NZ Warriors 2024 Round 25 Review: Bulldogs Second-Half Shutout Spoils SJ Farewell

After their disappointing Round 24 defeat to the Sea Eagles, the Warriors returned home for the last time this season. On a night dedicated to celebrating Shaun Johnson, with Go Media Stadium renamed in his honour, the Bulldogs spoiled the party by rallying from multiple deficits to clinch their first finals berth in eight years, winning 34-18.

What Went Down

After plenty of emotion on display, Shaun Johnson's night could not have started any worse when he fumbled his first touch of the ball. The Warriors dug deep and avoided being punished for that error, forcing the Bulldogs to make a mistake of their own. The Warriors got back on track and wasted little time; with the aid of some six again calls and a penalty, they found themselves deep in Bulldog's territory, and after a few chances, including Adam Pompey being held up over the line, the Warriors drew first blood when Luke Metcalf threw a short ball to Marcelo Montoya who barged his way over in the 9th minute. The Warriors kept the pressure on and, a few sets later, off the back of another Bulldogs error, were over again in the 14th minute when Metcalf hit Kurt Capewell with an, at best, flat pass before the second rower ran 20 metres untouched before scoring under the posts. The game started to settle into a back-and-forth battle, but the Warriors faced a setback in the 21st minute when Adam Pompey left the field injured and would not return. 

An error by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the 23rd minute, followed by a penalty against Addin Fonua-Blake, swung momentum in the favor of the visitors; the Bulldogs came close to scoring on the right edge but were stopped right on the line by a great tackle from Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad; however, they went straight back to work shifting the ball left, sending Bronson Xerri over in the 26th minute. A few moments later, in the 29th minute, the Bulldogs were over again when the Warriors were unable to catch a crossfield kick, and it was scooped up by Stephen Crichton. Matt Burton's conversion saw the Warriors' lead reduced to 2. The Bulldogs continued to silence the sellout crowd when Viliame Kikau broke the line before sending the ball to Kurtis Morrin to score in the 34th minute, handing the Bulldogs their first lead of the match. The Warriors did have the last laugh of the first half after an error and penalty from the Bulldogs saw the home side in prime position to attack, and a quick snipe from Wayde Egan in the 38th minute was successful as he burrowed his way over the line, SJ conversion saw the first half end with the Warriors regaining the lead to go into sheds ahead 18-16.

The Warriors started the second half with plenty of aggression, driving the Bulldogs back with each tackle; however, Burton got his side out of trouble with a massive 40/20. The visitors bombarded the Warriors' goalline multiple times, but the home side's defence held firm and eventually forced an error. They were unable to capitalise on it, though, as a few plays later, they made an error of their own. They defended that mistake and regained possession, only for controversy to strike in the 45th minute when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was ruled out of the match and next week's game due to a shoulder hit to the head by Crichton, who survived going to the sin bin after the officials deemed that there was a high level of mitigation in the tackle. Both sides trade sets, with neither able to gain the upper hand and it wasnt until the 54th minute before the first points of the second half were scored when Harry Hayes scored the first try of his NRL career when he collected a Toby Sexton grubber kick. The Warriors had plenty of opportunities to regain the lead but struggled with their execution. The Bulldogs did not have the same issue as they marched down the field before Burton pushed through a grubber, which Josh Addo-Carr beat all the chasers to, diving on it just before it went over the dead-ball line in the 62nd minute, pushing the visitors lead to 10 after Burtons conversion. The Warriors' woes continued with back-to-back errors, and there was another situation with the officials in the 72nd minute, where Max King's shoulder connected with Mitchell Barnett's head, splitting the Warriors skipper's eyebrow. The referee was not interested in calling a penalty until Barnett's refusal to continue to play changed his mind. The penalty gave the Warriors more chances to reduce the lead but the Bulldogs defence continued snuffing anything the Warriors attempted to throw at it. An error from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in the 76th minute handed the Bulldogs a scrum from here; they secured their victory with a shift to the right, which saw Crichton break the line and surge down the field before sending Jacob Kiraz across for their sixth and final try of the night in what was the final scoring play of the night. Seeing the Bulldogs chase for a top-four finish still alive as well as earning their first victory at Mt Smart Stadium since 2012 with the 34-18 win.

My Thoughts

Well, that wasnt how we wanted this occasion to go; I predicted a Bulldogs win in my review last week but changed my mind during the week, ending up with a Warriors win prediction as I thought the boys would be up to sending SJ, Jazz Tevaga and AFB away with a win but it just wasn't to be.

I will admit that I was surprised at the emotions I felt as the boys came out on the pitch. I have been there for many club legends' final matches at that stadium: Stacey Jones (twice), Steve Price, Rueben Wiki, and Simon Mannering. However, watching SJ come out for the final time brought tears to my eyes. Never getting to watch him play live again will take time to get used to, but I will dwell on that more in my season review in a few weeks.

