NZ Warriors 2018 Round 6 Review: Desperate Broncos dominate Warriors in first loss of 2018

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After an impressive showing against the North Queensland Cowboys, the New Zealand Warriors hosted the Brisbane Broncos in Round 6.
The Warriors were looking for their sixth consecutive win of the year while the Broncos were looking at breaking a two-game losing streak.
Unfortunately for the 16,636 fans in attendance, the Broncos came out on top with a 27-18 victory.

It was Old Boys day at Mount Smart on Saturday with a lot of the Warriors former players returning to the stadium, and in an ironic twist, the Warriors performed like the Warriors of old in a performance that sent me back to the dark times of 2017.
The Warriors appeared sluggish right from the first whistle, the Broncos were desperate, and it showed in their performance as they applied pressure to the Warriors for the majority of the match, and the Warriors just didn't respond in the way that fans have come to expect in 2018.

The reason for this? I cant say I know for sure.
Maybe the Warriors started to believe the hype after their 5-0 start, or perhaps the Bronco's started strong and rattled the New Zealand side and they just never managed to get their gameplan in motion.
Losing Leivaha Pulu early in the match with an ankle injury did not help matters as Pulu had been making dents in the Bronco's defensive line.
Solomone Kata also went off with an ankle injury late in the game giving Anthony Gelling more game time, but unfortunately, he had a night to forget with most things he tried failing (I believe he just needs game time, which he may now get with Kata's injury).
It's hard to say why the Warriors produced such a disappointing performance, and there isn't a lot to praise, but it wasn't all doom and gloom which leads me to my positives from the game.

As stated above there wasn't a lot of positives I found in this weeks performance, but I do take encouragement out of the fact that as dominant as the Broncos were and as mediocre as the Warriors were the Warriors managed to keep themselves in the match right until the final whistle.
I also think that in a team that performed sub-par Bunty Afoa, Agnatius Paasi and Ken Maumalo stood out as players that were seemingly trying to bend the Broncos defensive line.
My last positive is that at the end of the guy the team looked and acted disappointed with their performance.
I know that is a bizarre positive, but after years of feeling frustrated at seeing the Warriors smiling and joking after a poor performance it is refreshing to see the players feel a loss, this, in my opinion, bodes well for the bounceback that the Warriors now need to start.

I could go on and on about my negatives in this match, but I would prefer instead just to focus on my four most significant issues.

Firstly on at least four occasions, the Warriors left a kick to bounce (including one moment when Solomona Kata actually ran away from the ball instead of trying to catch it).
This is unacceptable at this level and must not happen again, allowing the ball to bounce immediately put the Warriors on the backfoot.

This brings me into my second issue, when the Broncos piled on the pressure the Warriors changed their game style and stopped playing as a team and started just running one out and producing a no hope grubber kick at the end of each set.
One of the reasons the Warriors have been performing well for the first five rounds was because they worked as a unit, tackling and running in a pack.
A key example of the Warriors playing for themselves instead of the team was when Issac kicked a grubber on the fourth tackle, it wasn't on, and he seemed to be the only player that knew the kick was coming so there was no one running onto it.

Shaun also had a quiet game where it felt like he didn't run the ball until the final 10-15 minutes, in Shaun's defence the Broncos defence prevented the forwards getting a roll on so there wasn't a tiring defensive line for Shaun to take advantage of.
His kicking game was also off, the grubbers mentioned above were lacklustre and presented no danger for Darius Boyd to defuse.
There was also a chip kick attempt out to David Fusitu'a that went out on the full, maybe if Shaun is having an off night as he did here Blake Green needs to step in and take over more than usual.

My last negative is the defence, the Warriors missed 38 tackles this round, and Corey Oates was having a field day with Peta Hiku and Tohu Harris missing four tackles each on that edge.
Missed tackles have been an issue all year, and with games against the Dragons and Storm in the next two rounds, they really need to reign that in.

All these issues are able to be addressed and worked on, and hopefully, this performance will be anomaly instead of a new trend.

