NZ Warriors 2022 Round 8 Review: Sloppy Warriors overcome fading Raiders in Golden Point showdown

After the Round sevens record-breaking loss to the Storm, the Warriors returned to Redcliffe to host the Raiders. Both sides came into this match desperate to turn their fortunes around, and the outcome was a mistake-riddled less than stellar performance from both clubs. The Warriors scored the only points in the second half to force the game into Golden Point before Shaun Johnson secured a 21-20 victory in the 82nd minute.

For a breakdown of how the match went, check out my match report at the link below.

Ingers League Wrap-Up Round 8 Match Report

Well, that was ugly to watch, but it was good to see the Warriors nail another Golden Point match, Shaun Johnson has not been playing outstanding, and I think he is still hampered with an injury of some kind, but when the Warriors needed him to secure the win he did it.

Most of the game was underwhelming for me; it was arguably the worst game of the season, with both sides more determined to throw the match away with coach killing errors. I was confident that the Warriors would get the job done as long as they kept within range of the Raiders at halftime since they struggle in the final 40, which is what we saw here.

I know I got some pushback for being too kind to the Warriors last week, and I may get more of the same criticism here because I did not mind this result; the schoolboy errors are inexcusable, so I will not be defending them, but this Warriors side with a young backline, a new half debuting with little to no training with the squad and a forward pack without Josh Curran, got the win, which is what's important. 

If this match was against any other team, they might have been on the path to a heavy defeat again. Still, you can only play the team that's in front of you, so take the points and get back to working on all the issues in the performance as the next two weeks are going to be tough, and a repeat effort like this one will only lead to heartbreak.

Before I move on, I just want to touch on the milking claims that are everywhere in the media. Did I think Matt Lodge had contact to the head? Yes. Do I think he milked the contact to get a much-needed penalty? 100% yes, but with the new rules, it is a penalty. 

Anyone that watches my show The Stand-Off on Wednesdays knows I disagree with this and think it should be play on, but full credit to Lodge's experience in getting the Warriors a chance to level the scores. Also, I thought Tom Starling milked too when Shaun Johnson's try was disallowed, so let's say it's even.

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

Match Positives

They are back in the winner's circle, it wasn't pretty, but it got them the much needed two points. Plus, it's another week closer to the side getting Tohu Harris, Josh Curran, DWZ, Marcelo Montoya and Chanel Harris-Tavita back, which should make the Warriors a much better outfit.

What a debut for Daejarn Asi. He kept busy and ended the match with two try assists, one from a kick and the other from a nice pass. It's only one game, so I don't want to get over-excited, but I like what he offers from what I have seen so far. He didn't look like a player that was in his 11th match, and I would be looking at keeping him in the 17 long-term; when Chanel Harris-Tavita is fit, I would move Asi into the centres (where he has some experience); he is a big body that should be able to defend and has the playmaking skills to get the wingers over in the corner. He is only contracted until the end of the season, but I would like to see the Warriors keep him for a bit longer.

Lastly, after discussing the Warrior's lack of heart, I want to praise the fact that they didn't give up this week. Time was running out; they were behind on the scoreboard and were dropping the ball every few sets. There were several instances where the Warriors could have dropped their heads, put the cue in the rack and called it a day. However, they didn't; they kept pushing forward and got the outcome. I would have liked to see it in a better performance, but seeing them show fight when everything looked like it was going wrong is promising. 

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors were shocking once again with errors, making 17 this round. Poor play the balls, losing the ball in the tackle, silly offloads. You name it, the Warriors did it, and man, it was hard to watch.

They just can't continue making errors in the double digits; they were lucky that the Raiders made 18 errors themselves; 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.

The defence was a concern; the Warriors ended the match with 24 missed tackles. That's an improvement from the last round, and I will give them some leeway; however, due to the changes in the backline and the injury to Jesse Arthars, but it's simply not good enough when facing a struggling team like the Raiders. 

I criticised defensive coach Justin Morgan last week, and I will do so again. I want to see this side improve their defence structures; they often find themselves out of position defensively and are made to pay. This needs to be fixed immediately. 

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. Too often, they just let the Raiders off the hook, I didn't think the official was that great for either side, but the Warriors need to play to the whistle and adjust their technique to how the referee is calling the match. It is an easy fix, at least, and I want to see that penalty count drop sharply next round.

Warrior of the Match

Man, this was hard to pick; I switched between Daejarn Asi and Euan Aitken several times but have sided with Aitken. He gave it his all here, throwing the final pass for the Warrior's first try, making 46 tackles with zero misses and running with intent, consistently bending the defensive line. With Curran out for the next month, the Warriors need another edge forward to step up, and I think Aitken is showing that he is the man to do it.

Warrior to Improve

It was just as hard to pick a player here as many players did not put their best foot forward, but I have gone with Viliami Vailea. He scored a nice try, but he had a patchy night, making 2 errors and only running for 55 metres. His defensive reads were off the mark also. The kid is a hell of a talent, and I expect big things from him; he just needs time to grow and develop his game.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 9 sees the Warriors travel to PointsBet Stadium in Sydney to face the Sharks, who went down 16-7 against the Broncos in Round 9.

The Sharks have been one of the more impressive teams this season, and I struggle to see the Warriors getting the job done here, but after watching the Broncos beat them, I come into this match a bit more optimistic. It will be a tough ask, and the Warriors will need a much-improved effort here; I expect to see Johnson go up another level in his first match against his former club.

I wouldn't change too much regarding the team I would pick, to be honest. 

I would bring DWZ back on a wing for Vailea; depending on how Jesse Arthars is after being injured, I would either have him or Vailea on the other wing. The only other change would be bringing Aaron Pene back from suspension onto the bench in place of Ben Murdoch-Masila.

The Warriors will need to shut down Siosifa Talakai; otherwise, he will be a massive problem. I expect a better effort this week but ultimately see the Warriors going down in a close one, so I am picking the Sharks to win by 12.

So that was a heart-stopping Round 8, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who was your Warrior of the match?

Would you like to see the Warriors offer Asi a long term deal?

How optimistic are you about a top-eight finish?
What is your score prediction against the Sharks?