NZ Warriors Round 24 Review: A better start but Warriors still crumble against Premier Panthers

After their horrible performance against the Cowboys, the Warriors made their way to BlueBet Stadium to face the Panthers. Despite a promising start, the Warriors could not stay in the fight as the Panthers strolled away with a 46-12 victory.

What Went Down

To the surprise of everyone, it was the Warriors that started the match strong, scoring in the third minute after Dunamis Lui broke the line before shifting the ball to the returning Chanel Harris-Tavita before Reece Walsh finished the 80-metre play.

The Panthers struggled to get into the contest blowing several scoring attempts with poor errors but eventually got themselves on the scoreboard in the 19th minute when Taylan May crossed in the corner after a nice pass from Viliami Kikau; this saw the scores levelled after Stephen Crichton nailed the sideline conversion. 

The home side kept the pressure on and was over again ten minutes later, with Brian To'o scoring in the right corner after some nice quick passes opened the Warrior's defensive line.
A penalty against Sean O'Sullivan for an escort handed the Warriors great field position. Still, the Panther's defence held firm as they held back several sets from the visitors, including a near miss from Viliami Vailea, who knocked on a Shaun Johnson grubber. Penrith then went the length of the field in back-to-back plays to score two tries via To'o and O'Sullivan to end the first half with a healthy 16-point lead.

The second half started with unfortunate news for the Warriors as Shaun Johnson was ruled out of the rest of the match with a calf injury.
The Panthers wasted little time adding to their lead, scoring tries through Stephen Crichton in the 45th minute and the 53rd minute via Viliami Kikau, with the Warrior's defence looking pretty ordinary. The visitors did show some life on attack, with Tohu Harris putting Eliesa Katoa into space with a short ball for the Warrior's second try in the 58th minute before the Panthers struck back with their seventh try in the 64th minute when May touched down for his second of the night.
The younger winger appeared to have scored a hat trick a few plays later, but the bunker took it away after ruling that Kikau had knocked it on.
The Panthers kept pushing forward and were rewarded with their eighth and final try on the night in the 78th minute when Isaah Yeo barged his way to the line; it looked like he didn't get the ball to the line; however, the bunker ruled that Walsh slid in with his legs and this prevented the try from being scored, so a penalty try was given which saw the home side end the match with a dominant 46-12 victory.

My Thoughts

Well, it was the outcome we all expected; I predicted a 24-point win by the Panthers here, but after all the team changes, I thought it would blow out to a lot more, so a 34-point isn't that bad (which kind of highlights the low level this season has become when you can be content with a losing margin like that). The Warriors started a lot better, scoring first, and the Panthers appeared to have taken them lightly, letting the Warriors off the hook with plenty of errors in the early stages. It was a promising start, but there was a feeling in the air that the Panthers would change gears and leave the Warriors behind, which is precisely what happened.

My biggest issue last week was the lack of effort, and to their credit, I think the Warriors improved in this aspect; from start to finish, they appeared to be trying, which is all I was hoping for at the backend of a shocking season, they just weren't good enough to compete with a team like Penrith, but if they build on that base they should be in a good place to end their season with a win against the Titans,

It wasnt all bad, however, so I found a few things to smile about, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

Just like last week, I want to praise Tom Ale, he just missed my Warrior of the week this week, but he continues to show why he deserves to be in first grade. He got 36 minutes this week and was busy, running for 122 metres and making 26 tackles with only 2 misses. The Warriors need to keep him on the roster as he has so much potential, and we do not want to see another young talent just walk out the front door.

The Warriors started well and were in this match for the first 30 minutes; they looked dangerous on attack with Chanel Harris-Tavita running off the forward's shoulders, which resulted in the first try when he was there for Dunamis Lui's offload. There were still the usual issues that we expect from this Warriors side, but that start was at least palatable to watch. We just need them to show that for 80 minutes this week.

Lastly, we are now at the final round; this season has been horrible with all the dramas off the field and the poor performances on it, so I am looking forward to putting this season behind me and preparing for 2023, which hopefully will be better.

We also get to end the season at Mt Smart, and the club is allowing the fans to come onto the field at the end of the game as the Warriors announce their award winners. It should be a good night, and I'm looking forward to getting onto the pitch to mix and mingle with the fans and players as we all move on from 2022.

However, I had plenty of concerns, bringing me to my game's negatives.

Match Negatives

Hello defence or lack thereof, my old friend; the Warriors missed 54 tackles in this match and, at halftime, were leading this stat 25 to 1. Every Warrior made at least one missed tackle here, and this has been an ongoing issue for the Warriors, and with Justin Morgan staying on next year, I have a lot of concerns that we won't see any improvement in this aspect of the game. Hopefully, with the new signings and a new head coach, the attitude and trust each player has in each other improves and develops into a better defensive structure; only time will tell.

