NZ Warriors 2023 Round 26 Review: Top Four Locked in after Warriors cut it close against Desperate Dragons

After Round 25's win over the Sea Eagles, the Warriors remained home to face a Dragons side with nothing but pride left to play for.

In front of another large crowd for their last home game of the regular season, the Warriors were pushed to the limit by the Dragons but ultimately were too strong for them, getting their seventh win in a row 18-6.

What Went Down

The Warriors had plenty to play for in their final regular season home game: not only was it Shaun Johnson’s 250th NRL game, but a win over the Dragons (who were competitive against Melbourne last week) would get them closer to a top-four spot.

The Dragons nearly scored off the kick-off when Zac Lomax cleaned up a bouncing ball and touched down. But The Bunker ruled that Lomax had knocked on while trying to gather the footy.

Adam Pompey scored the first official try in the 13th minute and then converted for a 6-0 lead.

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad made it 10-0 after 20 minutes with an excellent stepping run from close range.

Addin Fonua-Blake nearly put the game away just before half-time but knocked on over the line. However, the Warriors still had a 10-0 lead at the break.

Jacob Liddle looked to have got the Dragons on the board in the 53rd minute but also knocked on over the line.

Lomax finally scored the Dragons’ first try in the 61st minute after a huge Ben Hunt bomb, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak unable to clean it up. Lomax converted to get the Dragons within four points.

Fonua-Blake made up for his earlier bombed try by touching down a Johnson grubber kick in the 75th minute. Tyrell Sloan tried to pick it up in the in-goal (instead of grounding it for a goal-line dropout), with Fonua-Blake taking advantage of the error in the match's final scoring play.

The win puts the third-placed Warriors (38) four points clear of the fourth-placed Melbourne and six clear of Cronulla-Sutherland (fifth) and Canberra (sixth), though that gap is likely to close during the weekend.

My Thoughts

Well, the Warriors extend their win streak to seven with another scratchy performance, this time against the team I despise the most, the Dragons.

When it looked like the Dragons scored seconds after kick-off, I couldn't help but laugh. I may hate them, but it was such an amazing display of how desperate they were to get the result; thankfully, as a Warriors fan, the try was denied, but credit to them for applying pressure.

In what has become a theme since the Warrior's last bye, they didn't deliver their best performance, but I felt like they remained in control for most of the match; they just didn't convert their opportunities as much as I would have liked to see. The Dragons have been fighting tooth and nail as their season nears its end, as we saw in their valiant effort against the Storm, but the Warriors contained almost all of their attacking chances, which was what I wanted to see out of this match, I didn't care how many points they scored, I just wanted to see them keep the Dragons to single digit points which is what I got.

I am slightly concerned by the Warrior's recent form, but with a top 4 spot locked in, I hope Andrew Webster has got his finals plans set; in a recent interview, he said he knows where the team needs to be for finals, and Addin Fonua-Blake has said there is plenty left in the tank for the team to make some waves in their first finals campaign since 2018.

So, I will continue the mantra I have said all year: In Webster, we trust, and I look forward to seeing what this team will do in the playoffs. However, Before finals, they still have one match left, and I want to see them deliver a more complete performance.

There were aspects of the match to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

The forwards put in some work. The Dragons boast a large pack, but the Warriors took it to them with every starting forward, with the exception of Bunty Afoa hitting that triple-digit mark I aim for every week. Led as always by Addin Fonua-Blake (223m) and Tohu Harris (200m). Marata Niukore (123m) and Josh Curran (112m) followed suit; additionally, Dylan Walker ran for 129m off the bench, which was just a massive performance by all involved. 

I'm always biased as a former forward, but they are so integral to getting your side the edge when the Warriors get rolling up the middle; it allows the backs to do what they are paid to do. It was the perfect platform to run up the scoreboard, but silly errors prevented that; however, if the pack can keep this level of effort moving forward, they will find themselves in the driver's seat and make winning much easier.

After a slight slip-up last week, the Warrior's defence was back on track. They only allowed in one try, and it was off an unfortunate kick, which has been an issue for the Warriors all year. 

They shut down many of the Dragon's attempts, reducing them to only one linebreak in the match and keeping the dangerous players like Zac Lomax and Tyrell Sloan contained. They also performed better around the ruck area. Still need to take it to another level, as stopping the Dragon's attack is not on the same level as the teams they will face in finals, but it is a step in the right direction.

Lastly, the Warriors have locked in a top 4 finish for the first time since 2007.

It has been such a sudden change after the dismal 2022 that we had to endure, going from the 15th spot on the ladder with a 6-18 record (5-7 at home and a shocking 1-11 away) and 408 points scored and 700 points conceded. 

