NZ Warriors Round 17 Review: Warriors surge to biggest win of the season against Dismal Dragons

After their Round 16 Bye, the Warriors headed to WIN Stadium in Wollongong to face the Dragons.

The Warriors had a patchy first 20 minutes, but once they started to click, they cruised home with their largest win of 2023 with a comprehensive 48-18 victory.

What Went Down

The Warriors opened the scoring in the fifth minute, taking advantage of Mikaele Ravalawa dropping a relatively easy bomb, and it was Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who scored – for the fifth match in a row – in the corner with ease. Shaun Johnson missed the conversion, and the score remained 4-0.

Early errors were hurting the Warriors, and they were punished in the 13th minute when the Dragons’ speedy fullback Tyrell Sloan sliced through the Warriors’ left edge defence to score. And Sloan almost inspired another try five minutes later, but Ravalawa couldn’t sneak over. The conversion for the earlier try saw the Dragons take the lead 6-4.

The see-sawing of the lead continued in the 26th minute when a loose pass from Luke Metcalf that found the ground also found its way to Marcelo Montoya, who did very well to score through two Dragons defenders, wrestling the ball to the ground. Shaun Johnson missed his second conversion of the night, and the score stayed at 8-6.

After a lengthy (successful) Captain’s Challenge for the Warriors – where an audible cry from the crowd urged them to “play the game”, which was fair enough – the Warriors scored twice in the next three minutes to blow the Dragons away. The first came when Johnson laid on the perfect grubber, and Bayley Sironen found space and the ball to score the try. The next Warriors try minutes later was also from a kick, as Dylan Walker wanted a bomb more than the Dragons fullback, and Jackson Ford was on hand for the offload to score under the posts. Johnson kicked both conversions for a 20-6 lead.

The second half started with Warriors forward Marata Niukore being sent to the sin bin within minutes for high contact on Moses Suli, who left the field for an HIA and didn’t return. It was Niukore’s third sin-binning of the season and third report. Both are season highs.

And the Dragons made the Warriors pay not long after when Jacob Liddle set up Zane Musgrove to crash over from close to the line with almost his first touch of the game. The easy conversion closed the score to 20-12. But the Warriors defied the numerical disadvantage a few minutes later when Watene-Zelezniak’s acrobatics in the corner saw him score his second try. Johnson’s off night with conversions continued, but the Warriors still led 24-12.

Not long after the Warriors regained their 13th player, they extended their lead with two quick tries in quick time. First, Johnson ran onto an excellent offload close to the line from Addin Fonua-Blake. Then Rocco Berry was on hand to receive a selfless offload in the corner from Watene-Zelezniak for the second try in three minutes. Johnson converted both for a 36-12 lead, the Warriors were on fire, and the Dragons were officially out of puff.

St George Illawarra stopped the one-way traffic with 13 minutes to go as Francis Molo dived on a Jayden Sullivan grubber from dummy half under the posts and reduced the score to 36-18.

The joy didn’t last more than a few minutes as the Warriors passed 40 points, and Watene-Zelezniak secured a third career hat-trick with some more of his signature try-scoring acrobatics. Then minutes later, he scored his fourth – a more regulation try this time which owed equally to his speed and inept Dragons defence. Johnson was involved in the lead-up to both tries and converted both, and the score had quickly blown out to 48-18.

My Thoughts

Well, I have mixed emotions about this match, it was the biggest win for the Warriors this season, and it was against the team I dislike the most (or should I say hate); however, I don't believe it was the Warrior's best performance. My take on this match was tainted by the less-than-stellar first 20 minutes; in the final 60, the Warriors looked closer to the team I have come to expect this season, but a massive win was what was needed with how tight the ladder is, so I'm thrilled to see the team walk away with a win that sees them move to 5th on the ladder.

The Warriors started the match looking rusty, giving me flashbacks of the Broncos clash in Napier with them rushing and making silly errors; however, they righted the ship and started to punish the Dragons, with the match looking essentially over at halftime. 

It was great to see the Warriors put their foot down in the second half as if they want to be a top-eight or even top-four side; these are the winning margins they need to deliver against the cellar-dweller sides.

I've said it often this year, but this season feels special; this was a match that we would be used to seeing the Warriors let slip, but this team is built differently, and despite saying this wasnt their best performance, to score 48 points in a match when you are far from your best is a decent effort. The finals are still a bit away, and with the ladder being so close, you really can't have an off night, but the Warriors are in control of their own destiny right now and just need to keep improving on the little things, and a top-four finish is a definite possibility. Which I never thought I would say this year before the season started.