However, onto the actual match. The Warriors shot out to that early lead, but like so often this season, a 12-point lead is never secure. With more injuries seeing the Warriors' backline once again reshuffled, the Warriors' attack was clunky, and despite showing the will to throw the ball around, they just struggled to break through the much-talked-about Bulldogs defence. Say what you will about some of the calls that went against them (more on that a bit later), the Warriors had plenty of chances to get points here, but their attack is just not threatening enough right now, and at times, they simply looked out of ideas about how to crack the Doggies defence. There is a lot to work on for the club in the upcoming preseason, and it will be a big job for Andrew Webster and his coaching staff to reset and get things back on track. 

2024 has been a rough season of the promise that 2023 delivered. It hasn't been what we imagined it would be, and I am just looking forward to the break.

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

Match Positives

They kept fighting, and the Warriors showed off some second-phase football and didn't give up despite the adversity of a few bad calls and losing both centres. Unfortunately, while the fighting spirit was there, the execution was not. However, the positive from that is that if they can keep that attitude and keep pushing forward and fighting, the rest will work itself out. You can teach game plans and strategy, but you can't train the heart.

Demitric Sifakula continues to impress me; he got through 32 minutes in this match, running for 118 metres and making 13 tackles with zero misses. Like many of the youngsters in the squad, he is filled to the brim with potential and with another preseason under his belt, he will be in a great position to secure a regular spot in the 17 in 2025.

Lastly, the season is almost over; there is only one game remaining in a season we all can't wait to put behind us and forget. The club doesn't have that luxury, as they need to comb through the data from the season and start making plans to ensure they don't fall into the same situation in 2025.

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

Match Negatives

Another second-half shutout, the Warriors had plenty of chances to take control of the match in the final 40 minutes but just kept letting the Bulldogs off the hook. On that list of things that need to be fixed, the coaches must address finding a way to get consistent 80-minute performances out of this squad. I could be better with the statistics, so I am stealing one from Will at This Warriors Life. This match was the fourth at home where the Warriors had a great start of 12-0 or more before losing; that is not acceptable anywhere, let alone at home. Fix that, and they will climb up the ladder next year.

The Warriors' errors increased this week to 13. Admittedly, the errors started to rise when the Warriors threw the ball around a bit more to try and create opportunities to get back into the match, but they just needed to show the ball more respect.

There was rain, but it wasn't heavy, and it didn't seem to matter the intensity of the rain because as soon as it started, the Warriors fell apart. I can't explain why since they should be used to the wet conditions now. Add it to the fix-it list, Webby.

Lastly, the officials, I hate when people blame the officials, and I think the Warriors had more than enough chances to get the result here, but the officiating in this match was dreadful; firstly, the hit on RTS that didn't not result in a sin-bin, I usually would be OK with just a penalty, but the NRL drew a line in the sand at the beginning of the season that moment like that is a sin-bin. It didn't help matters that we saw so many sin-bins giving out in other matches throughout the round for less impactful hits. Then, later on in the half, we saw another high shot that split Mitchell Barnett's head, and the official was not willing to blow even a penalty and finally gave in, with Barnett simply refusing to play. You could argue that should have been a sin-bin also. It's just unacceptable; regardless of how good or bad your side is going, they deserve to be treated fairly, and we didn't see that here. I have delayed releasing my review as I want to see what Graham Annesley says in his press conference.

Annesley confirmed that the Crichton hit should have been a sin-bin but spent the rest of the conference defending the mistakes, so there is not much to say there, but surely the officials and their boss have to be in the firing line if things don't change.

Warrior of the Match

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

Another big night from AFB, the least visibly emotional Warrior out of the three playing their final game at Mt Smart, but he could not be accused of not trying. Ran for 124 metres, had 60 post-contact metres, and led his side with 49 tackles with zero misses. As a former prop, I gravitate towards the big boppers when it comes to the discussion of my favourite players, and I have been a massive fan of AFB in his stint as a Warrior, and it will be difficult seeing him in a Sharks jersey next season, but it has been a privilege watching him represent the Warriors, and I hope he has one big performance left in the tank for the final match of the Warriors 2024 campaign.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

It was hard to pick, as a handful of players could have gotten the nod here (namely Marata Niukore), but I went with DWZ because the Bulldogs managed to keep him quiet. He only had 89 running metres, made 2 errors, and allowed that 40/20 that got the Bulldogs out of trouble at the start of the second half. In his defence, the Warriors were not sending the ball out his way a lot, which did not help him out, but not stopping the 40/20 was terrible and a big momentum shifter in this match. He is another player who has had a significant drop from his 2023 form, but hopefully, he can find his groove again in 2025.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

The Warriors head back across the ditch for the final time in 2024 to face the Sharks, who defeated the Dragons 38-10 in Round 25.

Regarding the team I would pick, Webster said that RTS will not be available for this match after his head knock, so I would bring Ali Leiataua in for him. If that is the only injury, I would keep the remaining 17 the same.