Now sitting third with a 16-7 record (8-4 at home and 8-3 away), with 562 points scored and only 414 points conceded. 

It's been a fantastic season, and it's just great to see the team and fans alike rewarded. Nothing was handed to them; they were written off before the season began and have worked hard to get where they are. I have skipped writing a season review for the past two seasons, but I am looking forward to digging deep into this season when it is all over, and hopefully, it is just the beginning of a fruitful era in the club's history.

However, I did have some concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The Warriors could have put on a cricket score in this match if they didn't let themselves with errors and a lack of discipline. They ended with 11 errors and 10 penalties conceded; against a bottom-two team, you can overcome these setbacks and walk away with the win, but if they continue this trend of double-digit errors when they hit the finals, then they may find themselves with a one-way ticket to an early exit. They just can't allow a decent side to have that many extra sets. Just eliminate the coach killers and show the ball more respect; a single-digit error count will be on the horizon.

The Dragons were able to keep the Warrior's lethal right edge quiet; they were rushing up in defence and restricted many chances the Warriors would have usually had. The extra pressure forced some of those errors that the Warriors made. Teams will look at this as a key to shutting the Warriors down. The Warriors will need to put some kicks over the rushing defence or cut back to the inside to force the defence to take a step back. It's easier said than done, but I'm confident that Shaun Johnson and the rest of the spine can do it.

The last negative isn't an aspect of the performance but the injury to Luke Metcalf; I know I have been pushing for the return of Te Maire Martin, but I didn't want to see it happen due to an injury. Metcalf still has a lot to learn as a first grader, but I have been so impressed with his first year in a Warriors jersey and watching him in tears on the sideline broke me. He has had bad luck with his hamstrings, and thankfully, it wasnt the same one he injured at the beginning of the year. It's a heartbreaking way for his year to end, but I look forward to watching him bounce back in 2024. 

Warrior of the Match

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

Another stellar outing for CNK here, scoring a nice try showing some fancy footwork, and was heavily involved with the ball in hand, running for 217m and making 9 tackle breaks, 1 linebreak and 1 line break assist. Defensively, he only had to make 5 tackles but came up clutch with a fantastic one-on-one strip. It's been an excellent year for the returning Warrior; we all know the story: unwanted at the Raiders and being moved to reserve grade to now being one of the first names written on the Warriors gameday teamsheet. He has made every post a winner, and I expect that to continue as the Warriors move into the finals.

Warrior to Improve

No Warrior to improve this week

This was hard this week. I had Metcalf earmarked at half-time for this section, but I excluded him from selection due to his injury, so I settled on just a general improvement by all.

We are almost at the finals now, and after a month of grinding wins, which I believe will help them in the finals, we need to see the team hit another level this week, which is obviously the most cliche thing that I have said; however, it doesn't make it less accurate. 

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 27, the final round for the regular season, sees the Warriors head back across the ditch to Suncorp Stadium to face the Dolphins, who went down 34-10 to the Cowboys in Round 26.

Regarding the team I would pick, It is a bit interesting as with a top four spot locked in, there are talks that Andrew Webster may look to rest some key players to have them fresh for finals, and also, Captain Tohu Harris will miss at least this weeks match with a back injury, if he is out I would have Mitch Barnett take his spot if he is fit, if he isn't then Curran moves there.

While I get that train of thought, I would be playing the same side as I feel the Warriors have not responded well after the byes, so I don't want to see that happen again in the first week of finals. With the Metcalf injury, we should see the return of Te Maire Martin in what would my only change, who looked like he hadn't missed a step in his return to NSW Cup this week. 

The Dolphins started their inaugural with a hiss and a roar, but as the season has dragged on, they have struggled with their depth and the chemistry amongst the squad. Which is kind of what I expected in their first year. However, in their final game of the year in front of their loyal fans, I expect them to come out fighting and will be determined to end their campaign on a high note.

Almost the same as I said last week, the Warriors need to be ready for a battle, keep their error rate low, dominate the middle and get the ball out to the deadly right edge. If that happens, then it is on to the eighth win in a row.

I believe the Warriors will get the job done, but it will be another tight one, so I am going with a Warriors win by 10.

So that was stressful Round 26, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Would you be resting players this week?

Who would you replace Tohu Harris with?

What teams would you prefer the Warriors to face in Finals Week 1, Broncos or Panthers?

What is your score prediction against the Dolphins?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 25 Review: Warriors survive shaky first half to extend win streak to 6 against a sturdy Sea Eagles

After Round 24's win over the Wests Tigers, the Warriors returned to Auckland to the for the limited time only Daniel Anderson Stadium to face a Sea Eagles side desperate for a win to keep their finals hopes alive.

In front of a large crowd, the Warriors survived a few scares in the first half before conceding no points in the second to secure their sixth win in a row, 29-22, taking them one step closer to a top-four finish.

