NZ Warriors 2023 Round 13 Review: Warriors lament missed opportunities in Napier Defeat

After their Round 12 Bye, the Warriors travelled to Napier to play host to the Broncos.

The Warriors had plenty of opportunities to start well but shot themselves in the foot, and despite a strong finish and almost stealing the win, they were their own worst enemy as they went down 26-22.

What Went Down

An emotional Māori Welcome to Country kickstarted proceedings in Napier as the Warriors celebrated their Indigenous round. Both sides had opportunities to score, but the dewy surface made execution difficult. Multiple try-saving efforts from the Broncos kept the scores level in the first 20 minutes. Eventually, it was a length of the field try for the Broncos that broke the deadlock. Deine Mariner cleaned up a loose ball and ran 80 metres to score.

Following the Mariner try, there were several close calls for the Warriors as they searched for their first points. The Bronco's defence held firm, but with three minutes remaining in the half, they were finally broken. A backline shift to the right put Dallin Watene-Zelezniak over in the corner for the equaliser. However, an error of the following kick-off gifted the Broncos a late opportunity.

A short ball from Billy Walters put Jordan Riki over for a try of a questionable pass in the shadows of halftime, handing the Broncos a 12-6 lead at the break.

Early in the second half, the Warriors lost Freddy Lussick and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to HIA. Taking advantage of the reshuffle, the Broncos extended their lead when Adam Reynolds made a break and set up Ezra Mam for a try. A penalty right in front added insult to injury as Adam Reynolds converted for a 14-point lead.

In need of points, the Warriors’ energy lifted. Shaun Johnson combined with Marata Niukore, and Johnson batted the return pass out to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak for his second try. However, the surge of energy didn’t last. The Broncos forced an error out of the Warriors, and in the next set, Deine Mariner grabbed his second try off a Triston Sailor kick. Despite being down 14, the Warriors refused to give up.

They scored two quick tries to Nicoll-Klokstad and Marcelo Montoya, respectively, cutting the lead back to four points. They almost scored the equaliser through Montoya again in the final minutes, but the bunker denied a grandstand finish. Adam Pompey was penalised for a jersey pull on Deine Mariner, which sealed the game for the Broncos.

My Thoughts

Well, that was a frustrating performance, I can admit that I was nervous about this match, and those nerves didn't go away as I drove down to Napier. Unfortunately, those nerves proved correct, ending my undefeated run of successful road trips. I felt while watching live, and then when I watched the replay, that the Warriors had the edge overall but did not convert their chances, while the Broncos made almost every shot a winner. And on that note, I believe the right team won; if you can't ice those opportunities, you should take the loss and hopefully learn a valuable lesson in the process. It just seemed like the simple game plan that has led the Warriors to so many victories this season was pushed to the side, and the team decided to try and put on a show, spreading the ball wide early without earning the right to do so. This led to more errors and plenty of botched tries; add to that some lapses in their defence reads and some ill-timed poor discipline, and it left the Warriors with an uphill battle that, to their credit, they almost overcame with two tries in the final ten minutes, and then that try in the final seconds that was denied after Adam Pompeys jersey pull.  

I can't speak for the players, but perhaps they took this match too lightly or were overawed by the occasion; however, It was a clunky match for the Warriors and has to be in the discussion for the worst performance this season and with the ladder as tight as it is, losses like this can seriously affect your playoff aspirations, so I am hopeful that Andrew Webster can redirect the players focus and make sure that this type of performance doesn't happen again.

 

There were aspects of the game to smile about, leading to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

There was a significant effort from the starting forwards, with all of them hitting the triple digits, led by Addin Fonua-Blake (264m) and Tohu Harris (212m). Jackson Ford (128m), Marata Niukore (128m) and Bunty Afoa (101m) all played their part, and hopefully, we will see more of this in the future as AFB and Harris cannot do it all on their own. This level of effort made it appear like the Warriors were on a roll, but their respect for the ball ruined it, so if that error rate improves while keeping the middle effort like this, the points will start to flow.

We saw a massive effort from the back three, mainly Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (240m) and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (241m). Montoya (163m) had a quieter game, but these three are so crucial in getting the Warrior's return sets starting on the right foot, and how they run that ball back without regard for their own safety makes me wince. If they are playing well, it allows the Forwards more impact for longer periods of the match, which in turn makes getting the win easier, so fingers crossed they all stay fit for the remainder of the season. DWZ and Montoya both had a few missed tries, but they made up for them in the long run.

