NZ Warriors 2023 Round 6 Review: No Fairytale Comeback As Slow-Start & Errors End Warriors' Streak

After last week's impressive comeback victory over the Sharks, the Warriors stayed across the ditch, heading to McDonald Jones Stadium to face the Newcastle Knights for the second time this season.

I predicted an 18-point win for the Warriors here, but unfortunately, another poor start saw the Warriors have to play catch-up; however, they could not create back-to-back comeback miracles and went down 34-24.

What Went Down

It was a packed McDonald Jones Stadium for the Easter Sunday night clash between the Knights and Warriors. 

Dominic Young continued from where he finished last week, scoring the opening try and having a major influence on Greg Marzhew’s try, with the Knights taking a 22-6 lead into the break.

Crucially, Charnze Nicoll-Kloskstad was denied a try by the Bunker at 16-6 for obstruction in the lead-up. In the Knight's next set, they scored with Bradman Best’s kick for Pheonix Crossland to score, adding to the visitor’s pain.

The Warriors dominated the early stages after half-time, with Adam Pompey crossing for his second and Edward Kosi getting on the board. Shaun Johnson was influential in kickstarting the Warriors' revival, with the Knight's lead reduced to four points.

An error by Marcelo Montoya changed the game's momentum, and shortly after, Kurt Mann slipped through the Warriors' defence to score. Marzhew’s second saw the Knights lead 34-16.

However, the Warriors weren’t finished, with Jackson Ford scoring his third career try, but the home side held on to record their third win of 2023 and move inside the top eight.

It was a costly night for both teams, with Wayde Egan (HIA), Te Maire Martin (Lower Leg) and Jayden Brailey (Knee) leaving the field with injuries.

My Thoughts

There was a feeling in my stomach all week that this could be a banana skin match, and that's what happened. This game had some of the ongoing issues we have seen in Warriors matches (which I will discuss more in my game negatives). Still, it also had some of the good trademarks of the 2023 Warriors thrown in there, so while it was disappointing to see the Warriors lose here, it didn't feel like the way the Warriors have lost the past few seasons.

There is plenty to work on for sure, but all the issues are fixable, and with some troops returning in the next few weeks, that should help, so the season can still remain on track, but with some brutal clashes coming up in the next four weeks those issues need to be sorted now.

It wasn't all bad, however, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

The Warriors had another shocking start, but they showed improvements again in the second half; they cut the Knights' lead down to 6 with 20 minutes left on the clock and looked set to surge back into the contest, but a few untimely errors let Newcastle off the hook. It could be as simple as the Warriors were still coming down from that Sharks win and weren't in the right headspace for another gritty clash, but if the Warriors can turn their second-half efforts into an 80-minute performance, then they will be a tough side for anyone to face.

Shaun Johnson had another great outing; his kicking game was asking questions, he engaged the Knights' defensive line, which led to him sending Pompey over for his double, and he sent CNK over for his try that was taken by the Bunker. He defended well again with no misses and was 100% at the kicking tee, which saw him pass the 1000-point mark for the Warriors. His resurgence has been one of the better stories of 2023, and I have my fingers crossed that he only continues to improve.

Tom Ale had a massive night and is one of the must-haves on the Warriors' bench this season; he got more minutes this week and did not waste them. He led the Warriors' forward pack in running metres with 155m and made 31 tackles with no misses. He was one of the bright sparks in a dour season in 2022, and it's great to see him build on his potential. I would like to see what he could do if Webster handed him a starting spot.

However, some things concerned me, bringing me to my negative from the game.

Match Negative

Poor starts again; this was the sixth week in a row that the Warriors allowed their opponents to score within the first ten minutes, and chasing the match every week takes its toll on not only the players but the fans as well. I don't know why they started so poorly; perhaps they were still coming down from such an emotional win last week, or slow starts are as much a part of the Warriors' DNA as the second-half improvements are. There are more intelligent people than me working at the club, so I'm sure they will get to the bottom of this issue before I can figure out how to fix it.

The Warriors let the Knights off the hook in both halves with their errors and ill-discipline. They made 9 errors, conceded 7 penalties, and gave away 1 ruck infringement and 1 inside the 10 call. Some of the calls were harsh, but they have to play to the rules that the referee officiating the match is setting. It is all stuff that the players can work on, but they need to do it sooner rather than later, as giving the Cowboys, Storm, Roosters and Panthers these let-offs in the next four Rounds could undo all the hard work the Warriors have put in so far this season.

Lastly, the injuries, the Warriors have been hit another blow with Wayde Egan and Te Maire Martin leaving the match early. Egan suffered another head knock and will have his second 11-day stand down this season, missing the Round 7 match against the Cowboys. TMM is feared to have fractured his fibula, and if that is correct, he could be out for up to three months. The next-man-up approach has been working for the most part, but both players are massive outs and will be missed, especially with the tough matches ahead. The good news, however, is that Tohu Harris, Brayden Wiliame, and Mitch Barnett should all be back this week or the next and Round 8 also see Marata Niukore back from suspension. Luke Metcalf also shouldn't be far away either and could be the perfect choice to replace TMM if he is out long-term.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

I was stuck between CNK and SJ this week, but I have gone for the fullback; he led the Warriors with 245 running metres, showed some strength while scoring his disallowed try and set up Jackson Ford's try towards the end of the match. 

I am so happy to see CNK hit the ground running in his first year back with the club. He will never be regarded as a player with X-Factor, but you can guarantee he will always give 100%. He is constantly looking for work and will go in and make those tough carries when the side needs him to. I would take heart over X-Factor any day of the week.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Bunty Afoa.

I had Adam Pompey marked down this week for most of the match, but he avoided selection due to scoring a double, so I had to select Afoa.

He got two stints this week, playing 33 minutes in total and was defensively sound making 20 tackles without a miss, but he only managed 3 runs for 33m. 

I don't know why his numbers are so low, if it is part of the game plan, if he is just not adjusting to being a starter or if he is just in a rut at the moment. However, with Barnett returning soon and Ale playing as good as he is, Afoa may find his spot in the first grade 17 slipping out of his grasp.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round seven sees the Warriors return to Mount Smart for the second time this season, hosting a Cowboys side that went down 32-22 to the Dolphins in Round 6.

Regarding the team, I would pick; Lussick will come in for Egan, Harris will return, moving Tevaga back to the bench with Tuaupiki dropping off the bench. 

If Wiliame is fit, I would bring him in for Pompey and with TMM out, I expect Volkman will get the halves' spot. Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak had a strong outing in his first game back for the NSW cup side, scoring four tries so he could come straight into the side, most likely for Ed Kosi, who has yet to do much wrong but just isn't DWZ.

The Warriors have already faced and defeated the Cowboys this season. 

With some players out, it will be a challenge, but playing in front of what should be a big crowd at home should give the Warriors an edge here, so I am picking the Warriors to get the job done with a 12-point victory.

So that was a disappointing Round 6, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who was your Player of the Day?

How would you rate the Warriors after six rounds?

Who would you bring into the hooker and halves spots?

What is your score prediction against the Cowboys?