What Went Down

Both sides wore heritage jerseys in this clash: the Warriors in their 2003 jerseys and Manly in their mid-90s “Pepsi” jerseys. Go Media Stadium (Mt Smart Stadium) was also renamed “Daniel Anderson Stadium” for this game to commemorate Daniel Anderson Round.

After a Bunty Afoa error on the first set, Manly made good use of the mistake, with former Parramatta Eel Jake Arthur scoring for Manly in the first minute.

The Warriors regrouped, and after several back-and-forth sets, a penalty, and almost crossing over via Luke Metcalf, the Skipper Tohu Harris crashed over in the seventh minute to level the game at 6-6.

A few sets later, a Sea Eagles error saw the Warriors regather the ball, and after a few hit-ups, the Warriors went right to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who scored the first of his three tries, dotting down in the right corner with his trademark one-handed put-down after a nice tip-on from Rocco Berry.

Another penalty against Manly gave the Warriors good field position, and Watene-Zelezniak’s second try came moments later with a great individual run breaking several tackles and crashing over the line. Adam Pompey converted to give the Warriors a 16-6 lead.

A Marata Niukore error from the kick-off gave the Sea Eagles the chance they needed to get back into the contest, and they took it with both hands as they shifted right to Jason Saab, who started his hat-trick run with two tries in 11 minutes- both in the right corner – as Manly levelled up at 16-16. In between these tries, the Warriors looked to have scored a try via Luke Metcalf, but it was taken away due to obstruction by the bunker. Manly had a try denied a few sets later, where the bunker advised that Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad grounded the ball just before Rueben Garrick.

Saab claimed his hat trick just before the break: all three had come in the right corner. Garrick converted as Manly took a 22-16 halftime lead.

After errors from both sides littered the beginning of the second half, the Warriors opened the scoring when Watene-Zelezniak completed his hat trick in the right corner in the 50th minute. Pompey converted to tie the game at 22-22. 

The game was at a standstill, with both sides trading sets with few scoring opportunities but not for the lack of effort.

There was a crucial call in the 72nd minute when a Daly Cherry-Evans field goal was charged down. Garrick regathered the ball but appeared to be tackled in the air, giving the Sea Eagles a seemingly effortless penalty goal attempt. But Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s tackle was cleared as it was from a bouncing ball, not a kick. Garrick’s knock-on counted, and the Warriors got the ball back.

The Warriors scored a few tackles later, after the scrum win, with Marata Niukore bursting through from 35 out. Pompey converted for a 28-22.

As he’s done so many times before, Shaun Johnson sealed the win with a field goal.

The Warriors have almost secured a top-four finish, while Manly’s season is just about finished.

My Thoughts

Well, I have been saying for a while that this was the only match I was worried about. After that first 40, I admit I thought the Warrior's goose may have been cooked, but that old-school PTSD I still have from time to time from being disappointed about the Warriors in previous years was not needed as they shut Manly out in the second half and got the job done.

It was another game where the Warriors didn't deliver their best performance but still managed to win against a side like Manly, who were desperate to win in a bid to keep their slim finals chance alive. 

I see all these matches as chances to build the Warrior's character and confidence for what will be a tough finals campaign, so I was happy to see the Warriors come from behind and shut out the Sea Eagles in the second half.

There was still plenty I was concerned about, and there is a lot of work needed to be done for finals as teams like the Panthers, Broncos and Storm are good enough to pick apart the Warrior's weak spots we have seen this year and blow them off the park if they are not prepared.

I have confidence in Webster getting the boys ready. I expect to see the wrinkles ironed out in the final two rounds of the regular season before we get into only the second finals campaign since I started writing my reviews.

Before moving on, I should mention the elephant in the room with the Rueben Garrick situation; being there live, the incident happened almost right in front of me, and I assumed it was a penalty and maybe a sin-bin, so was very confused when the Warriors were given the ball. I learnt on the drive home about the reason why it was play on and was ok with the call; however, I know if it was the other way around, and it was a Warriors player getting hit, I would be blowing up, so I understand the frustration from the Sea Eagles fans and Anthony Seibold. An interesting rule to say the least but credit to the official for making the call by the book.

I am sure we will go into it more in-depth on The Stand-Off on Wednesday night, so come watch us there for more of a conversation about the situation.

There was plenty to smile about, which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

That right edge from the Warriors is just so lethal when Shaun Johnson is floating across the line; he is dangerous, but then you throw in a hard line runner like Marata Niukore, who is able to create space and holes for Rocco Berry and Charnxe Nicoll-Klokstad to engage before sending the ball to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who is just so hard to stop in the corner. It almost feels like a cheat code because you know that in the opposition's red zone, the Warriors can almost score with anyone on that right edge; if the Warriors can create a similar situation on the left, they will be a tough team for anyone to beat.

