons, the Warriors made their way to Cbus Super Stadium to face the Titans. After Gold Coast's narrow defeat to the Eels, I came into the match nervous.

Unfortunately, that feeling was on the money as the Titans walked away with a 20-18 victory.

The Titans started the match quickly, scoring in the first minute via Beau Fermor; both sides traded sets and errors before the Titans went over again with Jayden Campbell throwing a cutout pass to Greg Marzhew, who rampaged down the sideline to score the second try of the afternoon. An error from the Titans gave the Warriors their chance to get on the board when Wayde Egan burrowed over from dummy-half. The visitors looked to have levelled the scores when Chanel Harris-Tavita crashed over the try line; however, the Bunker deemed he had lost possession when grounding the ball.

The Titans were next on the scoresheet when they returned to what worked, with David Fifita throwing a cutout pass to Marzhew, who cruised away for his second try. 

The Warriors struck back with former Titan Ash Taylor linking with Reece Walsh, who then put Marcelo Montoya over in the corner. With the clock winding down, Harris-Tavita nailed a 40/20 and Taylor was back, punching through a grubber which was dived on by Phillipo Sami, that appeared to be the final play of the half, but the Bunker decided to take another look and found that Smai had not grounded the ball and that Adam Pompey had in fact grounded the ball and scored, handing the Warriors an 18-16 lead at the break.

The second half was full of errors and half chances for both sides, with the only scoring play coming from Sami, who handed his side the lead back in the 57th minute. The Warriors made a few attempts but could not seal the deal, with the closest being a flick pass from Jesse Arthars that was dropped by Pompey. The Warriors tried to create more opportunities and made a few half breaks but also made some poor decisions and couldn't seal the deal, allowing the Titans to hold on for a 20-18 victory.

Well, another week, another frustrating performance. The Warriors once again did themselves no favours making silly errors and poor choices on attack. 

The referees did make some poor calls in this match, I thought Harris-Tavita scored his try, and the stripping call against the Warriors late in the game was also incorrect. However, these calls did not cost them the match; the Warriors still had plenty of chances to put this match away; they just didn't take those chances with both hands. Call me stupid, but I am still optimistic; they continue to show glimpses of what they can deliver when things click, they just need to quickly improve in a few areas, and the wins will come. 

Despite the result, there were some things I liked in this match which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

The forwards did a lot of work in this match; all of the forwards (except for Matt Lodge and Bayley Sironen) ran for over 100 metres ( Fonua-Blake - 186m, Josh Curran - 152m, Bunty Afoa - 145m, Euan Aitken - 121m, Eliesa Katoa - 120m, Jazz Tevaga - 113m and Aaron Pene - 112m). If Lodge didn't go off sick, I am confident that he would have hit triple digits. The pack is getting the Warriors up the field; they just need the halves to do their part and create some scoring opportunities.

After a slow start, the Warriors got themselves back into the match; it is good to see that they can get themselves out of a hole. They just need to not dig that hole in the first place, and when they get themselves into a position to win matches, they need to nail it.

Although they weren't amazing, I was impressed with Harris-Tavita, Ash Taylor and Jesse Arthars.  

Harris-Tavita looked more comfortable back in his familiar role as a half and showed more of his kicking game, including his 40/20. He still lacked some killing instinct and had some issues with his fifth tackle options, but he did enough to keep that spot in my eyes and should go to another level once he gets to partner Shaun Johnson.

Taylor, I thought was solid enough in his first game; he played a part in a handful of tries. He missed 11 tackles, however, which is a concern, but a half isn't paid to be a defensive powerhouse, and I think with a few matches under his belt, we will start to see his confidence grow, and he will be able to lead this side around the park until SJ returns.

Lastly, Arthars, I had picked him as my starting centre before the season started and his effort in this match made me confident of that selection; he looked sharp and hungry with the ball in hand and made some good defensive choices. He knows how to feed his outside man, and I think he would make a great team with Dallin Watane-Zelezniak; that centre spot is his now, and I don't see him giving it up anytime soon. 

I did have concerns, however, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The Warriors are killing themselves with slow starts, the NRL is a tough competition, and you need to start every match with your head in the game. The Warriors showed that they can play catch up football, but if they started better, they would be able to put pressure on the opposition instead of putting pressure on my stress levels.