 

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

Match Positives

The Warrior's attack looked good in the final 60 of this match, it shouldn't really be a surprise against a bottom-four side, but the Warriors dominated the attacking stats running for 500 more metres, making 10 linebreaks, 32 tackle breaks and throwing 14 offloads. The Warriors did enough work up front to allow them opportunities out wide, and for the most part, they didn't panic and made the right choices when shifting to the edges. Another promising sign for me was there were no individuals out there; they thought and worked as a team, sending the ball out to the open man instead of trying to go it alone. This is something that needs to continue, as being individuals will only lead to their downfall. 

The forwards dominated in the middle again, with four hitting my triple-digit target.

Addin Fonua-Blake led the way yet again with 193m, followed by Tohu Harris (161m), Marata Niukore (148m) and Jackson Ford (113m). Dylan Walker was close with 97m also. With their heavy lifting upfront, the game opened up, and we saw the backs reap the benefits with some big runs and not to forget the back three's rampaging kick returns, which set the forwards up for success. If the forwards keep this up with Jazz Tevaga's return on the horizon, the Warriors will have a scary pack.

That defence was strong once again, only allowing in three tries, and while they were soft ones to let in, the fact they only conceded one try while being reduced to 12 men is commendable. They communicated well, worked together to plug holes in the defensive line and scrambled when needed. When things went wrong, there was no bickering or finger-pointing; they just brushed themselves off and got back to work. Nothing more to say about the Warriors 2023 defence that I haven't already said other than please keep it up, as it could make all the difference in where they end up on the ladder.

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

Match Negative

That first 20 minutes, I know the Warriors scored in the opening 5 minutes, but the Dragons looked dangerous in this period, especially Tyrell Sloan, who looked lethal with the ball in hand. The Warriors appeared to be rushing things and trying to cut corners at first but weathered the early onslaught before taking control. However, if the Warriors start a match against a top-tier side cold like they did here, they could find themselves in trouble. The Warriors do get better in the final 20-30 minutes, but if they are too far behind at that point, it will lead to a difficult day at the office.

Once again, the errors stayed concerning high, with the Warriors making 12 for the second performance in a row. Some were just from the Warriors rushing and trying to push things that weren't on. 

I just don't like seeing the Warriors gift their opposition extra sets, and while their defence saves them in most cases, it would be good to see the error rate return to the single digits sooner rather than later, especially with some of the teams coming up that will punish them for any errors they make.

Lastly the discipline, there was a low penalty count, but the Warriors conceded 4 to the Dragons 2, and they also gave away 3 ruck infringements to the Dragons 1. They also had another sin-bin, with Marata Niukore being given his marching orders for the second match in a row. I thought the sin-bin call was rough, but Niukore needs to lower his target when connecting with tackles, as the officials will be watching him like a hawk now. A bit like my issues with the errors, I don't want the Warriors to give away easy sets to the opposition. Each official calls matches differently, so I just want to see the Warriors learn to adjust to the current official as the game develops and reduce the calls against them; easier said than done, I know.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

A stellar night for DWZ, who has been making every post a winner in his delayed start to the 2023 season. He entered this match never scoring a hat-trick in the NRL and decided to go one better with his first even four-try haul. That sees him at the top of the Warrior's try-scorer tally with 12 tries from 9 matches. Not content to sit on the sideline waiting for an easy four-pointer, he led the game with 227 running metres and 5 linebreaks and setting Rocco Berry up for a nice try. An excellent overall performance from the winger, he is one of the best at scoring in the corner, and hopefully, we will see him continue to grow this season as he is becoming the Warrior's best strike weapon on that edge.

Warrior to Improve

I couldn't pick a Warrior to improve this week, I thought they all did a decent 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 18 sees the Warriors return home to a sell-out crowd to host the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who lost to the Cowboys 31-6 this round.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, except for bringing Mitch Barnett in to replace Marata Niukore, who will be suspended.

Te Maire Martin may be ready to return, and I think I would bring him straight back into the halves; Metcalf is good and growing in confidence, but TMM has the experience and is better defensively. 

It sounds like the Rabbitohs may still be missing Latrell Mitchell for this trip, which makes them less dangerous, but not by much. 

If the Warriors can iron out the kinks we saw in this Dragons match and stick to their game plan of having Tohu and AFB doing the hard yards up front and opening holes with their short passing game, the backs should be given plenty of chances to score. They have been great on defence this season, and they need to keep that up, reducing Cody Walker's impact on the match. It's the most challenging matchup for the Warriors in a while, but I am staying confident and backing them for the upset, seeing them walking away with an 8-point win.

So that was an okay Round 17, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Did you have a player to improve?

Is a top-four finish possible?

So would you stick with Metcalf or bring TMM back?

What is your score prediction against the Rabbitohs?

