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?