After hoping to see the big man get some reduced minutes, Addin Fonua-Blake was once again the ironman in the front row playing 71 minutes. He churned out 192m with 62 post-contact. He did make a few errors, but they were few are far between. We are all talking about SJ and his fantastic season, and rightly so, but AFB is still the first name I would put on the team sheet. His hard work upfront just makes everyone else's job a little bit easier. Hopefully, some reduced game time is on the way for the big unit, so he is at 100% for the first week of finals.

Lastly, the Warriors keep the Sea Eagles to nil in that second half. That was my biggest highlight, as in that first half, it looked like Manly had exposed a flaw in the Warrior's defensive structure, and the points would continue to flow down Manlys right edge. I'm not sure what they did at halftime to sort it out, but it appeared to work even when Josh Curran was shifted to centre when Marcelo Montoya went off for his HIA; Manly tried to get Saab the ball often, but the Warriors managed to get to him early and deny him the open space that makes him so dangerous. If they work together like this for the entire 80 from now on, it will make me a little more confident in them clocking up more wins.

However, I did have some concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

I just mentioned it as a 2nd half positive, but that left-edge defence in the first half was horrible. I have watched it several times, and I think you can point your finger at several players in different situations. From watching live at the ground, I could see that the entire edge from Metcalf through to Montoya were not talking to each other, and if there is no communication, that's when holes start to open up. 

It's an easy enough thing to address and correct for the coaching staff, and I think we already saw the start of that in the second half here, but communication will be essential, especially with a potential match against a lethal Broncos outfit in three weeks, if they keep vocal and trust in each other to take on their man then they will reduce the oppositions scoring opportunities tenfold.

My 2023 bugbear continues with the Warrior's errors again, hitting double digits with 13 in this match. A lot of them were just silly schoolboy errors like the Bunty Afoa drop in the opening minute, which in his defence, I put the blame more on the dreadful pass from Wayde Egan. I'm just looking ahead to the finals, and I know that if you give away 13 errors and allow one of those premiership contenders all those extra sets, you will be well on the way to an early exit which the Warriors cannot afford to do. They know they can score points, but at times, they need to slow it down and get the basics right, do that and the tries will come.

That left edge attack is still not combining well; they had a few moments but didn't execute them with the finesse we have come to expect from the right edge. Luek Metcalf is a hell of a talent, but once again, he had a few half-breaks with unmarked men on his outside and his decision to tuck the ball and go himself cost the Warriors a handful of tries. I love seeing him run, but if you have someone wide open close to the line, you have to give them the ball. It's why I still prefer a guy like Te Maire Martin on that edge instead; what he lacks in spark and speed, he makes up for with experience and Game IQ.

Warrior of the Match

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

Hard to go past the hat trick hero here; DWZ has exceeded all my expectations this season; after missing the first six rounds due to injury, he has made every post a winner and has become one of the best finishers in the game with his trademark dives in the corner. 

However, in this match, he showed that he isn't a one-trick pony with his second try, where he broke five tackles. He ran for 173m, and his defence has improved this season, and while he made no tackles and had no misses in this match, he was great at creating pressure which led to a critical intercept when the Warriors looked to be on the ropes. Currently sitting at the top of the try scorer leaderboard, tied with Alex Johnston and Jamayne Isaako with 21 tries, and with games against the Dragons and Dolphins left has a decent chance at taking the outright lead before the regular season ends.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Marcelo Montoya.

While one winger reaped all the praise, the other one bore the brunt of the fan's criticism in this match, and he was really the only option for me this week.

While not helped by the Warrior's poor left edge defence with Jackson Ford and Luke Metcalf not shifting out as they should have, Montoya kept allowing Jason Saab to have the outside lane, and he was just too quick to handle. He did set up a nice try that was ultimately denied by the bunker, but he also made 3 errors and only ran for 89m, which is low for him. An HIA saw him leave the field for a spell that didn't help his stats, but it was a night to forget. It was an off night, but I am not throwing the baby out with the bathwater and wouldn't drop him; I want to see him bounce back this week.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 26 sees the Warriors stay at Go Media Stadium for their last regular season home match, hosting the St George Illawarra Dragons, who lost 38-28 to the Storm in Round 25.

Regarding the team I would pick, once again, I would keep it the same except for bringing Te Maire Martin back in to replace Luke Metcalf if TMM is deemed fit; it may be a controversial choice, but I want to see him get a few games under his belt before finals and believe he is the key to unlocking the left edge attack which will be needed in the playoffs as well as adding some much-needed structure to the left side defensive structure.