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My Warrior of the game goes to Bunty Afoa.
It was close between Bunty and Agnatius, but Bunty got the edge with only one missed tackle compared to Paasi's four.
Bunty has impressed me immensely in 2018 with his high-intensity hit-ups and reliable defence in the middle.
He is a no-nonsense player that reminds me of the forwards of old and after a few seasons playing in the second row and lock Bunty has really relished returning to the front row.
I'm looking forward to having James Gavet returning and combining with Bunty in the middle getting that backline the roll on they sorely need.
I think the Warriors would have started this game a lot better if Bunty was starting and hopefully Stephen Kearney learns from this and lets him start against St George this week.

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The Warrior who needs to improve goes to Peta Hiku.
I feel like I'm highlighting Peta's defensive issues every week, and he now is second in the NRL for missed tackles with 30, averaging five missed tackles a game.
Yes, his combination with Tohu Harris and David Fusitu'a have been fruitful when the Warriors are on attack, but he needs to make changes as teams will target him as the weak link in the Warriors defensive chain.
With Solomona Kata's injury possibly keeping him on the sidelines for 4-6 weeks Peta will most likely be staying in his spot in the starting line up for the foreseeable future, so hopefully, he can get out of his jersey grabbing habits and bring his missed tackle average down.

Round 7 has the Warriors playing at Mount Smart once again with the undefeated St George Dragons coming into town.
The Dragons have been impressive this year and have always seemed to cause the Warriors issues in the past, so this is going to be an exciting encounter.
With Pulu's and Kata's injuries some changes will need to be made, and I think Stephen Kearney will move Mannering into the starting line up for a straight swap with Pulu and Anthony Gelling will be given the centre spot with Blake Ayshford and Gerald Beale still not being 100% yet.
This change will also open up two spots on the bench for Isaiah Papali'i and Ligi Sao to return as the Warriors will need their size on the bench to combat the large Dragons pack.
The Warriors will be looking at getting back to the victory circle and need to make a statement that Round 6  was a one-off and what better statement is there than dealing the Dragons their first loss of the year.
Unfortunately, I don't see this happening as I have picked the Dragon's to win here by 10 points.

So that was a disappointing Round 6, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who would you bring in for Pulu and Kata?
What is your biggest concern from the Round 6 performance?
Why do you think the Warriors seemed sluggish right from kickoff?
What is your score prediction for Round 7?

NZ Warriors 2018 Round 5 Review: Dream start continues with Cowboys defeat

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After two weeks playing away, the Warriors finally returned home to a sold out Mount Smart Stadium with an impressive 4-0 record to face a North Queensland Cowboys desperate to return to the winner's circle.
This was not to be as the Warriors welcomed back club hero Simon Mannering with a 22-12 victory to go 5-0 for the season.

It's hard for me to describe what it was like to be sitting in a sold-out crowd at Mount Smart once again and I really hope it continues. Having a doubleheader did help boost the crowd, but I hope the game day crowd continues to flock to the stadium for the next two weeks as the Warriors enjoy their current vein of form.
Teams across the Tasman are starting to take notice of the Warriors now and they should, the Warriors still have a lot of improvement in them but took the fight to the Cowboys and got the job done which leads me into my positives from the game.

The Warriors fitness still continues to shine, from start to finish the Warriors kept on top of the Cowboys, on last tackle kicks the Warriors were up in the kick returners face and had already set the defensive line before most of the Cowboys were even back onside.
The forwards have continued to look sharp with Bunty Afoa impressing me again with strong runs, Leivaha Pulu and Tohu Harris have added so much to this sides attacking potential and this created opportunities for Solomone Kata, Ken Maumalo, Peta Hiku and David Fusitu'a to wreck havoc on the Cowboy's edges.
Simon Mannering returned on the bench, and once he was out there it was like he never left, the Warriors defence is still at times patchy, but with Simon back I believe this will improve impressively.
The goal-line defence is still a stand out for me, the Warriors ability to hold out repeat sets is going to help them go a long way this season, there is still issues (more on that in my negatives) but nothing that is a significant concern.