The lack of execution is a massive concern; at times, it looked like the Warriors didn't know what to do with the ball and just threw it to Walsh in the hope that he could create something, but he can't do it all and is prone to making mistakes too. No hope kicks early in the tackle count; running the ball on the last are all coach killers, and they need to get this out of their game now.

For the second week in a row, the Warriors made 12 errors. Rinse and repeat of last week's game, they were dropping easy offloads, making wayward passes and losing the ball in the tackle. You just can't let the opposition off the hook with schoolboy errors. Fix that, and the Warriors instantly become a harder team to defeat.

The Warrior's discipline needs work; they gave away 7 penalties and 2 ruck infringements. Like the errors, you cannot afford to give your opposition a leg up. With the six again rule, if you are not up to scratch with your discipline, you are looking at energy-sapping defence for large spells; this leaves you with not much in the tank when you finally get your hands on the ball. It is an easy fix, at least, and I want to see a reduction in the penalty count straight away.

Lastly is missed tackles; the Warriors missed 36 this week. However, I am more concerned with the edge defence of the side. It has been an issue for years, but the Titans showed all clubs that if you want to score points against the Warriors, just throw a long pass out to your wingers, and they will have space to get to the line. The wingers need to have trust that their centre has their man and stop rushing in. It feels like they do this almost every time, and it needs to stop.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Josh Curran for the second week in a row, it was tighter this week with AFB almost getting the nod but I couldn't go past the heart Curran shows. He ran for 148 metres, led the side defensively with a game-high 44 tackles, and was constantly putting pressure on the Titan's kickers, resulting in another charge down. It is still early days in Curran's career but he continues to go from strength to strength, I just love watching him play for this club and if he keeps performing like this then rep honours are just around the corner.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Bayley Sironen, if I didn't watch the game multiple times before writing my reviews I may not have even noticed that he was on the pitch. When I checked the player stats, I was blown away that he played 29 minutes, and in that time, he made 18 tackles with only 1 miss, but he also only had 1 run for 2 running metres. I spoke in my season preview that the Warrior's second-row stocks are stacked, and I just can't see what Sironen is offering on game day, instead of having Mr Invisible out there I would rather have Ben Murdoch-Masila out on an edge for 20 minutes, or give Jack Murchie or Pride Petterson-Robati a chance to show what they can do. I suggested dropping Sironen last week and I am going to double down on that call this week.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 3 sees the Warriors travel to Campbelltown Sports Stadium in Sydney to face the Tigers, who went down 26-4 to the Knights in Round 2. The Tigers looked strong in Round 1 but appear to be back to normal after their poor outing this weekend. The Warriors will need to improve their edge defence as Ken Maumalo and David Nofoaluma will be trouble.  

The Warriors should field the same 17 this week with the exception of replacing Sironen with Ben Murdoch-Masila. Both sides are yet to record a win this season (alongside the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles) and will be desperate to avoid going 0-3, If the Warriors improve their execution on attack, then the points will come, and they should find themselves in the winner's circle for the first time this season, so I am picking the Warriors to win by 12.

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

Are there any changes you would make to the 17?
Who was your Warrior of the match?
Who was your player to improve?
What is your score prediction against the Tigers?

NZ Warriors Round 1 Review: Error filled day dampens Johnsons return

With the preseason officially behind us, the NRL is back, and Round 1 saw the Warriors start their campaign hosting the St George Illawarra Dragons on the Sunshine Coast.

Despite missing Tohu Harris, Matt Lodge and Reece Walsh, I came into this match pretty confident of a Warriors victory, but it wasnt be as the Dragons took advantage of an error-riddled Warriors outfit to walk away with a 28-16 victory.