We already know that I do not like the Dragons, and it's fitting that the last regular season match I get to go to is against them. They have been woeful this year, but in the past month, they have started to show so much heart, so this match is not as easy as the ladder positions would let you think. The Warriors need to come in prepared to work and then just play that simple footy that has got them this far, reduce the errors, control the middle and get the ball to DWZ, tick all those boxes, and the Warriors get their seventh win on the trot.

I am confident that they will get the job done, so I am going with a Warriors win by 18.

So that was tense Round 25, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Would you bring TMM back, or would you have him sit out the rest of the season?

Do you think DWZ will end the season with the top try-scorer award?

How would you improve the Warrior's left edge on both attack and defence?

What is your score prediction against the Dragons?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 24 Review: Warriors scrape home against Gutsy Tigers in the Tron

After Round 23's victory over the Titans, the Warriors returned to New Zealand, this time to Hamilton, to face the West Tiger's who were the only NRL side to bring a home game to NZ.

In front of a bumper Waikato crowd, the Warriors started quick, but the Tigers showed plenty of fight and made a match of it when the Warriors left the door open. Another ugly performance from the Warriors, but they did enough to get the job done, winning 30-22.

What Went Down

The Tigers took their Round 24 game to Waikato in New Zealand to repay the Warriors for their sacrifices during the Covid-impacted seasons. Both sides were unchanged before kick-off. 

The game began with an early penalty to the Warriors. On the attack, a no-look pass from Tohu Harris put Mitch Barnett through a gap. He linked up with Luke Metcalf, who scored the opening try.

Following their first try, the Warriors looked clinical as they found their second. Shaun Johnson fired a cut-out pass to Adam Pompey, who crashed over. It took an error from the Warriors to get the Tigers into the game. Mitch Barnett coughed up possession, and the Tigers pounced. Daine Laurie produced a late pass to Starford To’a, who crossed for a try. Off the following kick-off, Laurie was in the action again. He broke the line and linked up with Luke Brooks, who raced away to score the Tiger's second try in two minutes.

Eventually, the Warriors grabbed the lead back when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak produced an acrobatic putdown when he scored in the corner. That try was the only difference between the sides at halftime.

After the break, the Warriors dominated possession. They forced multiple repeat sets while attacking the Tiger's line and eventually broke through. Tohu Harris barged over from close range to grab his second try in two weeks. However, the Tigers took less than ten minutes to bounce back. Jahream Bula broke the line and found support inside from Daine Laurie, who finished off the long-range try.

Tempers flared in the game's final stages as the Tigers gave away several penalties for high contact. Within range of the posts, the Warriors opted for a penalty goal to extend their lead to a converted try. After a tightly fought ten minutes, the Warriors scored through Addin Fonua-Blake as they looked to have iced the game. The Tigers produced a consolation try, but that wasn’t enough as the Warriors held on to win by eight points.

My Thoughts

In my prediction last week, I did say that the Tigers would be fired up to spoil the Warrior's party, and I wasnt wrong with Wests taking the Warriors to the limit.

My feelings on the match have flip-flopped since the final whistle blew; I left the stadium and started the journey back to Auckland dejected, the Warriors won, but it felt like a loss. However, I am more optimistic after watching the game several times.

Yes, the Warriors did not play their best, but the Tigers have nothing but pride left to play for and facing a desperate team can be more challenging than usual. The good sides in the NRL can face adversity and still walk away with the win, which we saw from the Warriors in the past two rounds. 

The early exit of Wayde Egan did not help matters, and I think if he didn't get hurt, the Warriors might have run away with this match; add to that SJ not being 100% which affected some of the Warrior's kicking options, and it did reduce the Warriors attacking ability, but hopefully, they are both back to fully fit soon.

There is still plenty to work on for the Warriors squad, and these narrow wins should keep the Warriors grounded and focused; I know we would love to see them put cricket scores on sides leading up to the finals, but I think that would not be ideal preparation for finals. 

Andrew Webster has said that the team has a mindset issue and that it is a quick fix, so as long as the Warriors learn from these close matches and sort that mindset, they will continue to notch up wins, it may not be pretty right now, but I still believe that this team and this season is something special, so let's finish the regular season on a high.

There was plenty to smile about, which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

I already mentioned it, but the fact that the Warriors won while not playing well is a positive for finals in my eyes. If the Warriors always had the upper edge, they could run the risk of falling apart the moment they faced adversity in the finals. But these matches where they faced adversity build character and will give them some self-belief if they find themselves in a challenging, grinding finals match.

I thought Taine Tuaupiki had a decent outing, in his first topside appearance on home soil, in front of friends and family in Waikato; I can only imagine the nerves he would have had. He looked good on attack and defended reasonably well; he was a bit quiet in the second half, but a solid effort from the youngster. It will be good to see CNK return this round, but I hope the Warriors can keep Tuaupiki long-term, as I expect big things in his future.