NZ Warriors 2023 Mid-Season Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

With the Warriors enjoying their second bye of the Season in Round 16, I have no match review to write, so instead, it was the best time to write my mid-season review.

I came into the 2023 season with only slight optimism, the first 10 rounds looked brutally tough, and I even predicted a 2-8 start to the Season. However, the Warriors of 2023 have happily surprised me, earning 20 points, and currently sit in 6th place with an 8-6 record and a +34 points differential. This Season is tight; the Warriors are only 4 points behind the table-topping Broncos and only 2 points ahead of the 11th-place Roosters.
After spending so long living in Australia, playing home or away does not seem to affect the Warriors much, with a 4-3 record both at home and away. Coming into this point of the Season, I had predicted a 4-10 record, so thankfully, I was way off the mark; however, the Warriors have let a handful of games slip.

Keeping in the theme, I started a few seasons back, I'm going to break my review into what's been good, what's been bad, and what has been downright ugly before summing it all up and looking at the second half of the Season and updating my player of the year tally and predicting the Dragons match in round 17.

So let's just get into it.

The Good

Let's start with Andrew Webster; I can admit that when the Warriors announced his signing, I was a bit concerned that a rookie first-grade coach would struggle to turn them around after the low point that was 2022. Those concerns quickly faded after listening to him speak in his interviews with various Media outlets, the This Warriors Life podcast and Roo and Hammer. He was direct, honest and appeared confident in his game plan and had me believing in him before a ball was kicked. The players have bought into what Webster is selling, which has shown in the performances on the pitch. The fans love him, and so do I, and I'm excited to see what he can create long-term at the club.

Returning home has been great for the club; I know they got to play a handful of games at Mt Smart last Season but to be able to be living here and being settled just sees the players in a better frame of mind, and if you are happy off the field more often than not you will perform better on it.

On top of that, every home game this year has been near sellout, which is great to see; a packed Mt Smart is intimidating for visiting sides and gives the Warriors an edge; if that continues and the Warriors can earn themselves a home playoff, then they could really make some waves.

The Warrior's defence has turned a complete 180; in 2022, I complained about the Warrior's defence every week, and this Season I don't believe I have mentioned it in a negative light at all. They have conceded the second least amount of points this season, with only 258 points being scored against them (The Panthers lead the way with only 176 points conceded). The team is responding to Webster's new coaching style, where the defensive structures are not solely the responsibility of a single coach, and the players are succeeding due to being fit and having trust and confidence in each other. Defence is a significant component in becoming a premiership contender, so they must keep it up.

The new recruits have added plenty to the team's performance; Jackson Ford has been a surprise this season, cementing his spot in the starting lineup after I incorrectly assumed he would spend the year in NSW Cup. Dylan Walker and Te Maire Martin have added attacking spark, while Mitchell Barnett and Marata Niukore have added much-needed starch to the pack. While Luke Metcalf, Taine Tuaupiki, Demitric Sifakula, and Ali Leiataua have all shown that they have a future in first grade. 

We, as Warriors fans, have gotten used to being let down by signings in the past, so it is great to have a huge batch of new players come in and do well, and a massive part of this, I believe, is picking players that want to succeed and are not just showing up for a paycheque. I would take a player that will give 100% over a superstar that will provide you with moments here or there any day of the week.

The return of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been fantastic; I never wanted to see him leave the Warriors in the first place. Still, I understood the decision made by him and the club, and in hindsight, it has seen him return to the club a much more complete player; and he is just what the Warriors need at fullback. While he may not be an out-and-out attacking weapon like Reece Walsh was, he battles for 80 minutes every match and does not shy away from doing the hard yards when required. He still knows his way to the try line and is excellent at setting the Warrior's defensive line, and I'm never concerned about him being unable to clean up any defensive misreads. He is full of heart and will never let the side down, which is all you can ask for.

So far, my game of the year was the Warrior's Round 15 36-14 victory over the Canberra Raiders. This game had it all: the story of Jarrod Croker's 300th milestone, a brutal defensive-heavy first half, and plenty of highlight-reel moments in the second half. This was perhaps the most complete performance from the Warriors in 2023 and was the perfect opportunity to show that they have what it takes this Season.

Lastly, I want to highlight my current Warrior of the Season, Shaun Johnson.

The veteran halfback had plenty of doubters before the Season started, and he has won the majority over with a massive resurgence. As I mentioned earlier, if a player is happy off the pitch, he will perform on it, and SJ is the best example of this; back in NZ with his family, he is content and is just blowing us all away with an impressive season. 

He has scored 5 tries, kicked 42 goals (at an 80.8% conversion rate), averaged 550 kicking metres a match, and made 14 try assists. He also has been a defensive menace making 275 tackles with a 93.09% tackle efficiency rating. 