The errors were an issue again; they kept them below double-digits but only slightly, making 9. It looked like they were just pushing things to happen when they weren't on. They looked out of sync, most likely because of the team reshuffle, but they need to pick their spots a bit better in future and show respect for the ball.

The attack still needs a lot of work; they managed to force five dropouts but couldn't convert them into points against the renowned Panther's defence. Again this could have been down to the team changes and players not being on the same page, but the Warrior's attack hasn't been that great all season. Another item to put on the whiteboard for Andrew Webster to work on improving in the offseason.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Eliesa Katoa.

Since the announcement of Katoa's move to the Storm, we have seen the young second-rower return to the form that made him a fan favourite (especially of this writer). He only made 68 running metres and scored a nice try with some excellent line running, but his defence was the highlight, ending the match on 34 with only 2 misses. I hate to see him go, but I know he will be fantastic for Melbourne, and I look forward to watching him grow over there; he deserves the chance to shine.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Ben Murdoch-Masila.

As the unofficial president of the BMM Fanclub, it was great to see him back, but he didn't make the impact that the Warriors needed. He played 22 minutes and made one run for seven metres and 16 tackles with 1 miss. The Warriors need him to deliver more than this, but I will cut him slack with it being his first game since his injury, so you would expect a sluggish return. A big bounce back in his first game at Mt Smart in a Warriors jersey this week will be just the ticket for this biased fan.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 25 sees the Warriors return to Mt Smart for the final round against the Titans, who defeated the Knights 36-26 in Round 24.

Regarding the team selections, due to the injury clouds around several players, I will refrain from selecting a team this week. If Marcelo Montoya, Wayde Egan and Shaun Johnson are all healthy, I would bring them back in. In the forward pack, as long as Katoa, Ale and BMM are included, I will be happy.

This will be an interesting match; it's fair to say that this season has been bad for both the Warriors and the Titans, and both will be looking to end the season on a positive note. This should hopefully mean that we will see an exciting contest with both sides giving their all, unlike last year's final round, where the Titans wiped the floor with the Warriors. I think the Warriors will have the edge here, playing in front of the Mt Smart faithful, so I will be picking them to get the win here by 18.

It will be great getting on the pitch, and if you are coming to the game, come and say hi; I'm not hard to spot and will be wearing my Ingers League Wrap-Up beanie.

So that was a slightly improved Round 24, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How confident are you that the Warriors will improve in 2023

What changes would you make to the lineup?

Do you think Tom Ale has the potential to become a star with this club?

What is your score prediction against the Titans?

NZ Warriors Round 23 Review: Warriors attitude in question after crumbling against Cowboys

After their big win over the Bulldogs, the Warriors made their way to North Queensland to face the Cowboys. In almost a replay of their effort in Round 21, the Warriors failed to fire a shot as the Cowboys never looked in doubt as they cruised to a 48-4 victory.

What Went Down

A moment's silence for former Cowboys coach Paul Green got the evening underway. North Queensland started the match strong, scoring two tries in the first ten minutes, with Coen Hess crashing over Reece Walsh in the middle and Murray Taulagi also electing to run over Walsh this time in the left corner.
The Warriors received a penalty for a cannonball tackle which saw Jeremiah Nanai placed on report; however, the New Zealand side could not find a way through the tough Cowboys defence. A penalty against Jack Murchie for exiting the scrum early saw the home side extend their lead to twelve when Valentine Holmes kicked a penalty.
After some back and forth, the Warrior's attack started to make some dents with Marcelo Montoya latching onto a Shaun Johnson bomb on the last tackle, getting over the line, but the Cowboys scrambled and held him up, North Queensland then screamed up the field and looked to have scored their third try, but the bunker deemed that the ball was tapped forward, so the score stayed 12-0.
On the back of a six again drive, the Warriors finally got themselves on the scoreboard in the 35th minute when Ed Kosi tapped back a Daejarn Asi kick that Scott Drinkwater knocked on before Montoya dived on it; the bunker reviewed the try as it looked that Montoya was in front of the kicker but ruled that it was ok.
The Cowboys were not done scoring yet in the first half, taking advantage of a Walsh knock-on and sending Nanai over for his 17th try of the Season before running the length of the field on the next play to see Peta Hiku score against his former club, to see the home side go into the sheds leading 24-4.
The Cowboys started the second half in the same manner they ended the first, scoring in the first minute when Tom Dearden spied a hole in the Warrior's defensive line after Walsh dropped another kick. North Queensland kept the pressure on, crossing for their sixth try moments later when Luciano Leilua made a mockery of the Warrior's goal-line defence as he barged his way over.
After a lengthy stalemate, the Cowboys were over again after spotting Walsh out of position and pushing a kick through; it looked like the Warriors had saved it, but Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak decided to leave the ball to roll over the dead-ball line, but Dearden snuck in and dived on it for his second try of the night and his first career double. A few sets later, Walsh was out of position again, and Chad Townsend pounced, putting a grubber through before scooping it up and scoring. The Cowboys looked set to score on the next set after Hess broke the line and put a kick in for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, but the lightning-fast back took too long to place the ball down and was dragged over the sideline by Walsh.
The Warriors showed a slight glimpse of being dangerous with the ball in hand after Bunty Afoa broke the line; the Cowboys gave away a penalty but refused to let the Warriors get over the line with Hiku forcing an error from Kosi as he tried to crash over in the corner. The visitors got more sets in good field position after a Cowboys error and several six again calls, and Euan Aitken looked to have scored his 50th try; however, for the second week in a row, the bunker took it away after he was ruled to have made a double movement in was the last critical moment in the match as the Cowboys get their biggest win of the Season with the Warriors conceding 48 points for the second time in three weeks.