The Sharks have been the least desirable of the current top-four sides but have been building nicely, with a four-match winning streak. They will be looking at this game as another chance to solidify their top-four spot and will be looking to make a statement. The Warriors will want to end their season on a high and send the boys who are playing their final game in Warriors colours out with a win. I've been saying it a lot the past few weeks, but if the Warriors are to get the job done, they need to reduce those errors, convert most of their opportunities into points and keep the Shark's backs quiet as they have a lot of threats out wide. I desperately want to see the Warriors win here, but I can't pick it as I think the Sharks at home will just be too strong, so I am going with a Sharks win by 16.

So, that was an emotional and frustrating Round 25, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What's your favourite SJ moment?

How would you fix the officials and bunker situation if you were in charge?

Who was your player to improve?

What is your score prediction against the Sharks?

NZ Warriors 2024 Round 24 Review: Sea Eagles Surge After the Break, Leaving Warriors Behind

After their heartbreaking Round 23 Golden Point defeat to the Dolphins, the Warriors remained on Australian soil to face the Sea Eagles. Not many, including myself, gave them any chance of walking away victors, but the return of Shaun Johnson, Luke Metcalf, Adam Pompey and Marcelo Montoya made the team look more competitive. After bringing the fight in the first half, which saw the game level at 10 all, Manly took control in the second half, holding the Warriors scoreless and cruising away to a 24-10 win.

What Went Down

After the Warriors controlled the early field position, a 40/20 by Daly Cherry-Evans swung momentum in favour of the home side. The Warriors then conceded back-to-back infringements before eventually cracking as Tom Trbojevic created an overlap that saw Jason Saab cross over in the corner after only 9 minutes. Manly kept the pressure on, but they were unable to convert their attacks into more points. The home side conceded a penalty which handed the Warriors an opportunity to get back into the contest and looked to have scored moments later when they shifted to the left before Adam Pompey barged over the line. However, bunker official Kasey Badger deemed that Cherry-Evans had been obstructed by Kurt Capewell, overturning the try. The Warriors did not drop their heads, and after Tom Trbojevic made an error, the Warriors went left again, this time to Addin Fonua-Blake, who managed to offload the ball to Shaun Johnson, who scored under the posts in the 20th minute, levelling the scores. Manly got back to work and were next to score in the 23rd minute after a great pass from Luke Brooks to Tommy Talau saw him take advantage of a gap created by Johnson and Marata Niukore before Talau sent Tommy Turbo away to touch down under the black dot. The points started to dry up as the match entered a messy period, with both sides trading ruck infringements until the Warriors wound back the clock to 2023 with a play down the right edge that saw Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad put Dallin Watene-Zelezniak over in the corner for one of his trademark dives in the 32nd minute, Luke Metcalf nailed the conversion from the side to see the scores level 10 all in what was the last scoring play of the first half.

The skies opened up at the beginning of the second half, making the game stop-and-start. The rain significantly dulled both sides' attacking efforts. Both sides traded sets, with neither able to find the much-needed points until a well-placed kick from DCE saw Reuben Garrick snatch the ball out of the air in the 53rd minute for the first points of the second half. Both sides had additional opportunities but were unable to ice them. A costly error from Pompey handed Manly the perfect chance to secure the win, and they did not let it slip when Turbo threw a cut-out pass to Lehi Hopoate, who dived over in the corner in the 68th minute; Garrick's conversion saw the Sea Eagles extended their lead to 12. With only 12 minutes to go and in conditions that did not favour comeback-style football, the Warriors were on the back foot, and it was a messy final stage of the contest with both sides trading penalties (eight players were put on report by the referee and the bunker) which saw the final scoring play of match being a penalty kick at fulltime by Garrick after Chanel Harris-Tavita was pinged for a dangerous tackle. This saw Manly the victors 24-10, keeping themselves in the hunt for a top-four finish, while the Warriors will head back to New Zealand with the goal of getting a win in Johnson's final game at Mount Smart next round.

My Thoughts

Well, it was another game where the Warriors fooled me. I came into the match ready for disappointment and a heavy, one-sided affair. However, the Warriors got my hopes up as they looked up for the game, and an upset could have been on the cards. Then, all that hope just slowly drained away as the team struggled to piece anything together in the second half. Rinse and repeat what I said last week; the attack disappeared, and they struggled to defend their mistakes and had no killer instinct. I knew they were in trouble the moment it started to rain, and it still puzzles me how this team struggles in the wet when they spend most of their time in Auckland, where it's always prone to rain. 

There is nothing but pride left to play for this season, and while I hope we see an increase in the team performances in the final two matches of 2024, I feel like they might just throw everything they have into the final home match for SJ and then not show up for the final game against the Sharks. It may just be my current pessimistic outlook, but there hasn't been much to praise in recent times, and the team continues to struggle in the same areas, so they are either unwilling or unable to adjust right now. Thankfully, the offseason reset is just around the corner, and hopefully, it becomes the turning point this club needs for the 2025 campaign.