He doesn't disappear when the going gets tough, which was a common complaint in the past, and while we still don't know if he will play in 2024, however, if this form continues, it would be a shame to not see him return.

The Bad

The Warriors have let a few games slip this year; they could have been a top-four side right now if they iced some opportunities in their losses in Round 2 against the Roosters, Round 6 against the Knights and then the Round 13 defeat to the Broncos in Napier. I've selected these matches because I believe they had enough chances to get the job done. However, while they did not get those points, they gained valuable lessons that have seen them improve and have them sitting in a great spot to climb the ladder.

The Warrior's attack has improved, but I still have question marks around their attacking shape when they get closer to the opposition's goal line. They are still a bit clunky and disorganized when they have less room to work in. Still, on a positive note, it has been getting better each week, and with some injured players returning, it will start to click, so I am confident that they will have it sorted before the Season is over.

My worst game of the year is the Round 9 14-0 loss to the Roosters. It was the first defeat on home soil and the only game this season where the Warriors have been held scoreless. It was in poor conditions and a short turnaround; Dylan Walker wasnt really adding much in the halves, and the pack got outmuscled in the middle. No excuses, however, they were just outplayed, but it still leaves a sore spot in me in what has been an overly positive season.

And now all that's left is the ugly.

The Ugly

Firstly injuries, the Warriors have been hampered by injuries this season, losing several key players for extended periods. Tohu Harris, Wayde Egan, Mitch Barnett, Jazz Tevaga, Dylan Walker and Te Maire Martin have all spent time in the casualty ward, and that is just a select few players that have missed time this year. At a point this season, the Warriors had 10 players all out injured, but to their credit, the Warriors have not made excuses, and the player that has to step up has done an admiral job. Now that the injured players are starting to return, I have my fingers crossed that the Warrior's bad luck stops and we begin to see the same 17 get to play together for the final stretch.

My last ugly is the draw; with the Warriors finally returning to New Zealand, I thought the NRL would take advantage of it and have a few early rounds on this side of the Tasman, but after starting the Season in Wellington, the Warriors only had two games in Auckland by the end of Round 7. 

Not to forget the horror run of games against the Storm in Melbourne, the Roosters in Auckland and the Panthers in Penrith, all in the span of 11 days. That is a brutal campaign, and I know they are not the only team to have a tough stretch like that, but the NRL need to do better when it comes to setting up the draw; with each team getting three byes, no team should be put in that situation. On a positive note, though, the Warriors get to spend much of the second half of the Season in New Zealand.

The Season so far and what's next

Overall, I am pleased with how the Warriors have gone so far this Season. 

After the past few years where writing about each performance was taxing on me, being able to write about an improved Warriors team has been a welcome boost to my mental well-being; the team still has plenty to work on for sure, but I feel like they have got through the toughest part of their Season and while no game is ever easy in the NRL in the last 10 matches they have they face only four current top eight sides and have 6 games on home soil (including an away match in Hamilton against the Tigers). Rounds 18 to 21 are still challenging, with matches against the Rabbitohs, Eels, Sharks and Raiders in a row; after the Round 22 bye, the Warrior's final stretch sees them clash with the Titans, Tigers, Sea Eagles, Dragons and Dolphin which seems like a perfect situation to secure a playoffs spot.

As I mentioned at the start, the NRL ladder is tight, and a few poor performances could really change the Warrior's finals chances, but this year's squad is more resilient, so I don't think they are going to derail. They have built a good foundation, and with the casualty ward starting to empty, they have a great shot at ending the Season with a return to finals. And once they get there, they could rattle a few teams, so the sky is truly the limit in 2023. Can they go all the way and win their first Premiership? 

I am not entirely sure yet, but the way they battle every week means they have a shot.

Update on Brad's Player of the Year Standings

After every match, I have been rating the top three Warriors with a Dally M 3,2,1 points system; I have been slack in sharing the updates this season, so I will include the update here.

12 Players have received points so far this season, and below are the top 5 scorers, with Shaun Johnson currently sitting at the top with a massive lead. The players with points that didn't make the top five are Jazz Tevaga and Marcelo Montoya, with 4 points, and Dylan Walker, Tom Ale, Marata Niukore and Mitch Barnett, all with 1 point each. 

On the other side of the coin, I also keep track of the player I pick each week that needs to improve, and we have had 8 players make that list, with Bunty Afoa currently leading after being picked 4 times. Adam Pompey has been chosen twice, picking no one was also picked twice and Bayley Sironen, Viliame Vailea, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Marata Niukore, Tom Ale and Freddy Lussick all being selected once.