Ah, the joys of writing about the Warriors, I was counting down the days and hours until kickoff, and then I came crashing down after a frustrating 80 minutes. The Warriors started the match strong, using their forwards to surge up the field, but a forward pass stopped their first scoring attempt. After a few back and forth sets, the Warriors gave away a penalty, and the Dragons nailed a kick to touch to start their set deep in the Warriors' territory. A few plays later, they were over with Mikaele Ravalawa crossing over in the corner. A couple of Warriors errors and sets later, the Dragons were over again via Jack Bird, pushing them out to a 12 point lead; however, the Warriors fought back and were finally on the scoreboard when Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak pushed through a grubber that bounced the right way for him to pounce on. Then in what was my play of the match, Addin Fonua-Blake took the kick return and broke the line before running 50 meters down the pitch, it was a great start to the set, but the Warriors could not build on it getting tackled on the last. The game started to settle with neither side gaining the upper hand until a Shaun Johnson inside ball to Josh Curran saw the lock break into open space before sending Wayde Egan over to score; after Johnson's conversion, the Warriors were only behind by 2.
 However, the Dragons had the last laugh, kicking a penalty goal at the 40th minute to go into the break with a 14-10 lead. 

The Warriors started the second half strong with Curran charging down a Ben Hunt kick, allowing the Warriors to start their set deep in the Dragons half; they had several attempts to cross the try line thanks to some six again calls but could not get through the goal-line defence. A few sets later, Johnson kicked a massive 40/20 to put the Dragons under the pump again. This time, the Warriors converted their opportunity into points when Johnson put Eliesa Katoa over for the Warrior's third try and the lead. Momentum appeared to have swung the Warriors way, but they continued to let themselves down with a lack of respect for the ball, and this saw the Red V keep themselves in the hunt. Ravalawa scored back to back tries to regain the lead for his side before Moses Mbye sniped out of dummy-half in the 73rd minute to ensure the Dragons end Round 1 as victors.

It was a messy start to the season for the Warriors. They often put themselves under pressure and weren't a cohesive unit with the ball in hand. I was disappointed that they couldn't get the job done, but I saw glimpses of what this team could do, which still has me somewhat optimistic. If they can work on a few issues that I will discuss in my negatives, they should be competitive. With the return of Reece Walsh and Matt Lodge next week and a few tweaks to the game day 17, I think we will see a better performance in Round 2. 

Despite the result, there were some things I liked in this match which leads to my positives from the game.

Match Positives

It was surreal seeing SJ back in a Warriors jersey, and I thought he had a decent outing, he was a bit rusty, but I put that down to not getting a run in the preseason. His kicking was a drastic improvement to this side compared to last season; he put the Dragons under pressure several times. He had a few misfires, including a crosskick on the second tackle, but I liked seeing him asking questions of the defence. His passing play was crisp, and he really helped Katoa return to his strong running game, and I expect their partnership to grow throughout the season. 

The forwards had more impact and did a lot of the heavy lifting, with four of the pack running for over 100 metres (Fonua Blake - 151m, Euan Aitken - 104m, Katoa - 114m and Curran - 107m). The majority of the pack helped keep the team rolling forward, but I needed to see more out of Bayley Sironen as he did not make a single run in the 21 minutes. Lodges return next week will add another metre-eater 

The Warriors have returned to a more positive attacking form of football, which is what fans have been asking for them to do for years. It makes the games harder to watch as everything they try isn't always going to work, but it is at least entertaining. Once they start to gel, I think we will see some highlight-reel action, they just need a few tweaks, and things will click. I saw a few plays that will be lethal when Walsh is back in the mix. 

I did have concerns, however, which brings me to my negatives from the match.

Match Negatives

The downside of playing more positive football is that sometimes the passes don't stick, and we saw that here with the Warriors making 12 errors. They were dropping easy offloads, making errors in the ruck area and just gifting the Dragons too much ball inside their own half. You cannot afford to play with such a lack of respect for the ball against any team in the NRL because they will make you pay, as we saw here.

The Warrior's discipline needs work; they gave away 8 penalties and 2 ruck infringements. Like the errors, you cannot afford to give your opposition a leg up. With the six again rule, if you are not up to scratch with your discipline, you are looking at energy-sapping defence for large spells; this leaves you with not much in the tank when you finally get your hands on the ball. It is an easy fix, at least, and I want to see a reduction in the penalty count straight away.

The defence was a concern; the Warriors ended the match with 35 missed tackles. At times, they were disorganised and left plenty of holes for the Dragons to target. Defence is all about attitude and having trust in your teammates, so I'm hopeful that with some more time together on the pitch, they will be able to work on their defensive structure and show improvement this week.