The Warriors spine continues to impress me, Shaun and Blake are working so well together.
Issac Luke is taking advantage of the great work being done by the forwards and punishing lazy defenders with some sniping dummy half runs.
Roger is growing into his captaincy and improves each and every week, he had a quiet night but still had an excellent performance, and his enthusiasm is clearly infectious and rubbing off on the rest of the squad.
This side is genuinely playing for one another, no one seems to be just playing for themselves anymore.
A good example of this was when Solomone Kata made a break and set Ken Maumalo up for his try, I can honestly say that if that happened last year, Kata would have tried to beat the fullback and go alone.
If this attitude sticks for the rest of the season, then it is going to be a fruitful 2018.

The bench impressed once again, Jazz Tevaga, Simon Mannering and Sam Lisone all contributed immensely with the minutes they were given.
Anthony Gelling only got a few minutes at the end of the game, so I can't really judge his performance, but he was really just on the bench as cover for Roger in case his arm wasn't up to scratch.

Many Pundits across the ditch keep trying to predict when the wheels will fall off the Warriors 2018 season but I believe that this side is a legitimate threat in 2018, and right now as fans all we can do is enjoy the ride.

As I said above, there is still improvement to be had which leads me to my negatives.
Once again I don't have too many negatives to point out, but I did notice a couple of slight concerns.
The Warriors let two soft tries through with a couple of poor decisions made, but the edge isn't as much as a liability as it has been in the past so im confident they will fix this.

At times it seemed that the Warriors were rushing which lead to errors, perhaps they were a little excited performing in front of a large hometime crowd, but it felt like they just needed to slow down and get back into the gameplan they had.
If the large crowds continue to flock to Mount Smart im sure the team will be able to keep their nerves in check.
This team has points in them they just need to keep moving forward, and the points will come, no game is won in the first ten minutes but the platform set early on will make the trip to victory a lot smoother.

My last negative is the errors, there were too many errors this week, with tough games coming up the Warriors need to cut back on unforced errors to give themselves the best chance to keep their unbeaten streak going.

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My Warrior of the game goes to David Fusitu'a.
What a season David is having, scoring a double in this match takes him to seven so far for the season and leading the comp in tries scored and is already over halfway to his try tally last season.
David has been a constant threat, whether going through the air or running down the edge, it really doesn't matter he knows how to get over the line.
I may be counting my chickens before they hatch, but I think he is well on his way to scoring 20+ tries this year and staying the leading try scorer in the NRL this season.

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No Warrior to improve again this week, so I want to highlight Bunty Afoa this week.
Bunty has been a wrecking ball this year, running big metres every match regardless of if he is starting or playing from the bench.
With James Gavet missing the last two matches due to injury Bunty has really stepped up and added much-needed punch up the middle.
I am hopeful that he can continue to perform at this level and if he does I find it hard for any of the forwards waiting in the wings to take his spot in the game day 17.

Round 6 has the Warrior again at home, this time facing the Brisbane Broncos.
The Broncos have had a rocky start in 2018, and I don't see them improving this round either.
Their halves are lacking cohesion, and the team does not appear to be working well together, so I feel that they are in a rough night hopefully in front of another sellout crowd.
Last week I can proudly say I got the correct margin in my prediction for the first time this season, so fingers crossed I can do it again this week.
Im picking the Warriors to go 6-0 and win this match by 12 points.
So that was my take on a great Round 5 performance, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you think the sell out crowds will continue?
Would you start Simon Mannering this week?
Was there any player that you think needs to improve after their Round 5 performance?
What is your score prediction for Round 6?

NZ Warriors 2018 Round 4 Review: Streak continues in Rooster romp

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After last weeks breathtaking come from behind victory over the Raiders, the Warriors ventured to Sydney to face premier contenders the Sydney Roosters.

With Sam Lisone, James Gavet and Shaun Johnson out for this matchup, many (including myself) had doubts that the Warriors would be able to go 4-0.
But the Warriors did not allow self-doubt to come into play, and they made easy work of the Roosters winning 30-6.

The Warriors could be the real deal in 2018, they have struggled in the past to win without Shaun Johnson, in fact, this was the first time the Warriors have won without their star halfback since 2014.
When the Roosters walked over for an easy try in the first three minutes of the match I sighed, it looked like the Warriors of old were back again but that was the only time the Roosters competed in this match which leads me to my positives of the game.