Next Rounds' Thoughts and Prediction

Round 17 sees the Warriors return across the ditch to face the Dragons, who also sat out Round 16 with a bye.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, except switching Afoa and Barnett around, and if Walker is available, he comes onto the bench for Bayley Sironen. 

I believe everyone is available in the centre spot, but I would give Ali Leiataua another run, as I think he did more than enough to warrant keeping the starting position.

I have not been quiet about my extreme dislike for the Dragons if you watch my show, The Stand-Off, so I can admit I have been happily watching their Season go from one disaster to the next. However, when it comes to their battles with the Warriors, they have the edge, winning 24 of the 34 clashes between the sides (perhaps the reason behind my dislike), so despite how good or bad either side is, the Dragons seem to find a way to get the job done. 

Ben Hunt is the key to the Dragons' success, but I don't see him backing up from Origin on Wednesday for this match on Friday night, so he will be a massive out. 

The Warriors have a basic but effective game plan, and if they stick to that, I see them outrunning the Dragons by the time the final whistle blows, so I am picking the Warriors to get a comfortable 18 points.

So that was my mid-season review, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who has been your player of the year to date?

Who is your player that needs to improve the most?

Where do you see the Warriors finishing on the ladder?

What are your best and worst games for the Season so far?

What is your score prediction against the Dragons?

NZ Warriors Round 15 Review: Warriors Spoil Crokers Celebration with Highlight-Filled Performance

After their big win over the Dolphins, the Warriors headed to GIO Stadium to face the Canberra Raiders, who were celebrating Jarrod Croker's 300th match.

It was a tight tussle in the first half, with the Warriors spending plenty of time under pressure; however, the tables turned in the second half as the Warriors sauntered to an emphatic 36-14 victory.

What Went Down

After a week of wonderful Croker tributes, over 21,000 packed Bruce Stadium to watch his milestone game. An emotional Jarrod Croker ran out as Jason Croker blew the horn to start a special Viking Clap, followed by a minute of applause for Jarrod in the third minute.

But the Warriors – who are enjoying their best season since 2018 – did well to absorb the emotion of the opening exchanges, though Matthew Timoko went close to scoring.

After plenty of possession, the Raiders finally opened the scoring in the 21st minute, Jack Wighton regathering his kick, with Croker converting for a 6-0 lead.

The Raiders got a further advantage when Mitchell Barnett was sin-binned in the 23rd minute.

However, the Warriors held on for the sin-bin period and levelled the scores through a fantastic Dallin Watene-Zelezniak try. DWZ leapt high to take a Shaun Johnson bomb and somehow planted the footy in the right-hand corner.

But Canberra took an 8-6 lead at half-time after a Croker penalty goal.

It took only seven minutes for the Warriors to hit the front when former Raider Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad strolled through. CNK continued the tradition of ex-Raiders excelling against the Milk with 194 All-Run Metres.

That opened the floodgates: Tom Ale, Luke Metcalf, and Wayde Egan scored simple tries in the space of 12 minutes as the Raiders’ defence crumbled to lead 30-8.

But there was a scare for the Warriors when Johnson went off for an HIA, but he would soon pass his HIA and return.

Canberra finally scored through Josh Papalii, but it was way too late.

The Warriors capped a wonderful night when Johnson intercepted a desperate Sebastian Kris pass to score one of the easiest tries of the night. Not even a second sin bin (Marata Niukore) could dampen the New Zealanders’ spirits as they cruised to a 36-14 victory.

My Thoughts

Well, what a performance we got to watch here. I had predicted a Warriors win, but I thought it would be close. Facing the Raiders on a massive occasion with an enormous crowd would always be a challenging environment. Still, the Warriors didn't let the spectacle get the best of them, and when the Raiders started to fade, the Warriors found another gear and left them behind.

As I said last week, the 2023 Warriors outfit is a back-end team; against any team, if they are still in the hunt around the 50-minute mark, you know they have points stored away for that final 30 minutes, which is exactly what happened here.

The first half was brutal; the Raiders had the lion's share of possession and spent most of the half camped on the Warrior's try line, and the Warriors defended fantastically, with the only points conceded being a try of a lucky deflection and a penalty goal. That was a massive physiological win for the Warriors, and it would have frustrated the Raiders to not only have scored only one try but to allow the Warriors to score with only 12 men; it was an impressive try to their defence, but still, you can guarantee that doubt was starting to trickle into their minds as they went into the sheds.

The second half was essentially a Warriors highlight reel; they started to benefit from all their hard work in the first half, with the Raider's defence starting to open up. Including Shaun Johnson's fantastic intercept try from a kickoff which I struggle to remember ever seeing in the NRL before (you are welcome to fact-check that for me).