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

Match Positives

The attack did look better in the first half. SJ and Metcalf looked to be on the same page, and the returns of Pompey and Montoya in the backs gave the attack more targets. It was still clunky, but hopefully, we will see the combinations grow for the final two rounds if they can keep the same side out on the pitch. Right now, they have to be one of the most lacklustre attacking sides in the comp, and I just want to see their attack taken seriously again. 

The finals dream was over with the exception of some divine intervention, with every game working in their favour. However, they did not throw in the towel, which has to be commended. That second half was dreadful to watch, but they were still swinging, which is precisely what I want to see from them until that final whistle blows in two weeks. 

The Warriors got through the 80 minutes with no injuries. I had concerns about SJ and Metcalf not making it through, but there were no major bumps or bruises. This is integral to this side ending the season on a higher note, as a consistent 17 is the only way this side will build cohesion. It's weird to say with the season almost over, but I want to see them bring the fight until the end.

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

Match Negatives

That second half, they started with promise but kept shooting themselves in the foot; they earned themselves a penalty and elected to run it instead of taking the two points, which, while I appreciate them wanting to put on the throat, they ended up losing the ball moments later with a poor pass/poor handling situation between SJ and Capewell. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but taking the points when they were on offer could have kept the pressure on Manly. Alas, it was a half-full of letting Manly off the hook. It feels like we haven't seen an 80-minute performance from this side for a while, and until they can deliver that, it will continue to be hard for the Warriors to put sides away.

Respect for the ball was still lacking, and the Warriors made 12 errors in this match; now, while the weather did not make things easy, plenty of the errors were coach-killers with wayward passes and poor play of the balls. Handing the Sea Eagles 12 extra sets was just setting them up for failure; the team is low on confidence, so the 50/50's that may have worked in the past are just not sticking right now, so just stick to basics until they nail that, then look to expand. It's the old cliche of learning to walk before you run.

Lastly, the Warriors discipline, I know they don't get a fair rub of the green when they have Chris Butler as the official, but they conceded 7 penalties in this match, and there were only a handful I would have argued with. In the same vein as the errors, the Warriors are not a good enough team right now to just hand a team an easy 7 extra sets. It's hard when you feel like the officials are not giving you a fair go, but you have to adjust in real-time to how the official you have is running the game and not allow them to ping you regardless of whether you think it is valid or not. That is easier said than done, I know, but the Warriors have to be extra squeaky clean every week if they want to avoid being penalized out of the contest.

Warrior of the Match

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

Another big game from the big bopper upfront. He played big minutes and had 149 running metres and 60 post-contact metres. He also had 35 tackles with only 1 miss and no errors. I had plenty of concerns that AFB would clock off this season, especially when finals started to look more like a dream than a reality. However, for the most part, he has consistently been one of the best forwards on the field every time he has been out there. A massive loss for the Warriors, and he will have a significant impact on the Sharks; it will be a shame to see him go in just a few weeks.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Marata Niukore.

A quiet night for Niukore here, the only starting forward to not crack the triple digits, making only 55 running metres. Did make 27 tackles with only 2 missed and conceded a penalty. It wasn't a horrible game, but it was a flat game; I just expected a bit more punch out of the big unit. 

He has the potential to be a game-breaker out on the edge. He just needs to deliver.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

The Warriors return home for their final home game of the season to face the Bulldogs, who defeated the Dolphins 30-10 in Round 24.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same unless Wayde Egan is fit to play; if he is ok, I would bring him back into Hooker. 

The Bulldogs have been the fairytale team of 2024, similar to how the Warriors were last season. They are the only team yet to be defeated at home; however, their record away is poor (3-8), so the journey to New Zealand may not be as easy as you would think if you looked at the ladder. They will be coming desperate for a win to keep themselves in the hunt for a top 4 finish, but the Warriors will be looking at giving SJ a victory in his final match at Mount Smart. So this has all the makings of a special night. If the Warrior's combinations can click better, turn opportunities into points, and reduce their errors, then they can walk away victors. I think and hope the Warriors get the job done, but I am going with a Bulldogs win by 8; I just think the desire to make the top 4 will get them across the line.

So, that was a disappointing  Round 24, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who would be your halves pairing in 2025?

Would you make any changes to the 17 this week?

Who was your player to improve?

What is your score prediction against the Bulldogs?

NZ Warriors 2024 Round 23 Review: Dolphins Break Warriors’ Hearts in Golden Point Showdown

After their disappointing Round 22 defeat to the Eels, the Warriors made their way back across the ditch to face the Dolphins. A late change saw SJ out and TMM in for what was a must-win game to keep the Warrior's season alive. After a poor first half saw the Warriors trailing 20-6, the team showed spirit to get back into the contest and force the game in Golden Point, but unfortunately, the same issues that have plagued their 2024 campaign sealed their fate, and Sean O'Sullivan ended his former club's finals dreams with a two-point field goal in just the second minute of extra time, handing the Warriors their 12th defeat of the season 34-32.

