NZ Warriors 2022 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?