My Thoughts

Well, the Warrior's rollercoaster continues, I came into this match thinking that the Cowboys would win, but I was hopeful that the Warriors would show some fighting spirit and make a game of it, but that just didn't happen. Stacey Jones came out after the match and said that eight or nine of his players just clearly didn't have the right attitude, and I would agree, but more on that later.

The Cowboys started quick, and while the Warriors did stem the flow and get back into the contest at 12-4, their errors and defensive lapses let the Cowboys just run away with it.

I am lost for words, the Warriors weren't the only team that got demolished this round, but as a fan, it hurts to see the team just give up when the Season is winding to a close; this Season has been horrible for me so I can only imagine how tough it has been on the playing group, but it's no excuse to just throw in the towel.

The optimism that was creeping back for me last week is sliding away again, and I am not looking forward to this week's matchup against the Panthers because if the team cannot sort this attitude issue out, they will be in for another heavy defeat.

There wasnt much, but I found a few things to smile about, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

To be honest, it was tough to find any positives from this performance, but I want to highlight Tom Ale, he got more minutes this week, and I like what I see from the young forward. 

He ran the ball hard and only missed two tackles. I like everyone else, am disappointed with Eliesa Katoa leaving the club, but I want to see the club keep hold of Ale and actually use him; he has plenty of potential and was one of a handful of players that appear to honestly care in this match.

Lastly, the Season is almost over, there are only two games left, and the last one against the Titans is winnable and will be played at Mount Smart, so there is a chance to end the year on a positive note with a win. 

It's just been a brutal year, and I can't wait for it to be over so we can get into the new Season next year with a squad of players that want to play for the club and have all our home games really at home.

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

Match Negatives

Once again, errors were too high for me, making 12 before the final whistle. Believe it or not, the Cowboys actually made more errors in this match, but the critical difference was the Cowboy's defence backed up the mistakes they made where the Warriors couldn't. Most of the errors were just silly schoolboy stuff, dropped kicks, incorrect play the balls, and general coach-killing decisions. Getting the basics right will fix this, but I have been saying that all year so I doubt we will see it fixed this Season.

The player's attitude has been called out several times this year, not just by me and other fans but the coaching staff. A poor attitude flows into all facets of the game; this is why you see increases in errors and defensive misreads. How do you fix this? I honestly don't know, Stacey Jones said that he felt that only a handful of his players actually want to play for the jersey, so I would assume that you just select the players that show that they are here to play and the ones with the poor attitudes sit the rest of the Season out. 

It may be harder to sort than that, and I'm not a coach, but I would rather see a player with less talent who gives 100% over a superstar just going through the motions.

The defence, or lack thereof, was painful to watch, the Cowboys made easy work of the Warriors line, and there were several moments where the Warriors were just not in position, allowing the Cowboys to go the length of the field multiple times. The goal-line defence was not great either, with North Queensland barely breaking a sweat whenever they decided to just crash it over. This goes directly back to the poor attitude; until that is fixed, the defence will continue to disappoint. 

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake.

It was really hard to pick a player to celebrate here, but I have gone with AFB; he ran for 113 metres, had a team-high 56 post-contact metres and made 35 tackles with no misses.

It wasnt a fantastic performance by AFB, but he looked to be giving it a go which is the bar I have set right now.

With two games left in the Season, I want to see him go back to the level we know he can deliver and hopefully, he drags the rest of the team back up with him.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Reece Walsh.

It is still early days for Walsh, but this was his worst outing in first grade by far.

He was a liability on defence, getting run over for the first two Cowboys tries and constantly being out of position, which led to several more tries. His errors didn't help matters as he struggled under the high ball and just could never get into the flow of the game.