What Went Down

The Warriors started the match with good field position and plenty of possession but struggled to take advantage with a stagnant goal-line attack. When given their time with the ball, the Dolphins would avoid making the same mistake. It took only 8 minutes to get on the board when Kodi Nikorima pushed through a grubber that could not be picked up by Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, allowing Felise Kaufusi to get to it first; Jamayne Isaako pushed his streak to 23 straight conversions handing the Dolphins a 6-0 lead after 10 minutes. The Warriors responded with some enterprising football, utilising some offloads which showed promise as the Dolphins struggled against their second phase football; however, they continued to have issues getting across the line; around the 16th minute, the Dolphins turned defence into attack when Chanel Harris-Tavita put in a cross-field kick which was batted back by CNK but was scooped up by Max Plath who flicked the ball to Herbie Farnworth who sprinted 85 metres to cross for second try of the afternoon. After a few back-and-forth sets, the Warriors were next to strike when Edward Kosi outleaped Isaako for a TMM bomb before powering over Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the 21st minute to finally get the Warriors on the scoreboard.

The game started to settle, with neither side able to gain the upper hand until some contentious decision swung the momentum back to the Dolphins. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was penalised for a high tackle in the 34th minute despite replays showing no contact to the head; Isaako slotted the easy penalty goal, extending the home side's lead to two scores. Moments later, Jake Averiloo broke through some lacklustre defence before sending Nikorima away for another try, albeit from a pass that looked forward in the 35th minute. On the next set, Mark Nicholls left the field with an HIA that would rule him out of the contest; the Bunker Officials ruled that Dylan Walker contacted Nicholl's head with his shoulder, which saw the Warrior's lock sent to the sin bin in what was the last big play of the first half, seeing the Warriors enter the sheds trailing 20-6 and down to 12 men.

The Warriors started the second half strong and only took two minutes to score when a TMM kick was chased hard by Kurt Capewell, who had no issues grounding the ball over the line; Harris-Tavita's successful conversion reduced the lead to 8. The Dolphins looked to have struck back quickly with another try, but it was denied after Tevita Pangai Junior was penalised for an obstruction.

It took another ten minutes before another scoring play happened, as a Mitchell Barnett error handed the Dolphins much-needed field position. The Dolphins wasted little time, shifting the ball to the left before Nikorima sent Farnworth over for his second try with a nice short ball. Isaako's conversion saw his streak extend to 27 in a row, and the Dolphins' lead out to 14. The Warriors refused to quit and, after an error from Plath, found themselves back in the hunt, surging up the field before a TMM pass to left went to the ground before being scooped up by Ali Leiataua, who crossed to score untouched in the 58th minute. The Dolphins continued to dig themselves a hole when  Isaiya Katoa kicked the ball out on the full, handing the Warriors more attacking opportunities; moments later, a clever play from TMM, who spied Tabuai-Fidow defending the front line put a kick through that was not recovered by Oryn Keeley in a contest with CNK, allowing TMM to pounce on the ball in the 64th minute and bring the Warriors within one score. Filled with confidence, the Warriors were back at it again when Leiataua broke into space, scorching down the field before giving the ball to CNK, who was dragged down just 10 metres out; the Warriors quickly shifted to the left, handing it to Leiataua once more who lost control of the ball as he was about to ground it, to make matters worse for the young centre he was kneed in the head by Kosi and was taken from the field for an HIA and would not return. The Dolphins were ruled to be offside during that play, so the Warriors had another shot and did not waste it as CHT evaded several defenders before offloading to Wayde Egan, who shuffled the ball to Demitric Sifakula, who crashed over in the 67th minute, CHT's conversion levelled the scores 26 all. The passage of play appeared to wake the Dolphins up, and on their next set, they put the Warriors to the sword when Kaufusi broke the line before sending Averillo away for their fifth try of the day in the 70th minute. Both sides struggled to complete sets in the final 10 minutes, but with five minutes remaining, the Warriors went all in, pushing through another grubber that saw Barnett chase the ball but just missed the grounding. However, the bunker and referee deemed that Nikorima had interfered with Barnett in the chase and gave the Warriors a penalty try, which, after CHT's conversion, saw the scores levelled once again. With time running out, both sides attempted field goals but missed the mark, which saw the match head into Golden Point.

Golden Point followed the usual routine of hit-ups leading to field goal attempts. Both sides had their chances, but it was Sean O'Sullivan who came off the bench to deliver the winning field goal from beyond the 40-meter line in the 82nd minute, securing the Dolphins the victory and ending the Warrior's slim hopes of making the finals.