The top four position is almost set in stone; they would need to lose the last three games to fall out. I don't expect that to happen, and having the second life in the finals is a great advantage, not to mention a chance to play a finals match in New Zealand (even if the NRL force them to take it away from Mount Smart). It has been such a surprising year, I never imagined the Warriors being in the top 4, but the job isn't done yet, and the rest of the story remains unwritten.

However, I did have some concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The attack was clunky, no Egan and an injured SJ made things more challenging, but there were several times in the match where Marcelo Montoya was unmarked and could have been used, but Luke Metcalf and Adam Pompey did not feed him the ball; the Warriors right edge attack has been deadly, but the left is not too shabby and needs to be used more. 

The defence has been great this year, but in this match, the Warriors were a bit exposed; the Tigers used their little men perfectly and picked the Warrior's middles apart. The Tiger's adlib football also created headaches for the Warriors. It can be addressed and fixed, but I think a big part of it was fatigue; the Warrior's middles were playing big minutes, which means they were not as primed to defend as we have come to expect this year. It's not a massive concern, but if we see more teams successfully use this tactic, the Warriors could be in trouble.

Lastly, the use of the Interchange, I'm not sure what Webster's approach to his interchange usage is, but I think he left some players out there for too long. At halftime, the Warriors had only used two, one forced with Egan and the other switching Mitchell Barnett and Dylan Walker. I think if they had brought Jazz Tevaga on in the first half for AFB would have helped the Warriors get the upper hand when a refreshed AFB returned. The Warriors have an interesting bench set-up as it is, but if they don't rotate those forwards, it makes their ability to dominate the match much harder.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake.

I was flipping a coin between AFB and Tohu Harris here, but AFB's running metres got him the nod from me.

As we have come to expect, AFB was a monster upfront, leading his side with 270 metres; he also made 27 tackles but did miss 2, which is actually high for him and played for 71 minutes which may have been too many to keep him as effective as the Warriors need and may have led to those defensive misreads.

He went off with an ankle complaint, and hopefully, it is not that serious as he will be a crucial figure in the Warriors finals charge, so I would aim to reduce his minutes in the next few games to keep him healthy.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Luke Metcalf.

Scored a nice try to kick off the scoring in this match and did look dangerous with the ball in hand, clocking up 130 running metres. However, everything else was lacking in my eyes. I already mentioned the left edge attack not being used in my negatives, which falls on Metcalf; he seldom looked to link with his outside men, and when he did, it was only a last resort. His defence was a bit sloppy, too, missing 3, with some directly leading to some Tigers' tries.

Now he is a hell of a talent and has plenty of upsides, but he is still learning, and I would be hopeful to see Te Maire Martin get some match fitness and be back for finals.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 25 sees the Warriors return home to the for one night only Daniel Anderson Stadium to host the Manly Sea Eagles. Who went down 24-12 against the Panthers in Round 24.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, only bringing back Charnze Nicoll-Klostad and Wade Egan if they are both healthy. Webster isn't a fan of changing the team around much, so keep it the same and see if the performances improve from the past two efforts.

This match was the only one I had concerns about after the Warrior's final bye, as while the Sea Eagles have not been great this year, they are still a competent side, as we can see from their effort against the Panthers. Daly Cherry-Evans can quickly dissect an opposition, so putting it plainly, if the Warriors perform like they did in the past two matches, they will struggle to win. 

If they control the middle and then utilise both their left and right edges in attack, the points will come, and if they can pressure DCE and reduce his kicking opportunities, then they should be good enough for their sixth win in a row. My confidence has taken a little hit, but I am sticking with the Warriors to get the job down with a 12-point win.

So that was a once again ugly Round 24, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

With SJ, Egan and AFB picking up niggles, would you give them a week away to recover?

Has your confidence in the Warriors going deep in the finals taken a hit?

Do you think the side is missing Bunty Afoa?

What is your score prediction against the Sea Eagles?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 23 Review: Johnson the difference as Warriors win ugly over determined Titans

After Round 22's bye, the Warriors made the trip to the Gold Coast to face the Titans with a win solidifying their position in the top four.

In a physical outing that saw both a sendoff and a sin-bin, the Warriors looked rusty but showed cohesion as the match developed before taking control in the final ten minutes to walk away with a 28-18 victory.

What Went Down

It was a battle of the defences for most of the first half. Neither the Warriors nor the Titans could score any points, despite often making great metres, coming close. However, the line defence for both teams was impressive, keeping the scoreboard at nil all.
Gold Coast forward Moeaki Fotuaika was sent off after a high shot on Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who was unable to return to the game. Which meant that the Titans were left with a man down for the remainder of the evening.