Don't get me wrong, I think he is an amazing talent, but it looks like he has checked out and is over being a Warrior. I have mentioned it on my show, The Stand-Off, but I think the Warriors may have come out winners in the decision to let him go back to the Broncos as I believe they will get more value out of Te Maire Martin and CNK.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 24 sees the Warriors remain on Australian soil to face the top of the table Penrith Panthers at Bluebet Stadium. In Round 23, the Panthers secured the 2022 Minor Premiership after defeating the Rabbitohs 26-22.

Regarding the team I would pick, in the backs, I would drop Walsh and bring Chanel Harris-Tavita back in.

In the forwards, I would keep the same but swap Bunty Afoa and Josh Curran around as I still think Curran starting would be better.

This will be a tough match; the Panthers, without their star halves, have kept plugging away and will be looking at putting on a show before they are handed the Minor Premiership at full-time. 

The Warriors could be on another hiding to nothing unless they all show up for each other, fix that attitude and take the Panthers to the limit and I will come away happy; I will try and stick with that optimism and say that the Warriors will show improvements this week but not enough to get the job done so I am picking the Panthers to win by 24.

So that was a horrible Round 23, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How would you address the Warrior's attitude issues?

What changes would you make to the lineup?

How do you feel about the Warrior's chances in 2023?

What is your score prediction against the Panthers?

NZ Warriors Round 22 Review: Warriors end losing streak in style against Bumbling Bulldogs

After their embarrassing loss to the Rabbitohs in Round 21, the Warriors returned home to face the Bulldogs. The Warriors ended their four-game losing streak with a dominant 42-18 victory, which was their biggest win since 2016.

What Went Down

The opening quarter of the match was full of both action and points, with all four first-half tries being scored during this period.
An early high shot landed Braidon Burns on report and saw the home side strike first through a silky pass from halfback Shaun Johnson to Viliami Vailea, allowing the centre to stroll through the Bulldogs' line.
Whilst Josh Addo-Carr was indeed on the field, it would be the man he was marking in Dallin Watene-Zelezniak that would run away for a length-of-the-field try off the back of an intercept from a Matt Burton pass.
A line break saw Burton dragged down within a metre of the Warriors' line only minutes later, with a quick play from Aaron Schoupp at dummy half shuffling the ball off to a rampaging Jake Averillo for the visitors' opening points of the evening.
Ending the first half scoring on the 20-minute mark, Edward Kosi – who scored a hat trick last time he played at Mt. Smart Stadium a fortnight ago – crossed over for his first of the match following a set play from a scrum on the Bulldogs' 10-metre line.
With a try to Kyle Flanagan from a Reece Walsh knock-on and Addo-Carr getting one back with an intercept and length of the field try himself – all within the opening 10 minutes of the second half – it seemed as though this game would go right down to the wire with the score level at 18-all. 

Whilst an Eliesa Katoa try would give the New Zealand outfit some breathing room, the Bulldogs did all they could in an attempt to claw their way back and give themselves a chance at walking away with the two points.
Following a tense period of back-and-forth footy, something finally gave in the Bulldogs' defence, and the Warriors ended this match in the same fast-scoring fashion in which they started it. 

With late tries to Shaun Johnson and Addin Fonua-Blake, as well as a second to Kosi in rapid succession, the Warriors flipped their score from 24 to 42 within the final five minutes of play and secured their second victory back on home soil.

My Thoughts

My optimism was pretty low leading into this match, hence why I predicted a Bulldogs victory last week; however, the Warriors pleasantly surprised me with this large win. 

The Bulldogs have impressed me since they sacked Trent Barrett, and I think this was the first time since Mick Potter took over that they have looked like the Bulldogs of old. They were making silly errors, second-guessing themselves on attack, and despite getting back into the contest, they never really looked any chance of winning this game. A team having an off night does happen, and the Warriors made the most of it; after questioning their heart last week, I think they showed plenty of it in this match. They competed from start to finish and dominated the middle; this meant that the backs had a lot more space and played some good attacking football and reaped the rewards. 

When the Bulldogs levelled the score, the Warriors could have gone into their shell and fallen away, but they kept the pressure on and refused to quit, which is very promising for the future, so perhaps my optimism is coming back.

The following two rounds will be brutally tough against the Cowboys and Panthers, and while I don't see the Warriors getting wins in either of those matches, I want to see this level of effort to either score an upset or take these top four sides to the limit.

There was a lot more to smile about this week, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

After disappearing last week, the forwards consistently dented the Bulldog's defensive line with five running over my ideal 100m goal, Tohu Harris (234m), Addin Fonua-Blake (202m), Euan Aitken (147m), Josh Curran (128m) and Jack Murchie (104m). It just makes getting a win so much easier when the big boys in the pack are doing the heavy lifting, and the Warriors need more of this from not only these players, but if the other forwards can get their metres up too, then we should see plenty more points scored before the season is done.