My Thoughts

Well, that match had me going through all my emotions, but ultimately, as we have seen so often this season, the Warriors just could not get the job done. I went into this match not very positive and had predicted a Dolphins win, and when the Warriors went into the sheds at halftime down 20-6 and reduced to 12 men, I was getting prepared for a blowout, but the team made a match out of it and took the Dolphins to the limit. They just let themselves down with the same things they have done poorly all season: stagnant attack, inability to defend their mistakes, and general lack of killer instinct. This defeat rules out any hopes of finals football, so we now will get to see how this side will respond when they have nothing but pride to play for; I am on the fence about how that will go, but I have hope that the team will lift to aim to end the season on a high and send Shaun Johnson out on a more positive note. Still, I also have lingering fears that this will be the final straw and the Warriors could collapse.

It's not how many predicted the Warriors' season would go, and the staff will have a busy offseason combing through all the data and formulating a plan to get back on track in 2025. Until then, there are three games left for us to watch and for me to review, but I am looking forward to this season being over.

There wasn't much to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

The Warriors showed heart; with the game looking out of reach and playing with 12 men, they had the perfect excuse to just throw in the towel, but they dug deep and started to play football. The result may have gone their way if they showed a similar grit in the first half. That final 40 minutes gives me hope that we will see a competitive Warriors side in the final 3 matches, but it wouldn't be the first time my hope has been misguided this season.

The forwards were busy again, with five cracking my triple-digit target, Addin Fonua-Blake (204m), Mitchell Barnett (139m), Dylan Walker (137m), Jazz Tevaga (101m) and Marata Niukore (100m). Kurt Capewell was the only starting forward to not hit 100m, but he was close, and both Tom Ale and Demitric Sifakula had limited minutes but still averaged 10m a carry. However, it was another game where the forward's hard work was lost by the lack of attack from the backs; despite this, it was good to see some size on the bench for a change. It just needs to be used better, but more about that later.

Lastly, it's time to put the calculator away for the year. It is disappointing that the Warriors won't be playing finals footy, but the stress of whether they will win and if other sides around them lose to help them make it is gone. We can just do our best to enjoy the footy, and hopefully, the Warriors will help us in that regard. 

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors are still showing a fragile, defensive structure when under adversity. Many of the Dolphins' points came directly from a Warriors error or silly penalty. That is purely an attitude issue and was not something the side struggled with in 2023. I can't say how you fix an attitude issue, but it's something that Andrew Webster needs to address and fix sooner rather than later; otherwise, the Warriors could find themselves suffering some heavy defeats against sides all pushing for a top-four spot.

The Warriors' attack is still lacking; they had plenty of possession and good field territory but just lacked the attacking structure to trouble the Dolphins; things started to open up more when TMM was able to utilise his grubber, which is one of his better weapons but if he remains as the Warriors half for the foreseeable future, he needs to work on improving the other kicking options. Besides that, the team's attack has just been too one-dimensional this season, which makes it easy to defend, so they just need to begin to ask more questions of the defence, whether that comes from a better line running or second-phase football I am not sure, but they need to figure it out.

Lastly, Webster's bench usage still has me scratching my head; he used two interchanges in the first half and only 4 in the second half, with one used less than ten minutes into the second half. This side is frankly not good enough to have a player sit on the bench unused and to have interchanges left over. Demtirc Sifakula was spent after his ten minutes, so I would bring him on at the 30-minute mark so he has ten minutes to do his thing before going into the sheds to have a rest, then let him hit the ground running in the second half before taking him off at the 50-minute mark. My coaching experience is laughable, so I may be completely wrong, but you don't get to keep the interchanges you don't use, so please just use them, Webby.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Mitch Barnett.

Another big game from the current skipper, 16 runs for 139 metres and 33 tackles, showed plenty of desire to chase that try that he would have probably scored. He gave everything he had for the cause, and if the rest of the squad could emulate his heart, then the Warriors would be a tough side to beat. He did make an uncharacteristic error; however, he has to have locked in the Simon Mannering Medal already.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Edward Kosi.

It may be a tough pick here as Kosi did plenty of things right, including that nice try, but he led the side with errors, making three, and had a few poor defensive reads. Plus, we can add his accidental knee to Leiataua's head, which ruled the young centre out for the final 20 minutes. Definitely not the worst performance of the winger's career, and while he seems like a great kid, it may be time for the Warriors to try other wing options when the incumbents are out injured or keep RTS there.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

The Warriors remain across the ditch to face the Sea Eagles, who defeated the Raiders 46-24 in Round 22.

Regarding the team I would pick, just like I said last week, I would bring Luke Metcalf back (who had another solid outing in the NSW Cup) into the halves, moving CHT to the bench, where he would be more useful than Freddy Lussick. Johnson sounds like he will be out still, so TMM stays in the halves. The rest of the side I would keep the same, perhaps only bringing Moala Graham-Taufa back into the centres and moving RTS to Kosi's wing.

