NZ Warriors 2024 Round 18 Review: Golden Point Heartbreak as Bulldogs Edge Out Warriors in Nail-Biting Finish

After their Round 17 victory over the Broncos, the Warriors made the journey to Sydney to face the Bulldogs. In a brutal match where the Warrior's adversity was tested, the Bulldogs broke the visitors fans' hearts, securing a 13-12 win in Golden Point.

What Went Down

The Warriors looked to have drawn first blood in the third minute when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck dived on a loose ball from a kick defusal. However, the Bunker deemed that Dallin Watene-Zelezniak had knocked the ball on in the process. After this call, both sides traded sets for the next 15 minutes, with neither side gaining the upper hand. The Warriors looked set to finally crack the Bulldog's goalline defence until Matt Burton swooped on a Te Maire Martin pass intended for RTS and scorched up the field before sending Bronson Xerri over to score the first try of the afternoon in the 20th minute. The Warriors wasted little time striking back, taking advantage of a Sam Hughes error on the next set and shifting immediately to the right from the scrum to DWZ, who dived over in the corner in his usual acrobatic style; Adam Pompey's missed conversion saw the visitors trailing by 2. The Warriors continued to apply pressure and found success once again in the 28th minute when Marcelo Montoya finished off a shift to the left, powering over in the corner; Pompey nailed the conversion to see his side lead 10-6. The Bulldogs had a few opportunities as the first half was winding down but couldn't capitalize and let the Warriors off with some poor discipline. Pompey extended the visitor's lead to 12-6 after the centre kicked a penalty to end the half.

The Warriors started the second half without their Fullback Nicoll-Klokstad, who injured his calf in the first half. He was joined by DWZ, who left the field in the 46th minute and would not return due to failing his HIA. Then Montoya joined them after injuring his groin and, despite trying to play on, exited the match in the 62nd minute.

Much like the first half, both sides went set for set without being able to take advantage of any scoring chances. The Bulldogs then took advantage of a penalty from their own hands, and after a few plays, a well-placed bomb from Toby Sexton allowed Viliame Kiaku to snatch the ball out of the air to score in the 56th minute to level the scores at 12 all. Both sides continued to struggle to find a decisive try near the goalline until a blockbusting run from Warriors rookie Leka Halasima almost stole the show, but he was held up in an impressive defensive display, moments later it looked like Chanel Harris-Tavita was certain to score off a Mitchell Barnett offload, but he lost possession, the Warriors used their Captains Challenge saying that CHT was tackled without the ball but the Bunker denied this claim. Seconds later, in a moment he would like to forget, Reed Mahoney was not paying attention and allowed Freddy Lussick to dive on the ball after it was played; with good field position, the Warriors threw plenty at the Bulldogs but could not find a hole in their defensive line, with the closest chance being Marata Niukore being held up over the line in the 73rd minute. Following that play came a controversial moment when Jaeman Salmon charged out of the defensive line to stop Te Maire Martin from attempting a field goal; the halfback shifted the ball to the left but was hit late in a play that saw Salmon leave the field with a suspected broken jaw, the official and the Bunker both cleared the hit and did not award a penalty to the Warriors (despite Salmon now looking at 2 to 3 weeks suspension for said tackle). With the game back underway and time running out, both sides had chances to secure the win with a field goal, but Te Maire Martins was charged down, and Matt Burton's shot ricocheted off the posts, which saw the match go into Golden Point.

During Golden Point, both teams played for field position. Chanel Harris-Tavita missed two attempts, while Burton missed one. With time running out and a draw looking likely, a charge down on Burton's third attempt gave the Bulldogs the field position they needed for the five-eighth to land the decisive score in the 87th minute.

My Thoughts

Well, this is a challenging game to discuss. On the one hand, the Warriors' incredible display of heart was fantastic, but on the other hand, it was a disappointing game with some missed opportunities and a shocking officiating error. The Warriors did a lot right here. The forwards were winning the middle, but the halves pairing made a few mistakes, which saw the attack struggle. Then the Warriors losing their back three took a lot of sting out of the Warriors sets, with the Warriors relying heavily on CNK, DWZ and Montoya to get them out of their own half with strong starts to the sets. The game was there for the taking, but unfortunately, it is just another game that the Warriors have let slip this season that could cost them a finals spot. I'm forever the optimist, so for now, I think they still have a shot if they put together a hell of a run, but time is running out.

Before moving on, let's discuss that missed call; I can't believe a call like that was missed; I delayed my review so I could tune into Graham Annesley's press conference, and he explained that the Bunker spent their review time of the incident trying to determine if the hit was high which they deemed it was not. However, they did not take into consideration that it was a late hit; the match review committee later deemed that it was a late tackle, which is why Salmon has been hit with a suspension. Annesley then confirmed that a penalty should have been given and that it was an unacceptable miss from the officials. I just don't understand how the Bunker can go back multiple sets and pick up little things but miss something as big as this moment. There was still time on the clock, and you could argue that the Warriors could have nailed the penalty and still lost after that, but with the season on the line, moments like this need to be officiated correctly; what happens if the Warriors miss out on the finals by a point and this mistake could be the reason. Don't get me wrong, they had more chances to ice this game, but the fact is they should have got the penalty and action like this just fuels the flames surrounding the belief that the officials are out to screw the Warriors. Still, perhaps I'm just bitter because I hate seeing the Warriors lose, and I had money on the game.