Behind a rolling pack, the Warriors attack looked a lot more dangerous this week; in fairness, I thought the Warriors attack showed promise last week when they got the ball in good field position; they just didn't get a lot of chances. However, this week they had plenty of time with the ball in hand, and they were asking lots of questions of the Bulldogs. Shaun Johnson led the attack well except for one big error, but I thought he made up for it in the long run. Daejarn Asi played a key role, delivering some big bombs. The whole backline looked dangerous for the first time in a while and just shows the damage they can do when they are on; we just need to see more of it, please.

I've spoken a lot about the Warrior's attack in this match, but I think the most significant improvement was their defence; now, to be fair, the defence last week was so bad that anything would be better, but they ended the match with a 91.23% tackle efficiency, with only 18 missed tackles and 7 ineffective tackles. The Bulldogs playing poorly did help them out, but they held their line better and being at the match, I could see and hear them actually communicating. Im sure they worked on it a lot during the week, but I think a more settled lineup helped also. The next two weeks are going to test their defence plenty, so hopefully, this wasnt a one-night-only performance and the defensive attitude remains.

Lastly, I want to highlight the ongoing redemption of Ed Kosi, I already mentioned it a few weeks back, but since his return four weeks ago, he has scored 7 tries, made 9 linebreaks and 10 tackle-breaks. He is far from a finished product, but his upside is now bigger than his downside, and if he can keep his error rate down, he could find himself a regular winger in the Warriors for some time. It's great to see as I want all Warriors players to grow and develop, and hopefully, his determination to improve starts to rub off on others in the squad.

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

Match Negatives

The errors were still too high for my liking, with the Warriors making ten in total. It was only of the only stats that the Bulldogs won in this match (they only made 9 errors). While the Warrior's defence did enough to make sure these errors didn't cost them, they just can't afford to make double-digit mistakes against any top eight sides. A bit more ball security close to their own line and keeping the 50/50 passes to a minimum should set them on the right path.

I'm still not convinced about Stacey Jone's use of the interchange, I feel like he got the rotation a bit better in this match, but I just wasnt a fan of moving Josh Curran to the bench and starting Bunty Afoa at lock. It did seem to work with Curran being injected into the match and making an immediate impact against tiring defenders, so Jones may have had the right idea there (let's be honest, I'm no coach). 

However, I don't understand bringing Tom Ale into the gameday 17 and only giving him four minutes. I really rate Ale, and I wanted to see him get more time to show his potential; to his credit, in his short amount of time, he made four runs for 53m and hopefully, this leads to him getting more minutes in the future.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Tohu Harris.

The skipper was back to his best in this match, leading his side in both running metres (234m) and tackles (33). I'm not sure what more I can say about Harris that I haven't already said; he adds an extra dimension to the Warrior's attack and never tries to avoid work; he's just a great follow-me type of leader. He gives his all, and the Warriors are a much more potent side with him in it, so fingers crossed he stays injury free in 2023 as I will be more confident in the Warrior's playoff aspirations if he is the first line on the team sheet every week.

Warrior to Improve

I couldn't pick a Warrior to improve this week, they all did a good job out there, and I couldn't pinpoint anyone that let the side down, and some did not get the required minutes to review their performance.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 23 sees the Warriors head back across the ditch to Queensland Country Bank Stadium to face the Cowboys, who went down 32-18 against the Roosters in Round 22.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it exactly the same.

None of the players did anything to warrant being dropped; however, I would move Josh Curran back to the starting lineup and Bunty Afoa back to the interchange.

This will be a tough match; this Cowboys outfit is not the same side that lost to the Warriors by one point in Round 5. They will be hurting from their loss to the Roosters and will be wanting to make a statement this week. This makes me nervous, and the Warriors could be on a hiding to nothing unless they all show up for each other. I am going into the match optimistic and believe that the Warriors will bring the fight to North Queensland, but I still think they will not have enough to get the job done, so I am picking the Cowboys to win by 16.

So that was an improved Round 22, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you think Kosi can become a regular mainstay in this Warriors team?

Would you make any changes to the lineup?

How many wins do you think the Warriors will get in the final three rounds?

What is your score prediction against the Cowboys?

NZ Warriors Round 21 Review: Warriors never in the fight as Rabbitohs cruise to victory

 

After their disappointing loss to the Storm in Round 20, the Warriors made their way to the Central Coast to face the Rabbitohs. The Warriors were never in the contest as the Rabbitohs dominated the match from start to finish, ending with their biggest win of the season, 48-10.

What Went Down

The Rabbitohs bolted out the gates and never looked back, scoring four tries in the first 21 minutes of the match. Targeting some poor Warriors defence, Souths made it look easy as Lachlan Ilias, Damien Cook, Tevita Tatalo and Keaon Koloamantangi all crossed with Cameron Murray playing a hand in the first three tries, causing plenty of headaches for the visitors.

