Ingers League Wrap-Up

Friday, March 17, 2017

NZ Warriors 2017 Round 2 Review : A Storm hits Mount Smart

Auckland was hit with a barrage of rain in the week leading up to the Warriors second round match
up against the Melbourne Storm.
On Friday night with the torrential rain still hitting Mount Smart, a brave 9,811 fans faced the elements to watch this clash as the Warriors went down 26-10.

The Storm scored early through Kenny Bromwich, but the Warriors didn't take long to strike back, scoring two tries in 3 minutes through Tuimoala Lolohea and Shaun Johnson to have them trailing 12-10 at halftime.
Unfortunately, these were the only points the Warriors scored as the Storm kept being the relentless side they are known for, and as their defence held the Warriors out, they eventually ran away with three more tries by Cheyse Blair, Suliasi Vunivalu and Cooper Cronk.
The Warriors lost Roger Tuivasa-Sheck late in the first half with a concussion, and it appeared to change the game.
In my opinion, once Roger left the field Shaun Johnson seemed to vanish after inserting himself into the action repeatably in the first half.
Poor decisions on the last tackle options came into the game, and against the consistent Storm, you just cannot afford to make mistakes as they will punish you for it.
A troublesome play for me was when Issac Luke tried to sneak over the try-line on the last tackle when Shaun Johnson was calling for it with a clear overlap.
Defence reverted back to 2016 form as the Warriors missed 31 tackles if you miss that many tackles you are immediately playing on the back foot.
There was a positive. However, The Warriors completed 86% of their sets which in these horrid conditions was pleasing to see.

My Warrior of the game goes to Simon Mannering.
Simon was, well simply put Simon was Simon, Leading the Warriors once again in tackles and tightening up the middle of the defensive line.
You definitely notice the difference in this side when Simon isn't there, and hopefully, he can stay healthy and continue to add much-needed starch to the Warriors defensive line.

My Warrior who needs to improve is Tuimoala Lolohea.
Tuimoala started the game well with a nice try but after a slip up in the literal sense of the word, his confidence took a hit and he just never came back from that.
In a bizarre move, Stephen Kearney moved Lolohea to fullback when Roger went off instead of the more suitable David Fusitu'a.
This didn't help Tuimoala, but with the squad, the Warriors have he needs to lift his game several levels if he wants to stay playing first grade.

Putting the game into perspective, the Warriors did improve from their last outing against the Storm where they went down 42-0, but they do have a long way to go before they can be in talks for playoff football.
If the Warriors can keep the completion rate high but decrease the missed tackles and improve the last tackle options, then they will get themselves back on track, and they need to take advantage of the favourable draw they have this season.

This week the Warriors are travelling down to Dunedin to face the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs are yet to achieve victory this season, and the Warriors need to strike while they Bulldogs are not in-sync.
Kieran Foran is not ready to make his debut for the Warriors yet so misses this match-up, Roger did not pass the midweek concussion test and will also not play in this game.
Kearney has yet again named Tuimoala at fullback but has named Manu Vatuvei to make his return.
I am still not confident in Tuimoala out the back, but in the covered stadium, he may have the favourable conditions to help him succeed.
The Bulldogs have a big forward pack, but their back-line has taken a hit with injuries, and their halves are not clicking.
I am picking the Warriors to win by 12 on Friday, taking full advantage of a South Island crowd starved of Live NRL football.

So with Round 2 complete, I will leave you with some questions.

Who would you move to fullback in Roger's absence?
When Foran is healthy, what would you do with Ata Hingano?
Are there any changes you would make to the 17?
Are you enjoying the Warriors playing on Fridays?

Let me know what you think, and I will talk to you all next week.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

NZ Warriors 2017 Round 1 Review : Round 1 Hoodoo broken in Ugly Win

The Vodafone Warriors kicked off the 2017 NRL Season at Mount Smart Stadium for the first time since 2009 with a win over the Newcastle Knights.
The team had a lot of expectations leading into this game against last year's wooden spooners, and although it was ugly, they got the victory and the two points.