The Sea Eagles have been on a bit of a roll, winning four of the last five and only losing once this season at 4 Pines Park, so the odds are heavily in their favour. Add to that the fact that a big win over the Warriors could help them cement a top-four spot, so I am concerned that this could be a blowout if the Warriors don't come to the match with the right mindset. It is going to be tough, but if the Warriors can work on their attack, reduce their errors and show more starch defensively then they have a fighters chance. Unfortunately, I just don't see it happening, so I'm going with a Sea Eagles win by 18.

So, that was a tense Round 23, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

With the finals hopes over, what do you want to see from the Warriors' remaining clashes?

What changes would you make to the 17?

Can the Warriors get another win this season?

What is your score prediction against the Sea Eagles?

NZ Warriors 2024 Round 22 Review: Eels Electrify as Warriors Drowned in Shocking Defeat

After their scratchy Round 21 victory over the Tigers, the Warriors remained at home to host the Eels. With the return of Shaun Johnson and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, there was plenty for the fans to be excited about, but that excitement turned to disappointment as the Warriors put in another lacklustre performance with only a few last-minute tries, making the loss look close. They went down 30-20 against an Eels side that hadn't tasted victory since Round 13.

What Went Down

With the Warriors backed by an exuberant home crowd, they hit the ground running, attacking both sides of the Parramatta defence, but struggled to ask any questions that the Eels didn't have answers for. In the first ten minutes, their best chance at points came when Marata Niukore took a short ball from the returning Shaun Johnson but was deemed to have lost possession when he was hit in a big tackle by Blaize Talagi. The Visitors weathered the storm and then started to get themselves into the contest, attacking the Warriors' right edge several times before finally reaping the rewards in the 17th minute when they swept to the left before Talagi drew in Dallin Watene-Zelezniak before sending Jake Tago in the corner before Clint Gutherson put the cherry on top with a successful sideline conversion. After a few sets, the Eels got themselves a repeat set after the Warriors knocked the ball on, trying to stop the Eels from going down the edge again. Moments later, Joey Lussick, who had just entered the match for Brendan Hands, took advantage of a lazy Addin Fonua-Blake marker play to scoot over from dummy half in the 21st minute; Gutherson's conversion saw the Eels stretch their lead to 12-0, sucking the life out of the home crowd. With pressure mounting, the Warriors finally looked to be getting back on track; on the back of a couple of penalties, the Warriors stretched the Eel's defence and eventually found themselves on the scoreboard when they shifted to the left, putting Roger Tuivasa-Sheck over in the corner in the 29th minute, Shaun Johnson stepped up for the goal kicking duties but pushed his attempt to the right. The Eels didn't let the Warriors' scoring rattle them and got back to work; after earning a line dropout, Gutherson took possession 20 meters out on the right edge before cutting across the field and feeding Daejarn Asi with a dubious pass that the home crowd screamed was forward, Asi did not hesitate and scorched towards the Warriors try line before scoring next to the post in the 35th minute, Gutherson hit the conversion in what was the last scoring play of the first half which saw the Warriors go into the sheds down 18-4.

In a carbon copy of the first half, the Warriors came out strong, forcing errors and getting close to the Eels line as they dominated the first ten minutes. The Warriors looked to have scored their second try of the night when Ali Leiataua crashed over; however, the try was called back for a knock-on. The Warriors retained the momentum they had earned for the next 20 minutes. However, they struggled with their finishing, with the Eels refusing to let them back into the contest. Heading into the final 20 minutes of the contest, the Eels marched up the field on the back of a penalty before Dylan Brown shifted to the left, drawing several defenders before sending Talagi through a massive hole to score in the 59th minute in a play that essentially secured the win for the visitors after Gutherson conversion pushed their lead to 24-4. Five minutes later, the Eels were over again when Brown got involved again, evading several Warriors before putting Gutherson over for the visitors' fifth and final try of the evening, with the skipper adding another conversion to his tally, extending his sides lead to 30-4 with only 15 minutes left on the clock. The Eels were guilty of letting their foot off the gas with the finish line in sight, and the Warriors took advantage with tries to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in the 70th minute and Niukore in the 74th minute, which gave the fans present a slim hope of a miracle comeback, especially with the Eels reduced to 12 men after Tago was sent to the bin in the 75th minute, however, Johnson's poor goalkicking made it hard as he ended the night 1/4. With three minutes to go, it looked like Watene-Zelezniak was about to score a vital try after stepping Gutherson, but the visitor's Captain managed to strip the ball and secure his side the victory; Watene-Zelezniak did manage to score a try in the final moment of the game latching onto a Johnson crossfield kick which was successfully converted by Chanel Harris-Tavita, but it only made the score look flattering, with the Warriors letting another much-needed win slip, going down 30-20.