The Warriors finally found themselves on the scoreboard when Ed Kosi finished a nice right-to-left play in only their second set played within the Rabbitohs half.

Souths weren’t done yet as they finished the first half in style, scoring another two tries via Latell Mitchell and Alex Johnston. Johnston’s try was the 159th of his career as he continues his climb up the all-time tryscoring leaderboard. This saw the teams go into the sheds with the home side leading by 30 points and much improvement needed by the Warriors.

The second half started in the same manner as the first, with the Rabbitohs taking only three minutes to score their seventh try via debutant Izaac Thompson. Minutes later, Johnston looked sure to cross for his second, scorching down the field with Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak making a massive try-saving tackle, desperately dragging the winger’s leg over the sideline at the last moment.

After learning a penalty, the Warriors were in good field position, and Kosi looked dangerous before being dragged down close to the line; the New Zealand side kept the pressure on, and Shaun Johnson scored after receiving a Jack Murchie offload.

The Rabbitohs almost scored a length of the field try but were given a penalty after Reece Walsh hit Johnston without the ball; Souths went back to work. Mitchell crossed for his second try when a decoy run parted the Warrior’s goal-line defence like the red sea in the game’s final scoring play in only the 56th minute.

Both sides had a few more highlight reel plays left in them, with the Rabbitohs almost scoring via Thompson and the Warriors making a huge break thanks to Reece Walsh, who passed the ball to Murchie, who showed some impressive pace before being dragged down just before the line. The visitors looked ready to cross again but let Souths off the hook with a forward pass.

The Warriors had one final attempt at scoring when Johnson put a kick up that was tapped back by Marcelo Montoya before being tapped again by Souths and ending up in the hands of Taniela Otukolo, who was held up just under the crossbar.

Despite a few close calls, the Rabbitohs had done more than enough damage in the first half to see them finish with the biggest win of their season while the Warriors continue to countdown to the offseason after another disappointing display.

My Thoughts

I was quite worried about this match but went in optimistic that the Warriors could show up and be competitive, but boy, I was wrong.

After weeks of saying the Warriors have been showing improvements, they went all the way back to where they started. 

The Rabbitohs have been in great form since the return of Latrell Mitchell, but even the Knights showed more fight in their 40-28 loss in Round 17.

It was a hard watch, and I know most won’t even read this review due to not wanting to relive this performance or lack thereof.

It just looked like most of the players had thrown in the towel; there was no heart and a clear lack of attitude, which meant they never had a chance.

The Warriors have a tough run home, and my original thoughts on them losing all their remaining matches except the final round against the Titans looks to be firming unless some serious actions are taken.

There wasn’t much, but I found a few things to smile about this week, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

I thought the Warriors showed some slight glimpses of promise on attack when they were inside the Rabbitohs half, scoring two nice tries and asking some questions of the Rabbitohs defence. They had a few other chances but let themselves down with some wayward passes. Their biggest issue was that their poor defence limited their chances, and the Rabbitohs forced them to play most of the match within their own half. If they sort that part out, then they should be able to get more points on the board.

That was really all I could find, so I will say at least we have another game at Mount Smart coming this week. There is also a members forum on Thursday, which should lead to an interesting night after such a disappointing season. I’m not sure how many will be in the crowd this Friday night after this poor performance, but hopefully, the Warriors will give the live crowd something worth watching.

However, I had a few concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

Defence is the most obvious negative here; the Warriors missed 33 missed tackles and made 30 ineffective tackles. In the past few weeks, they have shown good defence in patches, but there was none of that in this match. Their attitude needs to be a lot better; however, I don’t think they were helped with the lineup changes; they looked to not be on the same page, and this created some massive holes in the defensive line, and the Rabbitohs did not have to be asked twice to take advantage. If they stick to their assignments and trust the man on either side to do their job, then the defensive structure should improve.

Errors played a part in this poor performance; the Warriors ended the match with 13.

When your defence is letting you down, the last thing you can afford to do is just throw the ball away. Mistakes happen but dropping simple passes or throwing wayward passes isn’t NRL level. The coach killers need to go ASAP! 

Lastly, the side selection made by Stacey Jones for this match was a massive gamble, and they failed. Dropping Pompey was the right call, and I want to see that trend continue, but every other change he made was wrong; Wayde Egan did another serviceable job at five-eighth, but the side plays better with him at hooker and Aaron Pene should not have been lock over Josh Curran. I know Jones came out after the selections and said he was focused on picking a team to win games rather than develop younger talent, and while I get that, I don’t think the team he picked had any chance of being competitive. It will make this week’s team naming very interesting, and I feel like he has thrown in the towel.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Jack Murchie.