It was an ill-disciplined first half for both the Warriors and the Titans. There were a handful of scuffles, one of which resulted in Marata Niukore being sent to the sin bin for slapping David Fifita. The Warriors and Titans were now 12 on 12. 

Finally, the first points were scored by the Titans via a Fifita barge over.
The Titans looked set to add more points, but despite their valiant effort, a try was called back at the opposite end of the field due to a knock-on. The Warriors capitalized on this field possession and scored their first points of the game, with Shaun Johnson being the man who crossed the line. Johnson was over again a few sets later, getting the Warriors in front for the first time in the match.
Right on the stroke of halftime, the Warriors scored again via Dalline Watene-Zelezniak, which was taken away from them due to an obstruction. They went into the break with one player advantage and a six-point lead.

The Warriors scored again in the second half, with Jackson Ford finding the back of the net just two minutes after the restart.
The Titans and the Warriors continued to show strength in their defence through the second half. Both sides were also able to put their strength in attack on display, which made for a more interesting second half of the league.
Within a ten-minute period, the Titans were able to catch up to the Warriors. Joe Stimson and Jayden Campbell scored a try each, which levelled the score.
With just fifteen minutes remaining in the game, both sides were desperate for a victory.
The Warriors dominated the final few minutes, scoring two additional tries to ensure their victory against the Titans. Tohu Harris and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak were the try scorers.

My Thoughts

Well, while I did come into this match confident, it was one of the two remaining regular season matches for the Warriors that concerned me (the other being the Round 25 match against the Sea Eagles), and when Fifita crashed over for the first try my concerns grew a little. 

However, when Shaun Johnson crossed for his double before halftime, I was more relaxed, and despite the Titans continuing to fight in the second half, I felt like the Warriors would always walk away with the win.

This was a strange match; the Titans being reduced to 12 men should have made life easier, but to their credit, they dragged the Warriors down to play at their level and made them work for the victory. It was a niggly affair, but the Warriors made the most of their moments and got the job done. It wasnt a win that will be long remembered, but it was another valuable match to learn from as the Warriors prepare for their return to finals football. Andrew Webster wasnt happy with the performance, and he said the players weren't either, which on a positive note, I think is great to hear; the Warriors are a good team now, and they know what they should be delivering, and in the past, they would have just been happy to walk away with a win regardless of how they got it, so you know that they are going to come back stronger this week and start to build some strong performances to finish the regular season on a strong note.

Before moving on, I just want to talk about the Warrior's habit of struggling when returning from a bye; despite only losing one match after a bye this year, it is fair to say that all three games this season saw the Warriors start very slow and rusty. I'm still determining how Andrew Webster fixes this, and I only bring it up because the Warriors potentially could find themselves earning a week off in the finals, and they can't afford to have another slow return from a week away from the pitch. I know that is just the pessimist in me, but it remains something that sits in the back of my mind. However, it's better than what I usually do at this time of year which is looking ahead to the next season.

There was plenty to smile about, which leads to my positive from the match.

Match Positives

As mentioned above, the Warriors started rusty, but as the match progressed, they took control; now while that control didn't result in a landslide score with tries scored at will. The Warriors succeeded at building pressure and being patient, which will be critical in the finals. I know the Warriors have surprised all of us this season, but I think the most impressive aspect of their improvement is their ability to play for an entire match; I know that sounds silly, but for so many years, the Warriors have struggled to compete in the final 20 minutes so to know that they are always a chance of winning if they are close on the scoreboard at the 60-minute mark makes me more confident in their playoff aspirations.

There were some considerable efforts from the pack in their battle with the big Titans pack, Led by Addin Fonua-Blake, as always, with a team-high 169m; there were 5 forwards that hit my desired triple digits, with Jackson Ford (158m), Mitchell Barnett (153m), Tohu Harris (142m) and Dylan Walker (109m) all joining the superstar front rower. We always expect this level of effort from AFB, but if the rest of the pack can keep this level up, it just makes life easier for Johnson and the rest of the backs, and if they get the ball moving up the pitch regularly, then the points will come.

The unfortunate early exit of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad could have caused the Warriors issues, but with Taine Tuaupiki sitting there as the 18th man, the Warriors didn't have to make any drastic changes to the lineup, and Tuaupiki had a decent hit-out. He had a few poor passes early on but found his groove looking dangerous with the ball in hand, making 165m and defended reasonably well; there were a few moments where he looked out of position out the back, but the Titans were not able to capitalize on it. Will be out the back again this week and has a great chance to find another gear and make his stamp on the match and is a talent I hope the Warriors can keep on the roster.