No player let anyone down, the stars shone, the workers got in the grind and rookie Ali Leiataua had a decent debut, he did nothing over the top, but he showed plenty of potential and looks sure to be a name we talk about for years to come.

I said last week that this season feels special, and this game just intensified those feelings for me; this team has so much self-belief and confidence that I believe they have a great shot at going deep into finals which I haven't said for so long.

 

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

Match Positives

Once again, that defence was impressive; to hold the Raiders to only one try-a-half is a massive achievement. I saw a stat from Sam Hewat regarding the defensive stats, and this time last year, the Warriors were dead last with 433 points conceded, and this year they are second only to Penrith with 258 points conceded. Their turnaround in only one year is outstanding, and this is without playing teams like the Dragons and Tigers yet. They are fit, trust each other and communicate so well, you see the defensive line moving together, and when things break down, they just clean it up without throwing blame. Defence wins championships, as the cliche goes, but if they can keep this up, I have high hopes for where this season will end.

The forwards had a big battle in the middle against the likes of Joseph Tapine and Josh Papalii, and they dominated. Four of the pack ran for over 100m, led once again by Addin Fonua-Blake (207m), followed by Mitchell Barnett (176m), Tohu Harris (130m) and Jackson Ford (100m). With their heavy lifting upfront, the game opened up, and we saw the backs reap the benefits with some big runs and not to forget the back three's rampaging kick returns, which set the forwards up for success. If the forwards keep this up and the likes of Dylan Walker and Jazz Tevaga return to the fold, it makes the Warriors pack very intimidating.

The attacking shape looked better this week; they were consistently probing the Raider's line and putting their strike weapons into scoring opportunities. We didn't see much of it in the first half, but you just knew that once they got their hands on the ball, the points would come. Shaun Johnson's attacking kicks were pinpoint, and I know the coaching staff mentioned that Johnson, Stacey Jones and DWZ have been working on that crosskick move for some time. It was an amazing display of kick accuracy and spacial awareness from DWZ. The short passing game creates plenty of holes in the defensive line, and it was good to see the Warriors not panic when breaking out into open space; many times in the past, we would watch them break out and then ruin it with a 50/50 pass instead of taking the tackle. A composed Warriors outfit with the ball in hand is a dangerous Warriors team.

However, two things did concern me, bringing me to my negative from the game.

Match Negative

The errors increased, unfortunately, this week, with the Warriors making 12 but the final whistle. Some were unfortunate, but others were from the Warriors trying to force things to happen with quick play the balls. I just don't like seeing the Warriors gift their opposition extra sets, and while their defence saves them in most cases, it would be good to see the error rate return to the single digits sooner rather than later.

Lastly, the officiating, Grant Atkins had a night to forget. I'm not sure if he was getting easily swayed by the boisterous Raiders fans, but he was just getting so many calls wrong, and it felt at halftime that there was no way the Warriors would get an honest attempt at winning the match. However, they took him out of the game by blowing the Raiders off the park. There has been so much talk about the officiating this year, and this was just another performance that wasnt good enough, and it will be interesting to hear Graham Annesley defend his referee this time.

Warrior of the Match

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

Yet another week where I was flipping a coin between CNK and SJ, but I went with the former Raider in his first clash against his former side. He led the Warriors in running metres with 211m, made 6 tackle breaks (second only to Luke Metcalf's 7) and was consistently busy. With the Warriors down to 12 men in the first half, he had his job cut out for him, ensuring that the Warrior's defensive line was lined up correctly. He plays with heart and is always willing to roll his sleeves up and do extra work; it's no surprise to see him run two times in a set. He has made every post a winner in 2023 and is a key figure in the Warrior's success, and will play a massive part in their playoff aspirations.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve was Bunty Afoa.

I've gone with Bunty again, I was tempted to pick no one this week, but I am still perplexed with how Afoa is being used. He only got the first 14 minutes in this match and did not return. I think with Mitch Barnett back in the squad, players like Afoa and Ale will get limited minutes now, and while Ale's stats look good for his 12 minutes, Afoa was unfortunately given all his time when the Raiders refused to let go of the ball so his 1 run for 13 metres isn't that flash. However, he had to defend and did a decent job with 13 tackles with no misses. I like Bunty, but with Dylan Walker and Jazz Tevaga returning from injury soon, he sticks out as the player who will drop out. A return to his usual bench spot could see him return to previous years, hopefully. 

I would love to hear the coaching staff's thought process on using him.

Bye Round Thoughts

Round 16 sees the Warriors enjoy their second bye of the season and add another two points to their competition total. A week off after the past two games may not be ideal with the roll they have got on, but it is a chance for the squad to rest up some niggling injuries and give the casualty ward a chance to deplete with most players currently scheduled to be available by Round 17, in time for the Warriors clash with the Dragons.

