NZ Warriors 2020 Round 5 Review: Attack shines as Warriors impress in Central Coast

After a poor performance in round 4, the Warriors made their way back to their makeshift home ground of Central Coast Stadium to face the North Queensland Cowboys.

Last week I questioned the New Zealand sides lack of attack and had concerns that the Warriors wouldn't be able to create opportunities. The Warriors, however, showed up to play and put on their best performance of 2020 with a 37-26 victory.

Well, what a way to prove me wrong.

After scoring a measly 24 points in the first 4 rounds of the season the Warriors turned their attack around scoring 7 tries. It was a great performance in my eyes and hopefully is something that the side can keep up for the rest of the season.

The Warriors had a gameplan to combat Jason Taumalolo and the Cowboys, and it worked, the loss of Valentine Holmes and Jordan McLean to injury did not help the Cowboys, and you could see that they were getting fatigued. 

Still, credit must go to the Warriors for not letting up, there were moments when the game could have gone the other way, but the Warriors kept attacking.

The young players stepped up once again and continue to stake their claim for spots in the gameday 17 and with players like Ken Maumalo and David Fusitu'a due to return soon the side could starting climbing their way up the ladder.

Peta Hiku needs a mention, when he let Kyle Feldt score a soft try, I was pulling my hair out and screaming at the screen, but he didn't drop his head and went on to have a strong game scoring a hat-trick and made some good defensive reads.

There is still plenty of improvement needed in this side, but it's another step in the right direction, which leads me to my positives from the game.

The forward pack was strong once again with all the starting forwards running for over 100 metres, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown was a standout consistently bending the defensive line and threatening to breakthrough. Tohu Harris and Adam Blair performed well once again, and loan player Poasa Faamausili continues to impress. With such a young pack, it is going to be exciting to see how they all develop and could well become a dominating pack once they get some experience under their belt.

I have been very harsh on the Warriors halves this season but credit where credits due they really came to play. When Holmes got injured both Green and Nikorima changed up their attack and started to incorporate some chip kicks into the attack which really worked. As long as they can continue to offer a bit of dimension to their attack, then I am happy to see them continue playing together. They just need to play with the same intent each and every week.

The teams' defence improved this week, the biggest issue against the Panthers last week was the Warriors inability to wrap the ball carrier up; however this week they hit the forwards in groups and ensured that the Cowboys could not throw many offloads.

If the Warriors can continue to shut their opponent's second phase down, then the Warriors will give themselves plenty of chances to walk away with a victory.

There are still concerns; however, which leads me to my negatives from the game.

The Warriors cut down on their errors, but when they did make unforced errors in their own half, they allowed the Cowboys to capitalise and score some soft tries almost immediately from the scrum. 

I'm not sure if that is down to a weakness in the Warriors backline or the Cowboys just having some good set plays, but the Warriors will need to show the ball a bit more respect when they are stuck in their own half.

Lastly, the Warriors still need to work on their penalty count, they reduced it this match but only by one so fewer penalties in the game would help them stay in the fight. 

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My Warrior of the game goes to Kodi Nikorima.

This was Nikorima's best performance to date in a Warriors Jersey, speaking after the match Nikorima said he was told during the week by Stacey Jones to be greedy and run the ball.

Nikorima ended the match with 97 metres, 1 line break and 2 try assists and showed how dangerous a player he can be.

By simply engaging the defensive line, he creates holes and can put players into attacking situations. His combination with Eliesa Katoa on the left edge was particularly damaging and I look forward to that partnership building this season and beyond.

Plus when you throw Peta Hiku and Ken Mamalo on that edge too, it just screams try-time and could help the Warriors get back into the season.

If Nikorima can continue to play this more engaging and exciting style, then the Warriors will be all the better for it.

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My Warrior to improve goes to Jack Murchie.

It was hard to single out anyone in this match as I thought everyone played well, but I've gone with Murchie this week.

He was a bit quieter in comparison to the other forwards, only averaging 8 metres a carry and missing 2 tackles. It's clutching at straws, but with Agnatius Paasi ready to return, Murchie is the only player I would pick from this pack to be replaced by the veteran front-rower. 

Round 6 sees the Warriors face the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Bankwest Stadium.

The Rabbitohs suffered a 22-8 defeat to the Melbourne Storm and will be looking at making a statement against the New Zealand Side.

Latrell Mitchell looked good in defeat and will be dangerous if the Warriors don't reduce his impact on this match.

If the forwards have another strong showing and Nikorima continues his new found form, then the Warriors have a good chance to walk away winners here.

I think it will be a close match, but unfortunately, I think the Rabbitohs will be walking away with a narrow win here, so I am picking the Rabbitohs to win by 10.

So that was an improved Round 5, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How do you think the halves went?

Who was your player of the day?

Do you think the Warriors can deliver this type of performance regularly?

What is your score prediction for the Rabbitohs clash?

NZ Warriors 2020 Round 4 Review: Back to Earth for inconsistent Warriors

After achieving their first win for the 2020 season, the Warriors made their way to Campbell Stadium to face the Penrith Panthers.