The Warriors started the game slow and the errors that plagued this side last season returned with the Warriors dropping the ball on their first tackle on their first set for the season.
Passes were not sticking, and it seemed that the Warriors had bought into the general consensus that the Knights were going to be easy beats and early on in this game they were punished.
The Knights were the first to score with Peter Matautia leaping over Tui Lolohea to catch a pinpoint kick on the try line.
The pressure continued as the Warriors held the Knights out and finally started to click with the first of three David Fuistu'a tries.
A try to Solomone Kata helped the Warriors ease to a 20-8 lead at halftime.
The wheels started to wobble in the second half when the Warriors lost Simon Mannering and Issac Luke to injuries.
Losing these two players severely weakened the Warriors middle and the Knights started to take advantage of this and mounted a comeback.
A feeling of "Oh no here we go again" began to fill Mount Smart Stadium as it looked like the Warriors were about to yet again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as they let the Knights score soft tries and regain the lead 22-20 with 13 minutes to go.
The fans in the Stadium sat with baited breath waiting for any someone to step up and save the day, and that man came in the form of Ryan Hoffman who forced his way over the try-line.
With that score, the Warriors were ahead again and held the Knights out for the final 7 minutes to finally break their Round 1 Hoodoo.

My Warrior of the game goes to David Fusitu'a, he had another strong game, scoring three tries is a great feat but I'm more impressed with the 14 from 14 tackles.
David's big frame, athletic ability and magnetic attraction to the try line (8 tries in 8 games at centre a telling stat) make him one of the key figures in this Warriors backline.
I believe that if David and Tui can be given time to work together in a centre wing combo instead of being moved around every week, they will start to click and cause real headaches for any team.

My Player who needs to improve goes to Ken Maumalo.
Ken's first touch resulted in a knock on, and Ken struggled to get back into the game.
He did have a few good run's later on in the match but his confidence had taken a serious knock, and when his confidence is done his performance drops.
He has potential to be a damaging winger in the mould of Manu Vatuvei, he just needs to relax and get the basics right and success will follow.

This game was a mixed bag, it was great being back at a live Warriors game, but the performance was not what I expected.
I don't believe the Knights are as bad as they were last season but this was a game where the Warriors should have made a statement and piled on the points.
But they Warriors did show heart, last season if the Warriors lost a lead late in a game their heads would drop and they would give up on themselves.
But in this game when they lost the lead they just kept pushing the Knights are trying to make something happen, that is all I really ask for from the Warriors, no game will be perfect, but if they keep pushing themselves to the very end, good things will come.
But then again maybe this is just what the Warriors needed, a tougher game to let it sink into the team and fans alike that there is still a lot of work to do no win is ever guaranteed.

There were negatives in this performance, ball handling was still a big issue, and with the loss of Mannering the defence took a serious hit, and the Warriors were exposed.
Having a suitable interchange bench is a must as Bodene Thompson being used as a Hooker did not help the side and they lost the quick ball that was proving so successful in the first half.
Issac can play 80 minutes, but you need a hooker on the bench just in case, with Jazz and Nathaniel still under an injury cloud they need to bring Erin Clark onto the bench.

There were also positives in this match, however.
Shaun started to show more intent and attacked the line more often which broke the Knights defensive line up and made it easier for the likes of Fusitu'a and Kata to score.
The props made more impact for the side and eased the pressure on the impressive backline.
Ryan Hoffman had one of his best games for the Warriors, he really stepped up in the absence of Simon, maybe the pressure of being captain being taken off his shoulders has helped him focus on his performance or perhaps the fact that he is now fighting for an NRL contract has improved his performance.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck played well at the back, and it is nice to see the Warriors with a fullback that is safe under the high ball.
Ata Hingano had another good showing and more than held his own out there, he is still very young and has a long way to go, but he did not become a liability and will be looking at cementing a spot in the 17 long term.
Overall the negatives are not hard to fix, and this team knows how to score points, so I'm still confident that this will be a good season for the Warriors.

The Warriors have a 5-day turnaround until they face the Melbourne Storm and are sweating on the health of Simon Mannering, Issac Luke and Charlie Gubb.
It sounds like Simon and Charlie will be okay, but Issac is still in doubt.
Playing the Melbourne Storm will be tough, and if the Warriors play in a similar style to how they played the Knights, they will be in for a rough night.
But the Storm had a tough battle in Round 1, and with the loss of Jesse Bromwich, this may be the best time to face the Storm.
If the Warriors can eliminate their unforced errors and tighten up their defence, I believe they can take it to the Storm in what could be an exciting match up.
I'm picking the Warriors to take this match by 6.