Lastly, just the Napier experience, there were some things about this game that put Napier in a bad light (more on that later). Still, I loved the road trip, getting to walk around town, seeing other fans enjoying the day and then getting to catch up with other supporters like The Warriorholic, Daniel Wharakura from Warriors Anonymous and Lancelot Muaiava, who is a massive Warriors fan living in Germany who was back in NZ for a few weeks. Doing this for as long as I have, I love getting to meet other people who spend their limited spare time discussing the Warriors and chatting about the team is what I love to do more than anything, so despite coming away with the loss, it was good getting to meet up with some people I have listened to for a while.

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

Match Negative

The respect for the ball was severely lacking, with the Warriors ending the match with 13 errors. Every time it looked like the Warriors were getting into the groove, they went backwards with a poor carry or blown try. Every drop is another set given to the opposition, and 13 free sets given to any team in the NRL is a big no-no and sets you up for defeat. This is something that they can fix quickly, just take a breath and don't panic, and the errors will come down.

The attack was out of sync for a large portion of the match; the Warriors were rushing and trying to force things to happen instead of allowing them to develop like we have seen so often this season. Some kicking options left much to be desired, and everything seemed slightly off. However, a positive is that this issue can be turned around quickly, so I expect an improvement to show this week.

Yet another halves combination doesn't help matters, but I think Metcalf and Johnson is a combination that will work it just needs some time; however, I still think SJ and Te Maire Martin is the combo the Warriors need to stick to once TMM is healthy again. 

Lastly, the Pitch Invaders, I can admit that I had a laugh for the first few, but when it kept happening, I got over it quick. It allowed both teams a chance to catch a breather, which helped the Warriors stop some of the Bronco's momentum, but watching back, it messed both teams up, with both sides scoring quite easily after these breaks. Maybe it is me just being a grumpy old man screaming at the sky, but I go to the footy to watch the actual game. I enjoy seeing games being taken to the small sections of New Zealand. But, if this happens when you venture out of Auckland, we will see the Warriors and all other NRL clubs think twice about taking games on the road, hurting the fans who want to enjoy watching live NRL in their hometown. I may be in the minority but I want to see it disappear.

Warrior of the Match

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

Was a toss-up between CNK and AFB this week, but I have gone with the gutsy fullback. 

Ran for 240 metres, broke 10 tackles and played a big part in the Warrior's attack, playing his part on Dallin Watene-Zelaniak's first try and scoring one of his own. All this is on top of being taken off the pitch for an HIA. CNK is full of heart and always rolls up his sleeves to do the hard work for the Warriors, with the ability to create attacking opportunities at any time. He is a vital member of this squad, and as long as he stays on the field, I am more confident in the Warriors walking away with the win, just not this time, unfortunately.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve was Freddy Lussick.

A few players could have gotten the nod here, but the others I was looking at had some positive facets to their performance, which helped them avoid selection.

Lussick had an off night that ended early with a failed HIA, meaning he will miss the upcoming game against the Dolphins. However, his passing out of the ruck was inconsistent when he was on the field, letting the Bronco's defence off the hook with some forward passes. He had a few runs, including being held up over the line and defended reasonably well, but if he can't deliver quality service out of the ruck, it affects the whole attacking structure, so when he returns from his stand-down, that aspect of his game needs to be better.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 14 sees the Warriors return to Mount Smart to host the Dolphins, who defeated the Dragons 26-12 in Round 13.

Regarding the team I would pick, Wayde Egan and Mitch Barnett are meant to be ready to go, so I would bring them back, Egan swapping with Lussick and Barnet moving into the Front Row. This sends Afoa back to the bench, with Sifakula dropping out. Everyone else I would keep as is, except perhaps bringing Brayden Williame into the centre for either Rocco Berry or Pompey.

Luke Metcalf didn't have the greatest showing, but the potential is there, so I want him to have another chance to link with Shaun Johnson in the halves.

The Dolphins have exceeded my expectations and have been playing well; I assume that their origin stars will back up for this match, but it will be a difficult encounter even if they don't. The Warriors have done well when they stick to their simple gameplan, so if we see them control the middle, which may be easier with Barnett in the mix and utilise the short-ball game, then they should be able to open up some holes as the match unfolds, allowing SJ to get the backs into scoring opportunities. If they can do that, I see them being able to nail the win, so I am going for a close Warriors win by 8.

So that was a disappointing Round 13, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What changes would you make to the lineup this week?

Do you think the Warriors shot at a top-eight finish is slipping?

What are your thoughts on Pitch Invaders?

What is your score prediction against the Dolphins?