With no game to review next week, I will write up a mid-season review where I will go over the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2023 season to date and give my thoughts on the Round 17 match against the Dragons. It's a little past the middle of the season, but it fits best here with the bye.

It should be fun compared to the past few seasons, and I am looking forward to it, so look out for it next Monday.

So that was a fantastic Round 15, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you have a theory on what is going on with Afoa?

TMM is slated to return in Round 17. Would you bring him straight back or keep Metcalf?

What rating would you give the Warriors at this point of the season? 

What is your score prediction against the Dragons?

NZ Warriors Round 14 Review: Warriors turn Black Out into Blow Out with Strong Finish over Dolphins

After their disappointing loss to the Broncos in Napier, the Warriors returned home to the newly named Go Media Stadium to host the Dolphins in their first-ever clash.

The Warriors started slow but grew in confidence as the game progressed, which saw them run in four tries in 18 minutes to walk away with a commanding 30-8 victory.

What Went Down

A dominant second half has seen the Warriors blow the Dolphins away 30-8 in a physical contest at Go Media Stadium in front of over 23,000 fans.

Wearing a heritage jersey, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2003 season, Shaun Johnson wasted no time turning back the clock for the Warriors with a show-and-go to open the scoring in the sixth minute. He converted his try to make the score 6-0.

They went close to scoring again six minutes later, with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad stopped just short of the line.

Rocco Berry was forced from the field in the 14th minute after a head clash due to a shoulder charge from Jarrod Wallace.

The Dolphins had their own chances; however, errors prevented them from scoring.

They finally broke through five minutes before halftime when Kodi Nikorima managed to get a pass over to Tesi Niu to score in the left-hand corner, despite a touch by Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

A double movement from Luke Metcalf in the dying seconds of the half denied the Warriors their second, leaving the halftime score at 6-4.

A late tackle by Anthony Milford saw him sin-binned early in the second half, with Marcelo Montoya forced off for an HIA.

The Warriors continue to build pressure, being denied when Mitch Barnett was held up over the line. From the next play, Watene-Zelezniak crossed in the right-hand corner, only for the bunker to overturn the try due to an obstruction.

An error by Mark Nicholls in the following set immediately put the Warriors back on the attack, and it was left for Johnson to again rewind the clock with some fancy footwork to score near the posts.

They made it two tries in as many minutes when Marata Niukore broke through and sent Luke Metcalf away to score under the posts, pushing the score to 18-4 in the 58th minute.

Watene-Zelezniak finally got his try in the 69th minute when a quick shift found the winger. Johnson converted from out wide to push the margin out to 20.

An intercept shortly after saw Watene-Zelezniak run 50m to score his second try under the posts before Jamayne Isaako added a late consolation try for the Dolphins, cutting the final margin to 30-8.

My Thoughts

Well, that was a better performance to watch; I was nervous in that first half with the Dolphins hanging in there, but after Luke Metcalf crossed, I took a massive sigh of relief as I couldn't see the Dolphins stringing enough together to make a comeback, perhaps if they had Jeremy Marshall-King and Hmaiso Tabuai-Fidow out there it would have been a different story but I think we all know what having key players out can do as the Warriors have dealt with that almost every round this season.

This side is a backend team; if they are in the hunt for the first 50 minutes, you know they will get some points on the board in the final 30, which is precisely what we saw here. 

They never conceded the lead in this match, but their fitness and self-belief just shined through the further the game went on.

It was hard to pinpoint any player that let the side down; they all made an impact in some form, with some, like Josh Curran having to play out of position in what turned out to be a great showing for the second rower in his stint at centre.  

With injured players starting to return, the Warriors are building nicely; they are still far from the finished product, but with a healthy squad and a decent run home, I am getting more confident of a return to finals football; we just can't get too far ahead of ourselves as there is plenty of work left to be done, but this season feels special.

Before I move on, I want to praise yet another bumper crowd, it's great to see all the support for the Warriors, and if they continue to perform, you know that those massive crowds will continue to march through the gates. The club announced that this match was another blackout, just like the one we had against the Roosters in the 2008 semi-final. It was a great idea, although it may have been better when it was dark as turning all the lights off didn't really have the impact they hoped for.

However, the Warriors came out with new music and fancy lighting in their tunnel, wearing those awesome heritage jerseys. It made for an exciting presentation, so full credit to the club for putting it together, and I hope the new Warriors entrance stays.

