NZ Warriors 2025 Round 8 Review: Warriors Ride Fast Start To ANZAC Day Success

After their upset win over the Broncos, the Warriors travelled down to Christchurch to host the Knights, who tasted defeat in Round 7, losing 34-14 to the Sharks.

In front of a lively league-starved Christchurch crowd, the Warriors never looked in doubt and cruised to a comfortable 26-12 win after a strong first half.

What Went Down

The game kicked off with a bang as both teams were reduced to 12 men within the first five minutes. Marata Niukore (Warriors) and Leo Thompson (Knights) were sin-binned for high tackles, setting the tone for a dramatic start.

Despite the early chaos, the Warriors quickly seized the momentum. Luke Metcalf's clever link-up play put Leka Halasima in a strong position near the line, and moments later, slick ball movement sent Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad diving over in the corner. However, the Bunker ruled out the try for obstruction.

Undeterred, the Warriors pressed on. Just a minute later, Dane Gagai spilled a high bomb, and quick hands from Kurt Capewell set up Adam Pompey, who scored in the left corner in the 8th minute. After a tense review, the Bunker confirmed the try.

The Warriors continued to dominate. A break from Capewell opened up the Knights' defence, and Metcalf’s brilliant pass sent Taine Tuaupiki charging toward the line. But once again, the Bunker intervened, ruling Tuaupiki’s foot had brushed the sideline.

As the game settled, the Knights thought they had a breakthrough when Greg Marzhew powered over the line, but the Bunker ruled he hadn’t grounded the ball. The Warriors made them pay almost immediately. A high kick aimed at James Schiller was plucked out of the air by Pompey, who linked up with Ali Leiataua, who offloaded to Jackson Ford for the Warriors' second try in the 28th minute.

The Knights’ frustration mounted as Dane Gagai was ruled to have knocked on, and Schiller’s difficult night continued with another error. The Warriors seized the opportunity, with Metcalf steering the attack, finding Erin Clark, who offloaded to Ford for his second try of the night in the 35th minute, seeing the Warriors go into the sheds with a commanding 16-0 lead.

The second half began with Newcastle gaining early momentum. Gagai led the attack, breaking through Leiataua before passing to Schiller, who bounced back from a tough first half to put the Knights on the scoreboard in the 49th minute.

Just as Newcastle seemed to be building some pressure, Jack Cogger threw a loose pass that was intercepted by Luke Metcalf, who appeared set to score. However, Fletcher Sharpe's determined chase stopped him just short of the line. Despite the near miss, the Warriors capitalised on the next set. Wayde Egan powered through the defence to score for the hosts in the 55th minute.

The Warriors then sealed the win in the final ten minutes, punishing the Knights for their mistakes in yardage. Metcalf sliced through the line, with the ball seemingly touching Chanel Harris-Tavita (backwards) before landing in Pompey's hands for his second try of the game in the 71st minute.

Though the game was already decided, the Knights had the final say in the 76th minute. After a few phases deep in Warriors' territory, Brodie Jones crossed untouched following a well-timed short ball from Phoenix Crossland. However, it was too little, too late, as the Warriors secured their first ANZAC Day victory since 2014, winning 26-12.

My Thoughts

This match was a much less stressful watch compared to recent rounds. I felt confident heading into the clash, given the Knights' struggles, and I even came within two points of my prediction from last week. However, with the Warriors’ poor ANZAC Day history in the back of my mind, there was still a hint of doubt. Those nerves grew early when Marata Niukore was sent to the sin bin almost immediately. Despite the setback, the Warriors stayed composed and got to work.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance, but the Warriors built pressure and capitalised on key opportunities. Defensively, they were solid for the most part, although a few poor reads allowed Newcastle to grab some soft tries. Overall, the Warriors controlled the game, keeping the Knights pinned down and preventing them from building any real momentum.

I was hoping to see the Warriors shift gears in the second half and pile on more points. However, they did ease up a little, but not enough to put the result in danger, just enough to stop them from running up a cricket score. That’s nitpicking, though. With the Warriors' attack still missing a bit of spark, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

Still, it was another important win, keeping the Warriors firmly inside the NRL top four. Even better, there are some very winnable games ahead, especially with James Fisher-Harris, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak set to return soon. There’s still work to be done, but the Warriors are improving each week (aside from the Storm game, hopefully just an outlier).

If this trend continues, the Warriors are a real chance to lock in a top-four finish, or at the very least, secure a spot in the NRL finals, which is a huge step forward from where I thought they’d be during the preseason.

