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?