Confidence was high that the New Zealand side had turned a corner after a poor start to the season with a near-perfect completion rate in round 3, but it wasn't to be as the Panthers defeated the Warriors with ease, handing them their 2nd scoreless loss of the season 26-0.

I will be honest, this was an unexpected performance, although the loss wasn't that much of a surprise it was the way the Warriors lost that caught me off-guard.

After a step forward last week, the Warriors have stepped backwards all the back to how they were performing pre-lockdown. 

This was the biggest worry for me, are the Warriors still the same struggling team we saw in the first two rounds that defeated a Dragons team that is even poorer than I initially thought?

I'm hopeful that this isn't the case and with the return of Agnatius Paasi, Ken Maumalo, Peta Hiku and David Fusitu'a that the Warriors will become a better outfit for the remainder of the season.

Unlike last week, there wasn't much to praise, but I did have a few highlights which leads me to my positives from the match.

Loan player Poasa Faamausili showed some promise in his debut for the club, he only had a limited stint, but he was aggressive with his ball running, averaging over 10 metres a carry. 

He bent the line at will and really helped the Warriors march up the field.

I also thought Hayze Perham had a solid game as a last-minute call up into the centres, he was reliable on defence and offered some spark on attack. It will be interesting to see what role Perham will play within the side when the injured backs return.

My last positive was the young forwards continuing to step up, they did not dominate the ruck like they did last week, but still showed heart and were getting the Warriors up the field. 

Unfortunately, once the forwards had done their part, the halves failed to take advantage but more on that below.

There was plenty to be concerned with, however, which leads me to my negatives from the game.

After making minimal errors last week, the Warriors let themselves down with 14 errors, on top of that the Warriors were penalised 7 times.

With the faster gameplay style, you mustn't give the opposition any piggybacks up the field, and every error or penalty is just another scoring opportunity given away.

The Warriors defence also had some issues, they missed 26 tackles but what was more concerning was the Warriors inability to wrap that Panthers ball runners up which leads to 18 offloads. 

If it was just Viliame Kikau getting away with the offloads, I might have given it a pass, but the Panthers had 9 separate players with at least one offload each. 

Wrapping the ball carriers arms up is an absolute must if the Warriors are to become competitive.

Lastly and in my mind, the biggest concern is the Warriors last tackle options, as mentioned above the Warriors were able to get themselves into the Panthers red zone. However, once the Warriors got there, they appeared to be out of ideas, which lead to much frustration while watching from home.

The Warriors kicking game offered no threat, The halves just don't appear to be on the same page and this, in turn, makes the backline appear disorganised.

I think the Stephen Kearney needs to make some adjustments to the Warriors spine immediately to reignite their lacklustre attack.

There is plenty to work on or the New Zealand side, but with some positional changes and attitude adjustments, the Warriors may be able to get themselves into the winners circle sooner rather than later.

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My Warrior of the match once again goes to Tohu Harris.

Tohu had another monster night with 224 running metres and 56 tackles. Harris is definitely flourishing now that he is 100% fit and I hope that he can continue performing at this level with it rubbing off on the other players in the squad. 

If a few more of the players can come up to his level, then the Warriors will automatically become a much better side.

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My Warrior to improve goes to Blake Green.

In both my season preview and season restart piece, I had not selected Green in my gameday 17, and so far this season I have not seen anything to convince me that he deserves the number 7 jersey. 

He is too predictable, and the Warriors are suffering as a result.

Green and Kodi Nikorima are not clicking, and I still would like to see how Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita would go together.

Green still has plenty to offer; however, I believe it is from the teacher side of things, passing on his extensive knowledge to the younger halves. 

But the Warriors need to find their spark, and that won't happen while Green is directing the side's attack.

Round 5 sees the Warriors back at Central Coast Stadium hosting the North Queensland Cowboys. 

The Cowboys also suffered a loss in Round 4 going down 26-16 to the Sharks but will be most likely welcoming back Jason Taumalolo and Coen Hess to the gameday 17.

Unless the Warriors make some changes fast I don't see them having a great night.

They will need to shut Taumalolo down as best as they can. Eliminate the Cowboys second phase and then throw some caution in the wind while on attack. 

One out running and throwing up a bomb or grubber on the last is not going to strike fear into the Cowboys defence. 

The Warriors should hopefully see the return of Maumalo and Hiku which will help strengthen the Warriors left edge attack and should direct some kicks that way.

I don't see the Warriors fortunes improving here, unfortunately, and I'm predicting the Cowboys winning here by 16.

Lastly, I was invited to co-host a rugby league show on New Zealand Sport Radio, and we had our first show last week. I thought it was a great first hit out and look forward to seeing the show grow.

It airs live on Facebook every Wednesday at 8pm.

The name of the show is currently pending (any suggestions would be much appreciated) but if you would like to show some support go like the Facebook page (click the below link) and tune in to the show every Wednesday.

New Zealand Sport Radio

https://www.facebook.com/nzsportradio/videos/285427629500756/

So that was a poor Round 4, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How do the Warriors get their attack on track?

What did you think of loan player Poasa Faamausili's debut?
Who was your player of the match?
What is your score prediction for the Cowboys clash?