So now that Round 1 is all over, I will leave you with some questions.

What did you think of the Warriors Round 1 performance?
Are there any changes you would make to the Warriors game-day 17?
Who was your standout performer?
What's your score prediction against the Storm?

Let me know what you think, and I will talk to you all next week.

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

NZ Warriors 2017 Season preview : Above the Line - The Kearney Era Begins

Finally, the NRL Season is almost here, we are only a few days away, and I cannot wait!
The Nines have come and gone, the preseason matches are all over, and it's time for the real deal.

This also means it's time for me to give my thoughts on how the Warriors will fare in their 2017 campaign.
I'm breaking this review into sections outlining my views on the preseason results and news, new signings (Or in this season's case signing), the 2017 squad, my game-day 17, the team's strengths and weaknesses and then winding the preview up with my 2017 prediction.
As is always the case, this is all just my own thoughts and opinions, and they are always up for debate, I would love to start a discussion on here so if you want to share your thoughts, comment below and let me know what you think.

Preseason News - New Coach, New Captain, New Era

The Warriors 2016 season was a huge disappointment, and I've talked about last season in length in my 2016 season review (New Zealand Warriors NRL 2016 Season Review: Another year to forget comes to an end), so we can leave that in the past.
The end of the 2016 season, however, saw a lot of change happen at the Mount Smart headquarters.
A football advisory board was created to oversee all football operations at the club.
The board consisting of Eric Watson, Jim Doyle, Owen Eastwood, Les Archer, Sir Graham Henry, Eric Mangini and Awen Guttenbeil.

This coupled with the announcement of Stephen Kearney taking the head coach role with Andrew McFadden staying on as one of Stephen's three assistant coaches along with Stacey Jones and Steve McNamara closing out the coaching team.

It appears the Warriors office have drawn a line in the sand this year and dug deep into Eric Watson's wallet and given Stephen everything he needs to pull the Warriors out of the mediocrity they have lived in for the past 5 seasons.

Stephen, a former Warriors player, knows the pressure that is constantly on this club.
Warriors fans and the general public alike expect results from this team, and if they don't perform, heads roll.
Signs of Kearney making his mark on the team have already started to take shape with the announcement of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck as the Warriors captain and Tohu Harris being signed to a four-year deal starting in 2018.
Words from within the camp seem to be promising, Kearney's mantra since crossing the Tasman has been "Above the Line", and the players appear to be responding to this and his coaching style and so far everything seems to be positive.
Not to forget the recent news of Kieran Foran's contract being accepted by the NRL has also added to positive vibe within the camp and fans alike.

Although the positive vibe did take a hit at the NRL Nines where the Warriors lost all three round robin games and did not make the quarters for the first time in the history of the Nines.
Shaun Johnson and Solomona Kata were both ruled out of the tournament with injury on day one, and it clearly affected the team.
Without their strike weapons, the Warriors lacked serious attacking punch, and with handling errors littered throughout their three games, the Warriors never looked like winning a match.
Putting it simply, at the Nines the Warriors lack of talent meant a lack of success.

The Warriors followed up the disappointing Nines campaign with a 30-18 loss to the Melbourne Storm and a 26-6 victory over the Gold Coast Titans.
After watching both games, I could see a definite change in this Warriors team.
They did give up an 18-0 lead against the Storm, but in fairness that was after the top side players were rested and the young players were given some game-time and could not keep the tempo from the first half flowing.
The game against the Titans, however, was a lot more exciting to watch.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck looks great and is stepping off both feet, showing no ill effects from last year's injury.
The most exciting aspect of the performance to me was the visibly improved communication.
From Roger constantly talking to the side and keeping the defensive line in check to Ken Maumalo talking to Solomona Kata when scrambling back in defence when the Titan broke the line, telling him to stay on his man instead of drifting out.
Communication has been a huge issue for the Warriors and hopefully, this change in the preseason will flow into the regular season.

Key Signing: Kieran Foran - Final Piece of the Puzzle?