 

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

Match Positives

The forwards continued to earn them keep churning out the metres, with 5 hitting my triple-digit target, Addin Fonua-Blake leading the way once again with 195 metres, followed by Marata Niukore (159m), Mitchell Barnett (147m), Jackson Ford (123m) and Tohu Harris (117m). This saw the side keep the edge during the battle and tired out the Dolphins, which created more opportunities for Shaun Johnson and the backs to make their mark in the second half. If they can keep this up, then the Warriors will be a difficult team to overcome.

Defence was my biggest issue last season, and I seldom mention it now, which shows how much they have improved this season, and this match was no exception; they made 365 tackles, only missed 17 and nabbed 3 intercepts, restricting a strong attacking team like the Dolphins to only 8 was a massive effort. Admittingly the Dolphins were missing some serious firepower, but you can only play the people in front of you, so it was good to see the Warriors not take them lightly. They communicated well and worked together to shut almost all the Dolphin's attacks; when things broke down, they scrambled well to fix their mess. Defence is paramount to NRL success, so long may it continue.

Lastly, the welcome returns of Wayde Egan and Mitchell Barnett. Egan being back in hooker, saw the spine look more dangerous; his delivery out of the ruck was quick; he picked his moments to snipe and kept the Dolphins on their toes. He is a crucial figure in the Warrior's chances of success, so fingers crossed he can stay healthy for the remainder of the season.

Then there was Barnett; after his neck injury, there were rumours that his career may have been over and thankfully, that wasnt the case. After 11 weeks off the pitch, I was expecting less impact from him in his first game back, but he exceeded my expectations with an epic performance, running for 147 metres and making 29 tackles. He will no doubt be moved into the starting 13 this week, and rightfully so.

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

Match Negative

I'm still not happy with the Warrior's respect for the ball; they made 10 errors which is down from the 13 made in Round 13. Most of them happened when the Warriors started to try and up the tempo, which makes for an exciting game but makes winning more difficult.

As I said last week, every error is a free set given to the opposition and with the ladder being so close this season, you just can't give anyone a leg-up. Playing error-free footy is not easy and not what im looking for, but if the Warriors can reduce the errors to single digits, I will be happy.

I still have concerns about the Warrior's attack when they get into the opposition's red zone, a few individual efforts in that region saw the Warriors get points, but they still seem clunky when trying to set up scoring opportunities closer to the line. It will improve if the Warriors can field the same players week in and week out, but it needs to be a lot better if the Warriors wish to stay in the eight and make an impact in the finals.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Shaun Johnson.

Once again, several players put their hands up for selection this week, but I have gone with SJ. 

When the Warriors were struggling to get themselves on the board, SJ struck, scoring their first two tries with some excellent solo efforts, making me flashback to his younger days. He kicked reasonably well, even if some of his last tackle options were not up to scratch, and he was 100% at the kicking tee. His biggest improvement this season continues to be his defence, ending this game with 27 and only 1 miss. It has been a welcome return to form for the halfback, and it has me wondering if he is giving everything he has this season because he has already decided to hang up the boots at the end of the year? Only time will tell, but I'm hopeful we will see him back on the field in 2024.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve was Bunty Afoa.

I'm still not sure what Andrew Webster's game plan is for Afoa, but his impact is barely making a dent; this could be due to the game plan or perhaps he is uncomfortable as a starter. Whatever it may be, his hit-ups and running metres have been low for some time, managing only 6 runs for 56 metres in this match; he also made a pretty ordinary error towards the end of the match. On a positive note, his defensive output is still solid, with 22 tackles without a miss in the middle. Maybe his role is to shore up the middle defensively and let the other forwards charge up the field; if that is the case, then I may not be as critical of him in the future.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 15 sees the Warriors head back across the ditch to Canberra to face the Raiders, who defeated the Tigers 20-19 in Round 14 and will be celebrating Jarrod Croker's 300th match.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, except switching Afoa and Barnett around, and if Walker is available, he comes onto the bench for Bayley Sironen. 

Rocco Berry will be sitting out due to his 11-day stand-down, so I would bring Brayden Williame back in for him.

The Raiders have been on a roll lately, winning 7 of their last 8 matches and with it being Croker's 300th, they will be tough to beat, especially at home.

If the forwards can keep their momentum going and have another big night, Johnson and the rest of the backs should be able to get enough points on the board, and I'm expecting a big night from Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in his first game against his former club. 

If the Warriors kept the Raiders pack quiet and contain Jack Wighton, then half the battle is already done. I am confident that the Warriors will get the job done, so I am backing them to upset Croker's party and walk away with a 10-point win.

So that was an improved Round 14, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you want to see SJ play next season?

How are your confidence levels for a Warriors finals run?

Who would you bring in to replace Berry at centre?

What is your score prediction against the Raiders?