NZ Warriors 2020 Round 3 Review: Warriors near perfection in Dragon slaying

After poor performances in round's 1 and 2 and an enforced 2-month break, the Warriors made their way to their makeshift home ground of Central Coast Stadium to face the St George Illawarra Dragons.

Many pundits (myself included) predicted another loss for the New Zealand side here, but the Warriors stepped up and made easy work of a struggling Dragons outfit getting their first win in 2020 with an 18-0 shut out.

The 2-month hiatus was perhaps a blessing in disguise. 

After the nines, preseason and first two rounds, it was clear that the Warriors were either not ready or had the wrong gameplan for 2020 and a trip back to the drawing board was needed.

And judging from the one game we have had the Warriors did look like a different, much-improved outfit.

The most significant difference between rounds 2 and 3 was the improvement of the forward pack, on paper the Warriors pack was severely lacking compared to the Dragons monster pack, but they didn't back down and this coupled with a much faster game style allowed the Warriors halves to get the backline involved on the attack.

This was the first time this season where the Warriors attack looked threatening and hopefully is a sign of more to come.

Don't go overboard though, this was just a win over a Dragons side that is in trouble, but the Warriors don't select the draw, they just need to continue to build self-belief and momentum as they head into some tougher matchups.

There is still plenty of improvement needed in this side, but they can hold their heads high after this match, which leads me to my positives from the game.

First up, the completion rate. The Warriors broke the NRL record for most completed sets in a match with 45. They also broke the most completions in a row record with 44 (the previous record was 39). They ended the game with a 96% completion rate and impressively were sitting at 100% right up until the last 5 minutes of the match.

This type of accuracy is not generally associated with the Warriors, but it was good to see that they were able to keep the silly errors that plagued them at the start of the season out of this match. The Warriors will want to keep the completion rate up but also look to increasing their scoring opportunities as while it's great to keep hold of the ball, it's not much use if you cannot get points on the board.

I mentioned it above, but the forwards had a monster game, size of the Warriors pack ran for over 100metres, and I cannot recall the last time you could say that about a Warriors team especially one that is missing some many players through injury.

Adam Blair had a strong game and showed why he should move into the front row permanently for the Warriors, he gets more involved in the games when he is in the middle. It also means young stars on the rise like Eliesa Katoa can get more minutes and strengthen the Warriors edge attack without Blair blocking the way.

I was also impressed with the Warriors fitness and discipline. With the new 6 again rule increasing the pace of the matches I was worried that the Warriors would be in trouble, I had visions of the Warriors get punished for holding on too long in the tackle and the Dragons just holding onto the ball for continuous back to back sets. However, the Warriors kept up with the pace and showed minimal signs of fatigue, time will tell if this is something the Warriors can keep up for the next 17 weeks.

This was also the first time the Warriors have held a team scoreless since 2006. Yes again it was against a lacklustre team, but the Warriors need to improve their points differential, so they need some more defensive efforts like this in the upcoming weeks.

Attitude is an integral part of any sides defensive performance. I think Ken Maumalo's try saving attempt on Mikaele Ravalawa displayed the attitude adjustment the team has, the game was already won. Warriors teams of old may have just let the Dragons score instead, so fingers crossed that this is a sign of more mentality tough Warriors outfit.

No game is perfect; however, which leads me to my negatives from the game.

I don't really only have one which is that I was surprised that Wayde Egan didn't run out of dummy half much, in fact, he only had three.

The Dragons were unable to adjust to the quicker game style. There were plenty of chances to take advantage of the Dragons slow markers by darting out of the ruck, Kodi Nikorima showed him how it was down later in the game, but Egan needs to start doing this too, or he may find himself out of the side.

Copyright Photo: Warriors.kiwi

My Warrior of the game goes to Tohu Harris.

Tohu Harris had a night to remember in his 150th NRL match, he lead the side in tackles with 48 and also ran for 212 metres. After an injury-plagued stint with the Warriors, Tohu is 100% healthy, and the Warriors are going to reap the benefits.

His experience will help develop the many exciting young forwards the Warriors currently have, and his playmaking skill adds another dimension that is sorely needed for the Warriors to thrive in 2020.

Copyright Photo: Stuff.co.nz

I don't have a Warrior to improve this week, but I want to give Eliesa Katoa a special mention.

This was only his 16th game of league ever, but it sure didn't look like it. He scored the first try of his career, but I'm sure there will be many more.

He ran hard, was hard to stop near the try line and also did not shy away from the defensive side of the game.

He is a star in the making, and I look forward to watching him develop this year.

Round 4 has the Warriors travelling to Campbelltown Stadium to face the Penrith Panthers.

The Panthers played to a draw against the Newcastle Knights this week but did not look overly impressive.

They still do not have Nathan Cleary, so this may be the best time for the Warriors to strike, they will need another big showing from their forward's, and if that happens then I think the Warriors have a good shot at walking away with the victory.

Judging from what I have seen from both sides this week I am going to go with a Warriors win by 8 points.

So that was a great Round 3, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How do you think the forward pack went?
Who was your player of the match?

Do you think the Warriors can deliver a similar performance against tougher opposition?
What is your score prediction for the Penrith clash?