I struggled to pick a Warrior of the week here as I think the whole side didn’t deliver, but I decided to give props to Murchie. He was one of only two Warriors forwards to run for over 100m, ending the game with 128m (Addin Fonua-Blake ran for 169m). His stats were helped by his big run after Walsh’s linebreak, but he was one of the only forwards that looked dangerous with the ball in hand; his wraparound play to set up Johnson’s try looked great, and his defence wasnt too bad with 36 tackles and 2 misses. If he can deliver more efforts like that, I wouldn’t mind the Warriors extending his stay with the club.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Aaron Pene.

I had high hopes for Pene when his signing was announced, but he has failed to deliver so far in 2022; I already mentioned that picking him over Curran to start the match was a mistake, and he barely had any impact in the game, only running twice for a combined total of 23 metres, he also only made 22 tackles with 1 miss and exited the match after 27 uninspiring minutes. I still believe he is a quality player; however, we haven’t got the best out of him yet, and I think he will be better suited joining the match from the bench.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 22 sees the Warriors return to Mount Smart to face the Bulldogs, who went down 28-14 against the Cowboys in Round 21.

Regarding the team, I would pick; in the backs; the only change I would make is bringing Ronald Volkman or Daejarn Asi into the halves to partner with Johnson, moving Egan back to hooker. 

In the forwards, Curran goes into lock, with Pene moving to the bench.

The Bulldogs have been one of the big improvers the past few weeks and have looked dangerous against even the top four sides, so they are no longer the easy beats they have been the last couple of seasons. It will be a massive task despite playing at home, and unfortunately, I think the Bulldogs have shown me more lately, so I will pick the Bulldogs to win by 10.

So that was an embarrassing Round 21, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What changes would you make to the game day 17?

Has the side given up?

Are you going to the Members Forum?

What is your score prediction against the Bulldogs?

NZ Warriors Round 20 Review: Another week, another Warriors second-half collapse as Storm end losing streak

After their disappointing loss to the Raiders in Round 19, the Warriors return to home soil to face the Melbourne Storm. Despite a close first half, the Warriors could not keep up with the Storm, and for the first time in a while, I actually got my prediction correct with the Storm winning this one by twelve with the final score being 24-12.

What Went Down

With two penalties against Nelson Asofa-Solomona in the opening three minutes of play, the Warriors were gifted field position early into this match. With starting hooker Wayde Egan an early casualty with a jaw injury off the back of the second Asofa-Solomona dangerous tackle penalty, the home side could not convert their weight of possession into points.

Eventually, it was passive goal-line defence from the Warriors that saw Justin Olam slot straight through and open up the scoring off a pass from Cameron Munster during Melbourne’s first set inside the Warrior's red zone.

Hitting back, the Warriors managed to cross for their first points following another Melbourne penalty. A Harbour Bridge pass from five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tevita saw Edward Kosi capitalise on an overlap on the left edge.

After picking out the man with the injured knee in Harris-Tevita, Melbourne crossed for their second of the evening. It was a neat series of passes that both started and ended with Harry Grant, with touches from Jahrome Hughes and Felise Kaufusi in between, that saw the Melbourne hooker fall over the line to take the lead for his side once again.

In almost identical fashion to their first try, the Warriors once again crossed on the left edge with a double for Kosi. Replacing Harris-Tevita from their first try for the assist, it was Egan that threw the looping pass that allowed his winger to slide in for his second meat pie of the evening and make it a two-point game heading into half-time.

Right off the kick-off for the second half, Melbourne was back to business. It was a quick play from dummy half from Grant – whilst essentially on top of the Warriors’ try-line – that put Hughes through a large gap and over the mark for the first points of the second 40.

A deep shift to the right edge saw Grant Anderson put in a perfectly weighted kick for replacement fullback Nick Meaney to time his run and plant the ball down in the in-goal for Melbourne’s second try in a row. 

Originally sent up to The Bunker as “no try”, a quick review showed the put down from Meaney was legitimate.

In yet another duplicate of the first two tries, Kosi went over for his hat-trick. Halfback Shaun Johnson was the man to throw the pass this time, leaving Kosi to do what he had already done twice before.

Despite utilising two kickers in Reece Walsh and Johnson, the inability to nail conversions hurt the Warriors, finishing the match 12 points behind the Storm after missing all three conversion attempts.

My Thoughts

So the losing streak against the Storm extends to thirteen.

 I wasnt surprised; despite the form slump the Storm has been in, they are never an easy team to face, and if you compare this loss to the previous sixty-point defeat on ANZAC day, then it wasnt too bad. However, a loss is still a loss, and the Warriors were in this match for the first 40 (much like last week) but left the door wide open for the Storm to take control, and they refused to let the Warriors get back into the contest. 

Overall though, I think the Warriors showed further improvements and played well in patches; they just need to keep building and play for the whole 80 as they have another tough clash this week against the Rabbitohs.