There were things to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

The heart on display was top-notch; losing your entire back three is a challenging situation to overcome, and to have forwards filling in some of those back spots, to be honest, had me expecting the Bulldogs to take advantage and run away with the match. However, the Warriors dug deep and defended their hearts out. This level of bravery is what we want to see every week, to see this side give it 100% regardless of how many obstacles are thrown at them; if they bring that mentality to every game, they will win more than they lose.

The forwards were on fire once again, with every player that had to play in the pack besides Marata Niukore and Freddy Lussick running for over 100 metres. Led once again by Mitchell Barnett (226m), he was followed by Addin Fonua-Blake (223m), Dylan Walker (190m), Kurt Capewell (126m), Jackson Ford (123m), Jazz Tevaga (122m) and Leka Halasima (108m). They just kept churning the metres and did their best to get the Warriors on the front foot; unfortunately, the halves struggled to take advantage of a lot of the pack's hard work, but I have to praise the team effort; the Warriors are no longer a team just carried by AFB, every forward is putting in the work and if they keep it up, things can turn around.

Lastly, Leka Halasima, what a debut from the 18-year-old, kicking it off with a solid hit up and then later on almost securing his side the win with a rampaging run down the sideline. Played more minutes than I think Webby originally planned and had to move out to the centres but did not shy away from digging in. Ending the match with 7 runs for 108m, 5 tackle breaks, 1 line break and 9 tackles; although he did miss 4, but I am giving him leeway after being moved out to centre. He is yet another impressive youngster we have watched this year, and it makes me hopeful for the future; fingers are crossed we get to see him a few more times this season.

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

Match Negatives

The lack of execution was a big letdown in this game. The forwards set the platform, but several plays ended with wayward kicks going out on the fool or silly no-look passes that missed the target. We also saw a penalty kick not reach the sidelines; it was just the little coach killers with the ball in hand that saw the Warriors not run away with this one. We can call it an off night, but the halves have some time before their next game to iron out the kinks and return composed.

There were too many errors from the Warriors here, making 13 in total, which was less than the Bulldogs 14. If they played with a bit more respect for the ball, then a couple more tires perhaps would have been scored, and the game would have been locked up before the final whistle. They just need to slow things down, don't push the passes and don't try to be too cute with silly plays. Get the basics right first, and the rest will follow.

Lastly, there are more injuries. We were given the news before kickoff that Tohu Harris was out, and then the Warriors lost CNK, DWZ and Marcelo Montoya, DWZ will be ready to return for the next game, but the others have no return date yet. The Warriors have been dealt an unlucky hand when it comes to the casualty ward this season, and hopefully, that ends soon. And we see these players return sooner rather than later, but if we want to put a positive spin on it, we have seen the youngster step up already this year so I expect them to do it again.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Mitchell Barnett.

Another standout performance from one of the Warrior's shining lights in 2024, had 24 runs for 226m, made 54 tackles, and had a try assist and almost a second if CHT kept hold of the ball. Has grown tenfold since joining the club and has to be in the conversation as a future captain of this side. He is one of the first names I would have down on the team sheet every week, and they just perform better when he is on the pitch. Has been rewarded for his efforts with a call-up to the New South Wales 17 for the game-three decider, which is well deserved and as much as I think he would deserve a break after that match, I think the Warriors need him to back up if they want to get the result.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Te Maire Martin.

I praised TMM last week, but this week, he was off his game. He was frank after the match about his performance, with his last tackle option not being the greatest this week, with some poor kicks and that pass that was intercepted. He defended well, but the Warriors need him firing on all cylinders with the ball in hand if they wish to make a run for the finals.

Bye Round and Round 20 Thoughts and Prediction

The Warriors have their second bye of the season in Round 19, which has come at the right time, given all the injuries they suffered against the Bulldogs. So it's a good chance to have some extra time for R&R and also a week to work on the issues troubling the side as they head into the finals stretch of the season. It also gives me a week off the reviews since I have already written my mid-season review.

After the bye, the Warriors head to the Australian capital to face the Canberra Raiders, who lost 16-12 to the Knights in Round 18. They also have a Bye in Round 19.

Regarding the team I would pick, I am going in with the assumption that Montoya and CNK will not be fit. So Taine Tuaupiki comes in at Fullback, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck moving to the wing and Ali Leiataua coming into the centres. I would keep the pack and bench the same (providing that Barnett and Capewell backup).

The Raiders have been on a decline and are currently on a four-game losing streak, but they can never be taken lightly, especially when they are at home. The Warriors just need to play it simple: Forwards control the middle and then the halves to get the backs into space. Defensively, if they can keep Kaeo Weekes quiet, then they should be able to reduce the Raiders' chances of piling on points. It's hard to predict the result two weeks out, but I am going in confident that the Warriors will use the bye week well and improve the small details and get the result, so I am going with a Warriors win by 8.

So, that was a heartbreaking Round 18, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What do you think of Annesley's explanation for the missed call?

Would you make any changes to the 17?

Can the Warriors go on a run after the bye?

What is your score prediction against the Raiders?