Lastly, that crowd, it's hard to believe that this was an away match in Australia as from where I was watching it on TV, it did not sound like it. There were plenty of  Warriors chants, and every time the announcer tried to get a Titans chant going, it was drowned out by a chorus of boos. Turning every Warriors match into essentially a home match is going to be a massive equalizer, and it just makes the viewing experience that much better, so big ups to the Warriors fans in Australia for bringing the noise and helping the Warriors out, as I'm sure they appreciate it.

However, I did have some concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

A regular in this section in 2023, but I wasnt happy with the errors again, with the Warriors ending the match with 12. I have faith in the Warrior's defensive capabilities to defend their way out of these errors. However, making double-digit errors will not fly in the finals, as teams like the Panthers, Broncos, and the Storm can pile on points if the Warriors give away these free sets. Show the ball more respect and don't force 50/50 passes, and those errors will come down. I want to see single a single-digit error rate this week.

Webster discussed it in his post-match interview, but the Warriors were trying to go around the Titans in the early stages before they earnt the right to do so. They did rectify that as the game developed, but spreading it wide before controlling the middle can sometimes work, but more often than not, it leads to errors or a collapse of the attacking structure. The fact that Webster has already addressed it leads me to expect this to be fixed this week, but seeing the Warriors deviate from the game plan they have had all year was a concern.

Lastly, the discipline let the Warriors down at times, the Titans came into this match fully intending to poke the bear, and the Warriors took the bait, which led to that farcical sin-binning which I believe was done not due to the action but in an attempt by Ben Cummins to regain control of the match. The Warriors do not want to be bullied by the opposition, of course. Still, if they show that they can be distracted by some grubbiness, you can expect teams to attempt to get under their skin in the finals to gain an advantage, so Warriors stand your ground but don't let it divert you from the task at hand. 

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Shaun Johnson.

Hard to pick anyone else as I believe that if SJ wasnt on the pitch, the Warriors walk away with the loss. 

He scored two tries, including that one from DWZ's freakish offload, which itself was already set up by Johnson; he set up Jackson Ford's try with a nice pass before setting up DWZ for a try of a kick (albeit with a fortunate bounce). He ran for 93 metres and also made 24 tackles. 

The team was struggling, and he stepped up and got them on track; he is already the frontrunner for the Dally M in my eyes, but this performance has solidified that for me, which is simply a fantastic story for the veteran many had written off before the season started.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Marata Niukore.

It was hard to pick a player here as while many did not have the best game, no one stood out for the wrong reasons, so I settled on Niukore. I thought he was extremely hard-done-by in his sin-binning, so that's not why I selected him here; I just thought he didn't deliver the impact I have come to expect from him; he ran for 73 metres and made 19 tackles but simply lacked the punch he usually brings the Warriors right edge, I do think if he wasnt sent to the bin, then his stats would have been more to my liking. Nothing to be concerned about, however, as I expect a big bounce back against the Wests Tigers this week.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 24 sees the Warriors head back to New Zealand, this time for an away clash against the West Tigers in Hamilton. In Round 23, the Tigers were narrowly defeated 22-18 by the Raiders.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, Taine Tuaupiki will remain at Fullback due to CNK requiring an 11-day stand-down, and everyone else that played in this match keeps their spot. I know some eyebrows were raised when Jazz Tevaga replaced Bunty Afoa on the bench, but Tevaga offers the same or more than what the Warriors have been getting from Afoa, so I don't see a reason to change it back. 

Before going into my thoughts on the match, I just want to express my gratitude to the Tigers for being the only team to bring a home game to New Zealand as a thank you to the Warriors for the COVID seasons; I know Tim Sheens has come out and said it wasnt his decision and he would have preferred to have kept the game on Australian Soil. Times have been tough for them, and making this decision earnt them some brownie points with me.

It's an interesting matchup; the Warriors are in the driver's seat for a top 4 finish and should quickly dispose of the bottom-placed Tigers especially getting to play them in an away match in New Zealand. However, as shown a few times this year, you cannot afford to take the Tigers lightly; they have essentially secured the Wooden Spoon unless they score some big upsets in the final few rounds, so they will be looking to spoil the Warrior's party. 

If the Warriors stick to the gameplan that has worked so often this year with Addin Fonua-Blake and Tohu Harris controlling the middle of the park to open up space out wide for Johnson to bring Watene-Zelezniak into the match to do what he does best. 

I'm confident that the Warriors will win their fifth win in a row, but I expect a bit of a fight from the Tigers, so I will say the Warriors will get the win by 18.

So that was an ugly Round 23, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you think Shaun Johnson is the frontrunner for the Dally M Medal?

Who would you remove from the 17 to bring Jazz Tevaga in?

How confident are you in the Warriors going deep in the finals?

What is your score prediction against the Tigers?