There were a few things to smile about this week, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

I thought the front rowers stood up, led by Tohu Harris (190m), Addin Fonua-Blake (138m) and Bunty Afoa (106m), also kept the pressure on the Storm middle, although I felt that AFB had less impact than I expect and I'm not sure if he has an injury or just in a rut. Jackson Frei had a limited stint towards the end of the match, and I liked what I saw from him, so hopefully, he gets more time on the field sooner rather than later. 

The Warriors will find themselves in a better place if they have four props that can hit the triple-digit running metres, bending that defensive line but the coaches need to ensure they are rotated correctly to keep them all fresh. 

I have requested more respect for the ball the past few weeks, and we saw that with the Warriors only making six errors in this match. They still chanced their arm from time to time, and it did work with those big cutout passes, but they played smarter with fewer 50/50 plays. I want to see them play more like this for the rest of the season as they can score points without playing risky football all the time; there is a time and place for it, so it's good to have in the back pocket, but they need to improve their basics first.

With CHT having to go off injured, the Warriors moved Wayde Egan into the halves, and I thought he did a great job; I know he has experience in the halves in his younger days but playing there in first grade is another level. He looked composed, put on a few good passes and didn't look out of his depth. It doesn't mean I want to see him moved to the halves by any means, but I was impressed by his effort out there, especially after having his teeth cracked by Nelson Asofa-Solomona in the early stages of the match.

However, I had a few concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The defence is back in the negatives; the Warriors missed 31 tackles in this match; they showed some good defence in patches, but when the Storm applied pressure and had repeat sets, the Warriors just fell off. It has been an ongoing trend all season, and I have repeated time and time again that their attitude and trust in each other needs to get better if the defence is to improve. It just feels like it's one step forward and two steps back when it comes to their defensive structure.

The injury to CHT was a massive blow; with this season being potentially the final time that he plays in the NRL, I would have liked to see him finish the season healthy, but with a suspected MCL injury, it looks like his season is done. A massive shame for the young man, but at least it means the Warriors can give that open halves spot to one of the young players that could potentially be taking that spot over in 2023 (depending on if Asi gets a new deal or if Te Maire Martin signs as all rumours indicate)

I wasnt happy with the interchange rotation now, the Warriors weren't helped by injuries and HIA's, but I feel like Stacey Jones and the coaching staff are not using their bench to the best of their abilities; I think giving Jackson Frei only 14 minutes didn't really help anyone. The Raiders and the Storm displayed excellent use of the bench the past two matches, and it could just be down to inexperience from Jones, but hopefully, we see some smart changes being used in the season's final five games.

Lastly, the officials and, more importantly, the match review committee. I think that Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Josh King were lucky not to be sin-binned, and Graham Annesley has come out and said that he believes NAS should have been sent to the bin. However, since then, the match review committee has come out and cleared both players and then sighted Jackson Frei and fined him. I just want to see the NRL have some consistency as players doing the same thing last week have been suspended. I don't want to say it's because they were Storm players or because it was in a match against the Warriors, but it doesn't look great. Just have the same rules and punishments for all clubs and players.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Ed Kosi.

It's fair to say I have been critical of Kosi so far in his short career and was partially savage after his horrid showing against the Storm in Round 7. 

However, I thought he was terrific here, the Storm targeted him all night with kicks, and he made no errors; he ran for 136m and scored his first ever hat-trick. He still looked a bit lost in defence at times, but I saw enough from him not to worry when he is named on the wing. The key is for Kosi to set this level of performance as his baseline and build on it. If anything, it could give the Warriors a chance to drop my Warrior to improve.

Warrior to Improve

For the second week in a row, my Warrior to improve goes to Adam Pompey.

I don't know what else I can say after what I wrote last week, and I just don't get what the Warriors coaching staff see in Pompey right now, half-hearted runs, inept defensive reads at times and the ability to make an error at the drop of a hat. He is a big body, and if he ran like Marcelo Montoya, I believe he could be a dangerous player; however, we just haven't seen it, so I would be dropping him from the starting 17.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 21 sees the Warriors fly over to the Central Coast to face a Rabbitohs side that went down 21-20 in Golden Point against the Sharks in Round 20.

Regarding the team, I would pick; in the backs; I would bring Jesse Arthars in for Adam Pompey and bring Ronald Volkman in for CHT (I like Asi, but he fades out in the backend of games). In the forwards, I would be happy to keep them as named for this match. The bench I would also keep the same.

Souths have been at another level since Latrell Mitchell's return, and this match will be tough. The Warriors will need to be at their best and shut Mitchell down. I don't like their chances, and I'm worried about a big defeat here. I will try to be optimistic and pick the Rabbitohs to win by 18

.So that was a disheartening Round 20, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who would you bring in for CHT?

Do you see the Warriors getting another win this season?

How can the Warriors fix their second-half performance drops?

What is your score prediction against the Rabbitohs?