Lastly is Nathan Brown's use of the interchange. I have criticised his use of the bench in the past, and he still has me scratching my head. He only used 8 interchanges, which hurt the team's overall performance. Brown needs to make smarter decisions on how to use his bench, when to inject forwards into the match and when to get players off before they start to make errors due to fatigue.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Josh Curran. He was a constant threat on attack, constantly probing the defensive line ready to throw an offload. Despite involving himself heavily on attack, he puts his hand up defensively. I prefer having him in the second-row as I think he will be more dangerous on an edge, but he did very well in the lock position and will hold onto that 13 jersey until Tohu Harris returns from injury. Currans always looking for work and never appears to tire, and he has made me more confident in picking him as one of my five Warriors to stand out this season. I expect him to feature in this section many times this season.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Kodi Nikorima. New year, the same contender for my Warriors to improve section. Initially, I didn't have Kodi in my halves pairing in my season preview and now and should have stuck with my gut. With Johnson back in the fold, Nikorima doesn't need to direct the attack anymore, and this should allow him to play his natural running game; however, he was invisible out there, and the Warriors need to make changes now, with either Chanel Harris-Tavita moving into the 6 jersey or they give Ash Taylor a chance.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 2 sees the Warriors travel to Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast to face the Titans, who went down 32-28 to the Eels in Round 1. Watching that game had me worried as the Titans looked dangerous, and I don't want to see a repeat performance like the one the Warriors had against the Titans in the final round of last season. The Warriors will welcome the return of Walsh and Lodge, which will be a massive boost, and there will be a few other changes to the 17, I'm sure. 

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak broke his thumb early on in the Round 1 outing, so he will be out for a few weeks. I would bring Jesse Arthars onto the wing to replace him. I like Junior Ratuva, but I want him to get a few more games under his belt in reserve grab. I would also drop Sironen of the interchange with Lodge coming back and bring Taylor into the halves. I would expect him to play at another level against his former club. If the Warriors improve their handling and shut down David Fifita, they stand a chance here, so call it hopeful optimism, but I am picking the Warriors to win by 10. 

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

With DWZ injured, who would you bring in?
Who was your Warrior of the match?
Who was your player to improve?
What is your score prediction against the Titans?

NZ Warriors 2022 Season Preview: Stacked Pack and SJ's back

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

That also means that it's time for me to predict how I see the Warriors going in 2022. 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 2022 squad and my gameday 17. Then I will round it up with my 2022 prediction.

As always, these are just my thoughts and opinions, and I'm 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: Welcome to Redcliffe

The Warriors come into the 2022 season more prepared; with the borders to New Zealand still closed, the club decided to remain in Australia when the 2021 season ended to ensure they could hit the preseason with as few distractions as possible. After spending two years on the Central Coast, the Warriors moved to their new home away from home in Redcliffe, they already had a partnership with the Dolphins, so it just made sense to move everyone there.

Their 2021 season showed glimpses of promise, but they struggled to keep the same side on the field week in and week out, resulting in inconsistent performances. Coach Nathan Brown has now had an entire season with his team, so we should expect an improvement in his team selections this season. 

The biggest stories in the Warriors 2022 preseason have been the announcement of Tohu Harris as captain and the signings for this year and 2023.

Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi

Tohu was the most obvious choice to take over from RTS as the Warriors skipper, in my opinion. A quality "follow me" type, not renowned for being the most vocal on the park, but I'm sure he will crush it. The word coming out of the camp is that he has taken to being the new leader like a duck to water, and the squad is responding, which is fantastic to hear.

We also had the news that unwanted halfback Ashley Taylor was offered a lifeline by the Warriors with a train and trial deal. After impressing in the preseason, that deal was upgraded to a one year deal. I didn't see enough from him in the trial to form an opinion, but I think he is a decent player that perhaps wasnt up to the pressure that his pricetag comes with at the Titans. That should now be alleviated, and the desire to earn a new NRL contract in 2023 hopefully means that we see the best Taylor can deliver when he gets his chance.

The Warriors also announced some contract extensions for Wayde Egan, Addin Fonua-Blake and Josh Curran. 

Egan is now signed until the end of 2024, I know Egan is a point of contention for many Warriors fans, but I thought he improved as the 2021 season progressed. Is he a top tier hooker? Well, no, but he is a serviceable one that can still contribute to this team, and behind that forward pack, we should see some more improvement from him this season.