The Warriors finally reduced the penalties conceding only eight, it would be great to reduce this further, but single digit penalties is an improvement from the first three rounds.
If the Warriors can continue to keep the penalties low while also maintaining the aggression that they have shown in 2018 they will increase their chances of winning tenfold.
I was also impressed that their 80% completion rate did not affect the ability to offload with the Warriors still having sixteen offloads for the match.

This takes the Warriors to the top of the offload leaderboard with 71 for the season, this shows that the Warriors are more refined with their off the cuff play, no longer throwing no hope offloads that they use to, this, in my opinion, makes them a dangerous side to deal with.
Issac Luke continued to threaten running from dummy half, Bunty Afoa was strong once again in his first start of the year, and the rest of the front rowers gave a good platform for the backs to work with.
Tohu Harris, Leivaha Pulu and Adam Blair were a powerful back row combination, and I feel that Adam Blair and Tohu Harris stepped up in Shaun Johnson's absence and added playmaking options to the Warriors.

I also liked watching the Warriors not take their foot off the Roosters throat.
In years gone by if the Warriors have achieved a good lead, they have had the habit of resting on their laurels and leaving the door open for their opposition to creep back into the match, but the resolve in this Warriors side is so different from the Warriors of the past 5-6 years.
The Roosters made a lot of errors in this match, and the Warriors took advantage, finetuning is still required as they have teams coming up that will not gift them as much possession.
The scrambling defence and goalline defence continues to shine week in, and week out, teams are struggling to find a way through and if the Warriors will need to keep this up with some tough opponents coming in the next four rounds.
The Warriors have looked strong after the first month of the season, but there is still a lot of room for improvement which leads me to my negatives.

To be honest, I don't have too many negatives this week, the right edge defence rushed in which lead to the Roosters try in the early stages but they did sort that out.
The Warriors defence seems to get better the closer they get to their own try line, but they can be exposed in the middle of the field, the Warriors have been able to cover for this with the scrambling defence but toughening up their defensive line in enemy territory is a must.

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My Warrior of the game goes to Blake Green.
Blake has been a standout in every game this year, but the way he lead this team to victory was great to watch.
He didn't overplay his hand, dealt a massive blow to the Roosters when he kicked a 40/20 when they were out of position and played to the high level that we have come to expect from him.
The way Mason Lino was able just to slot in and do his job is a testament to the impact Blake has on this team.
There are talks across the ditch of Blake possibly being a State of Origin call-up this season if his form continues, this would be great for Blake, but the selfish fan in me wants him to play for the Warriors in those rounds instead.
Blake currently in my mind is one of the best signings this club has made, and I believe the best from him is yet to come.

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For the second time this season I could not pinpoint a Warrior that needed to improve, but I did want to mention Mason Lino.
Mason will most likely never be the Warriors (or any NRL club) go to halfback but when the situation arises Mason is never shy from giving it his all.
Mason is taking the opportunity to learn from some fantastic halves in the time he has spent with the club, and the growth he has shown in his game management is tremendous.
When the last tackle option fell to him, he was able to force repeat sets and put the Roosters under pressure which is what he needed to do.
100% goal kicking for the match as well as a try was a great way to cap off Mason's first ever first-grade win.
If Shaun ends up being out for more than just this week, I am confident that Mason can make the fans proud of his contribution.

Round 5 the Warriors return to Mount Smart to face the North Queensland Cowboys in an epic doubleheader on Saturday with the Melbourne Storm and West Tigers also playing at Mount Smart that night.
The crowd is bound to be a large one and will have some work to do to up the atmosphere that the Warriors fans in Sydney put on in Round 4 (big props to those fans, it sounded like a home game).
This match is the first of three in a row that the Warriors will play at home, and the Warriors need to make a statement.
The Cowboys and Broncos are next up for the Warriors, and both sides are not playing their best right now so now is the time for the Warriors to take advantage.

I'm picking the Warriors again here with a 10 point win over the Cowboys.
I honestly can't wait for this doubleheader, some quality players will be on display in both matches, and it should be a great night, rumours are that this will be a sellout so it will be awesome to be in packed Mount Smart once again.

So that was my take on a well-executed Round 4 performance, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who was your player of the day?
If Shaun is still struggling with his groin would you rest him again this week?
Was there any player that you think needs to improve after their Round 4 performance?
What is your score prediction for Round 5?