Kieran Foran was the sole signing for the Warriors 2017 season.
After enduring a tough 2016 on and more precisely off the field, we saw Kieran walk away from a substantial multi-year contract with the Parramatta Eels and eventually signing a one-year deal with the Warriors.
The NRL was not quick to register his contract with the Warriors, but he has now done enough in their eyes to prove he is mentally able to return and the deal is done.
Round three we will finally get to see Kieran running out onto a field in a Warriors jersey and attempt to get his career back on track.
Until then we can only speculate on how he will go.
Will he be the final piece of the puzzle and get the Warriors back into playoff contention or will he crumple in a heap, still not mentally ready for the constant pressure that comes with playing in the NRL?
I firmly believe in the former, I feel that Kieran is going to do well with the Warriors and take some of the pressure off Shaun Johnson which has been sorely needed for years.
With rumours of Kieran wanting to extend his stay with the Warriors I am sincerely hoping that 2017 winds up better for him than 2016 was.

2017 Squad

Once again the Warriors have a solid team on paper.

They currently have eleven Kiwi representatives and two State of Origin players on their books.

With Foran signing they now also have the Kiwis spine which when combined with a lethal backline consisting of Solomona Kata, David Fusitu'a, Manu Vatuvei and Tuimoala Lolohea has the potential to light up the competition.

Then the forward pack boasts the likes of Simon Mannering, Ryan Hoffman and Bodene Thompson, and when they are on their game a formidable front row in Jacob Lillyman, Issac Luke and Ben Matulino.

Throw in the young players that are coming through like Albert Vete, Sam Lisone, Bunty Afoa, and Ata Hingano, and you have an imposing team.

The hardest thing for the Warriors will be turning a great team on paper into a great team on the field, but I feel with Kearney at the helm they may finally reach their potential as a unit.

My Gameday 17

1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 14. Jazz Tevaga

2. Tuimoala Lolohea 15. Sam Lisone

3. David Fusitu'a 16. Albert Vete (Charlie Gubb or Toafofoa Sipley until Ben returns)

4. Solomone Kata 17. Bunty Afoa

5.Manu Vatuvei

6. Kieran Foran (Ata Hingano for Rounds 1 & 2)

7. Shaun Johnson

8. Jacob Lillyman

9. Issac Luke

10. Ben Matulino (Albert Vete until Ben returns from injury)

11. Bodene Thompson

12. Ryan Hoffman

13. Simon Mannering

Strengths and Weaknesses

The most obvious strength I have already mentioned above in having the entire Kiwis spine in their starting line up,

They have a large mobile forward pack lead by Simon Mannering, and if they can use their offloading talents to unleash Roger Tuivasa-Sheck running his lines off their shoulders, they will cause headaches for a lot of teams in the competition.

This also flows into the weaknesses, if the Warriors forwards do not do the hard work up the middle the spine will not be able to unleash the backline.

They also need to reduce the handling errors that plagued them last season, offloading is a tremendous facet of the Warriors game, but they cannot force offloads or passes that are not on.

Defensively the Warriors need to work hard, they were embarrassing last year and they cannot just leave Simon to do all the work, keeping the preseason communication up will help in that area.

My 2016 Prediction

Well in my preview last year I was way off, I predicted that they would finish between 4-6, but that is the Warriors, they are well known to be consistently inconsistently and makes them hard to pick.

However I feel that things will be different this season, Stephen Kearney will not tolerate inconsistencies and will ensure that gets the very best out of the team week in and week out.

The Warriors have too good a side this year to be a cellar dweller again, and I am picking them to finish Round 26 in 5th position.
Last year I said that they would win the 2017 season, I'm not ready to stake that claim yet, but I have a feeling that this team has the quality to be in the Grand Final this year, so I say welcome back to playoff football Warriors because you will be there.

So let's bring on the season, it has been far too long, and I cannot wait for Round One.

I will be writing reviews for each game as I did last year and I'm looking forward to talking to all of you throughout the year.

If you like what I do here please share my blog around with your friends and leave comments and tell me how you think the season is going.

As I did last year I will end of some questions so let me know what your opinions are and I

will talk you again soon.

What are your thoughts on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck being named Captain?

Do you have any issues with the team right now?

Where do you think the Warriors will finish the season?

Are there any other players you would like to see the Warriors target for 2018 and beyond?

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