AFB has extended his stay with the Warriors until the end of 2026; this is a massive win for the Warriors to lock in one of the top front-rowers in the NRL long-term and should make Warriors fans very happy. My biggest concern with his signing last year was his discipline, but he showed a lot of improvement in that department. He is the marque player in the pack, and I'm expecting big things from him this season.

Curran's extension until the end of 2024 was fantastic news to get before the season kicked off. He is still developing but has a hell of an upside. Last year, he had a great season and is still young and learning his craft. 2022 could be a big year for the young forward; he just his opportunities with both hands.

The Warriors also announced that they acquired Jesse Arthars on a loan deal from the Broncos. The Warriors backline has a lot of inexperience, and despite still only being 23, Arthars has spent time in first grade with both the Titans and Broncos and can fill many spots in the backline. He is a great addition to the squad for this season; it allows players like Viliami Vailea more time to develop before being thrown in the deep end.

The Warriors also announced that they signed Marata Niukore, Luke Metcalf and Dylan Walker starting from the 2023 season. I won't go into details about these signings here since they are not joining the club this year, but I will say that I am surprisingly happy with all three but do have questions about where they fit within the squad, but we may find that out as we edge closer to the 2023 season.

Lastly, let's talk about the Warriors solo trial match against the Melbourne Storm, which they won 30-18. Both sides were missing some key players, but it was an entertaining match to watch.

It didn't look like it would be a great day with the Storm scoring twice early down the sidelines before Rocco Berry showed some nice touches putting Marcelo Montoya over for back to back tries. Some nice play from Otukolo and Chanel Harris-Tavita put Reece Walsh over for their third try to see the Warriors go into the break leading 14-12. The Storm scored first in the second half, but after that, it was all Warriors with another 3 tries through Garrett Smith, Junior Ratuva and Matt Lodge.

It was a decent first hit-out; the Warriors were rusty and still struggled with their edge defence, but that forward pack is legit, and when they got rolling, the team just looked dangerous. Rocco Berry looked great and has earned a starting spot in my eyes. It was a trial, though, so don't go off buying Grand Final tickets by any means, but if they showed some good combinations and if you chuck SJ, Egan and Curran into that squad, they could scare some teams.

The Warriors were meant to play a second match against the Gold Coast Titans, but this was cancelled due to the massive flooding that happened in Queensland. It's a shame because we didn't get to see Shaun Johnson make his return or see how his combination with his potential halves partners would work, however on the bright side, the Warriors managed to avoid any potential injuries but may go into Round 1 with some ring rust.

Key Signing: Shaun Johnson

The announcement that Shaun Johnson was returning to the Warriors took many by surprise, myself included. However, after three years with the Cronulla Sharks, the prodigal son has returned. Johnson comes back a different player, a more settled, experienced half that doesn't solely rely on the razzle and dazzle to make an impact on matches. The New Zealand side's success will depend heavily on his kicking game, more specifically his short kicks, which has been a weakness for the Warriors since his exit in 2018. His combination with Reece Walsh will have many defenders wary. Johnson has had concerns with injuries, managing only 44 games in the three years at Cronulla, so Warriors fans will have their fingers crossed that he can stay healthy.

2022 Squad

The 2022 squad has seen a lot of departures; gone are Leeson Ah Mau, Kane Evans, David Fusitu'a, Peta Hiku, Sean O'Sullivan, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Shaun Johnson, Aaron Pene, Ashley Taylor, and Jesse Arthurs have joined the club.

The Warriors have plenty of depth in their side now, particularly in the forward pack; despite several players leaving the club at the end of 2021, they still have question marks around the hooker and centre positions. The addition of Jesse Arthars on a loan deal from the Broncos will help in the centres, with Rocco Berry and Viliami Vailea still learning the ropes. The forward pack is stacked with talent, Fonua-Blake and Matt Lodge make an imposing front row, and the signing of Aaron Pene strengthens their prop rotation. The likes of Josh Curran, Eliesa Katoa, Ben Murdoch-Masila and Euan Aitken will all be fighting for the second-row positions while Jazz Tevaga looks likely to hold onto the lock spot while new skipper Tohu Harris recovers from a ruptured ACL which will see him out of contention until May.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is a massive loss to the club, but they have a superstar in the making in Reece Walsh to take his place; Warriors fans will be avoiding the term second-year syndrome when discussing the livewire fullback.