My Thoughts

Well, what a disappointing performance, I arrived at the Stadium Friday night full of optimism. A decent 17, including the return of SJ and CNK, should have seen the Warriors walk away with a relatively easy win over an Eels team that had not got a win away all season. The Warriors started both halves with intent, running hard and defending hard, but their inability to convert their opportunities and their constant issue of struggling to defend after adversity saw those starts go to waste. It was hard to watch the team fail to deliver in a game where everything was on the line; Only a select few in the 17 could leave the field with their heads held high, and it was just a shame that this team could not deliver in front of yet another massive home crowd. They did show some nice attacking phases in the final stage of the match, but the Eels had already checked out of the game at that point, so it's hard to praise.

I don't know what has gone wrong with the side in 2024; I know there has been a stack of injuries, but besides the wins against the Rabbitohs and Broncos, they have not really been convincing in any of their games so the injuries while playing the part are not the reason. Perhaps they came into the season overconfident, or there wasnt enough change to the game plan to counter what the opposition had prepared for, or maybe 2023 was simply an anomaly. The only ones who will know are the ones within the camp, so perhaps we will never find out.

However, the season is not done yet. The Warriors have four games left to play, and while they still have a slight chance of squeaking into the finals, it would take a brave person to back them right now after their less-than-stellar efforts in the past two weeks against the cellar dweller sides. All I want to see is this team show improvement and try to end the season on a high note.

There wasn't much to smile about, which brings me to my positives.

Match Positives

Luke Metcalf got through his 40 minutes in the NSW Cup unscathed; he had 55 metres from eight runs, five tackle breaks, four tackles with no misses or errors, and 70 metres from two kicks. Is it too early to bring him back to first grade? Perhaps, but he could be the spark they need.

Lastly, the fans, it's not been a great season, but seeing them sell out every home game and show up to support the team has been great. It will be interesting to see if everyone who bought tickets for the final home game will actually show up, and, more importantly, if the fans pack out the stadium again, will the Warriors put together a performance that will send those fans home happy?

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

Match Negatives

Once again, the errors ran rampant. The Warriors made 15 errors in this match, and unfortunately, many of them occurred during moments when the Warriors looked set to score. It was a combination of schoolboy errors and a lack of focus, and this match proved that regardless of who you are facing, if you continue to simply hand them the ball, you will struggle to compete.

In my review last week, I asked for more respect for the ball, but they went backwards here. 

Andrew Webster made one late change to the 17, moving Freddy Lussick into the starting spot, and I don't think it was the right play. The Warriors needed to start the game on the right foot, and the best way to do that would have been to have the Egan and Johnson combination out there. Lussick did have some nice dummy-half runs, but his delivery from the ruck is not as crisp as Egan's, which made the already clunky attack worse; he is better used later in the match against tiring forwards, so hopefully, Webster learns from this.

The attack was still poor; I already mentioned Lussick and the errors that played a part in the shocking attack. There were moments where it looked like the Warriors were ready to fore, but a wayward pass or a knock-on just sucked all momentum away. The forwards, for the most part, also lacked the punch we have seen the past few weeks, which didn't help. They have the talent to score points, but they need to get on the same page.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Mitchell Barnett.

It was pretty easy to pick Barnett here as one of only a select few who played well. In his 71 minutes on the pitch, he led his pack with 174 running metres, had no errors and made 39 tackles with only 2 misses. He did everything he could to keep the Warriors in the match, but unfortunately, the rest of the team let him down. 

He has been the standout player in this squad this season, and whatever he is drinking before the game, he needs to share it with the rest of the squad.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Moala Graham-Taufa.

Plenty of players could have got the nod here, but I have gone with Moala. 

It wasnt the best showing for the Rookie, ending the night with 3 errors and plenty of defensive misreads. He showed his promise when he held onto the ball with some solid runs with 154m from 14 runs, but it wasn't his night. He has plenty of talent but needs a lot of seasoning before he is in the discussion to become a regular first grader.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

The Warriors head back across the ditch to face the Dolphins, who lost 40-34 against the Roosters in Round 22.

Regarding the team I would pick, Dylan Walker failed his HIA, so he will miss this game. So I would bring Demitric Sifakula into the 17, either to start at lock or to join the bench with Jazz Tevaga moving into lock. I would also just bite the bullet and bring Luke Metcalf back into the halves and move Chanel Harris-Tavita to 14 in the place of Lussick.

The Dolphins have been on a decline for the past month, dropping out of the top eight. However, they showed a lot of fight against the Roosters this round, which concerns me. Both sides desperately need the win to keep their finals hopes alive, so I have all my fingers crossed that the Warriors get the job done; if they reduce those errors and get the attack to click, they have a shot.

I just don't see it happening, unfortunately, and I cannot pick them after the past two performances, so I am going with a Dolphins win by 8.

So, that was a shocking Round 22, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Is the Warriors' season over?

What changes would you make to the 17?

Where do you think the season went wrong for the Warriors?

What is your score prediction against the Dolphins?