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

Match Positives

It was a busy night for the forwards; they kept momentum firmly in the Warriors' hands. Five of the pack ran for my ideal triple-digit target, led by the constantly impressive Erin Clark (155m). Jackson Ford (147m), Mitchell Barnett (142m), Leka Halasima (122m) and Kurt Capewell (104m). Marata Niukore got 79 metres, but I assume he would have cracked 100 also if he hadn't received his sin bin and HIA. With the halves pairing of Metcalf and Harris-Tavita still finding its feet and building cohesion, it is vital to the Warriors' chances of success that the forwards do the heavy lifting in the middle, get the opposition stuck on the backfoot, and that's when we will see the Warriors attack start to bear fruit. The pack has been great in most games this season, so fingers crossed that trend continues.

The Warriors secured their fifth win of the season, a solid achievement considering their full-strength side hasn't yet played together. While their performances haven’t always been flawless, the Warriors have shown great heart and determination, winning games they would have likely lost last year. They're building a strong foundation, and once at full strength, we can expect their game to reach a whole new level. While it’s too early to start booking Finals tickets, the Warriors are definitely heading in the right direction.

Although the Warriors eased off in the second half, they didn’t allow the Knights to get back into the game. Aside from a soft try at either end of the half, the Warriors kept the pressure on, forcing errors and preventing the Knights from making it a competitive match. While I'd like to see the Warriors be more ruthless and finish teams off, it was reassuring to see they avoided the mental lapses that have cost them in recent matches, where opponents have scored quickly to close the gap.

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors' attack remains clunky and lacks creativity, even though it's getting the job done for now. Scoring five tries is no small feat, but there’s still significant room for improvement. The team often looks unsure when entering the opposition’s red zone. Much of this can be attributed to the developing combination between Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita, as well as the absence of key strike weapons Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. Once they return, I expect the Warriors to convert more of their scoring chances and sharpen their attacking game. 

The officials, particularly the Bunker, seemed determined to drain the excitement from the match. This wasn’t just an issue for this game, but a theme across all matches in the round. Going back several plays to review a high shot and sending players to the sin bin disrupts the game's flow. If the on-field officials miss a major call, then sure, review it. But for those 50/50 calls that no one reacts to, especially when the player being hit doesn’t try to exaggerate the incident, just let it play on. Maybe it's just me, an old fan frustrated by the system, but it’s especially annoying when more obvious mistakes, like forward passes or strips, are ignored by the Bunker. Thankfully, it didn’t cost the Warriors in this game, and they adapted well after going down to 12 men. Still, these constant interruptions take away from the enjoyment of watching the game.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Adam Pompey.

In my time doing these reviews, I have been highly critical of Pompey, and he has proven my opinion wrong essentially every round this season. He made a poor error defusing a bomb in this match, and that was really the only thing I can critique in this week's performance. He was busy with the ball in hand, scoring a nice double and running for 171 metres, making two linebreaks and adding a line break assist and eight tacklebreaks. Wasn't tested defensively too often but did show nerves under the highball, an issue that will go away for the most part when he returns to the centres. I have been very impressed with his effort this season, and he has proven to be a dependable player for the Warriors. He should retain his spot in the back five when DWZ and RTS return.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve is Rocco Berry. 

It was another week where I struggled to pick a player here; however, I decided to go with Berry, who had limited impact with the ball in hand, running only 7 times for 72 metres, defensively, he made 28 tackles, the highest for the Warriors backs, however he also had 7 missed tackles, which was the most by a Warriors player in this match. Struggled with kicks both on attack and defence, I rate Berry, and while he is only 2 games in from his return from injury, he is currently not at the level to keep a spot in the centres. I expect to see him dropped once the Warriors get their first-choice wingers back, so he has Magic Round left to show he deserves to keep the number 3 jersey.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

In Round 9, the Warriors head over to Brisbane for Magic Round to face the Cowboys, who defeated the Titans 50-18 in Round 8.

As for the team I'd select, I'm sticking with the same side. I don't like changing a winning team, and JFH, RTS, and DWZ are not scheduled to return until Rounds 10 and 11. 

The Cowboys had a rough start to the season but have bounced back strongly, winning four straight games since their Round 3 loss to the Broncos. Their halves are combining well, creating space for their strike players to showcase their speed, a major threat for the Warriors, who often struggle against fast-paced teams.

For the Warriors to come away with a win, the game plan remains simple but crucial, wrap up the ball carriers to stop offloads and put pressure on the Cowboys’ halves to deny them time and space. Dominating the middle will also be vital. The forwards need to build momentum, giving Luke Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita the platform to create scoring chances.

Look for the Warriors to target short balls to power runners like Marata Niukore and Leka Halasima close to the line, a tactic that could lead to plenty of tries. The Warriors will also have strong support from their vocal fanbase at Suncorp Stadium, and they'll need to feed off that energy.

It’s shaping up to be a cracking contest, and I’m backing the Warriors to get the job done by 8 points.

So, that was a Satisfactory Round 8, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who was your player of the match?

Did you have a player to improve?

Would you like to see the Warriors play more games around NZ?

What is your score prediction against the Cowboys?