For my gameday 17 (picked as if everyone is fit and available), I have selected the same back three that we saw combine last season in Reece Walsh, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Marcelo Montoya. My centres are Jesse Arthars and Rocco Berry. My halves were a bit harder, Shaun Johnson is a lock, but with only one trial, I didn't get to see enough from Ashley Taylor, who was originally going to make my team, so I have gone with Kodi Nikorima due to how he has combined with SJ in the past for the Kiwis.

The forwards were harder to pick, with so many decent players to choose from, I was bound to leave some out (including my favourite current player Ben Murdoch-Masila). My starting front row is no surprise; however, with Addin Fonua-Blake, Wayde Egan and Matt Lodge, these are the props that need to start and set the platform early. My second row is Josh Curran and Euan Aitken; Curran really showed his potential last season, and I'm hopeful he can build on that in 2022 Aitken. I think he has played better for the club after moving to the forwards, so I am keeping him there, and Tohu Harris is my lock.

My bench may look a bit forward heavy, but I have gone with Jazz Tevaga as my 14; he can fill in at hooker if needed and basically play anywhere in the pack. Aaron Pene and Bunty Afoa are the front-rowers on the bench; they will be tasked with keeping the momentum created by AFB and Lodge rolling, so we don't see a decline like we did last season. Eliesa Katoa had a strong outing in the trail, which has earned him the final spot in my side.

My 2022 Prediction

Continuing my season preview trend, I was wrong with my prediction when I said the Warriors would finish in 6th place last season.

Most of the NRL pundits across the ditch have not handed the Warriors the title of "most likely to get the Wooden Spoon" but still see them around the 12-14 area on the ladder.

With the return of SJ, a pack stacked with talent and a livewire like Reece Walsh, I go into 2022 with more optimism. The Warriors look good on paper, and from what I saw in the one trial they had, there is potential this season. 

The Warriors have a favourable start to their campaign, facing only one top-eight side in the first five rounds (the Gold Coast Titans). Their campaign gets harder in Rounds six and seven with back-to-back matches against the Roosters and Storm. Rounds eight to 14 could make or break their season with winnable games against the Raiders (H), Sharks (A), Dragons (A) and Knights (H), but they must face the Rabbitohs (Magic Round) and the Sea Eagles (A). The Warriors were planning on playing their last five home matches back in New Zealand. However, with the recent border news, the Round 15 clash against the Panthers will not be able to be at Mount Smart, so instead, the first game in Auckland since August of 2019 will be the Round 16 match against the Wests Tigers. This will be a massive shot in the arm for the club and its fans alike, and you would expect the four games in Auckland to be sell-outs. After their bye in round 17, the New Zealand side has a tough road home for the final eight rounds facing the Eels (A), Raiders (A), Storm (H), Rabbitohs (A), Bulldogs (H), Cowboys (A), Panthers (A) before going into the final round just like they did in 2021 with a match against the Titans (H).

The Warriors don't have the easiest draw despite the soft start but did show in patches last season that they have the talent and skillset to go toe to toe with the top sides in the competition. 2021 saw the Warriors suffer a handful of blowouts which they need to ensure does not happen this season. If they can improve their defence, discipline and the squad stay injury-free, they should be able to make a return to finals football. I still have plenty of concerns with Nathan Brown and his questionable selections, and if that trend continues, it could potentially derail the season. The team has had a good preseason, and if they can take advantage of their favourable start and address my concerns from above, I think a return to the playoffs will be on the cards, so I'm picking the Warriors to finish in 7th place.

So let's bring on the new season; I can't wait for Round One. The Warriors get to start their campaign this Saturday, which is the day before my birthday, so I will be looking forward to an early birthday present watching them face the Dragons.

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

With the Warriors hopefully returning to Mount Smart for the final four home games of this season, we should be able to return to the member's tent to have a catchup and chat some football.

If you like what I do here, please share my blog 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 with my good friend Richie every Wednesday night at 8pm NZ time, so come join us there as we discuss everything going on in League and answer your questions live.

So that's my take on the Warriors' upcoming season, and I can't wait for Round One. As usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Are you excited for the 2022 season?

Which player do you think will be the standout performer?

Who would be in your gameday 17?

Where do you think the Warriors will finish in 2021?