Ingers League Wrap-Up 2022 Round 5 Match Report: Warriors 25 Cowboys 24

Scoreboard

Warriors 25
Tries: Jesse Arthars 10, Josh Curran 38, Kodi Nikorima 41, Euan Aitken 64
Goals: Reece Walsh 11, 40, 42, 65

Field Goal: Shaun Johnson 82

Cowboys 24
Tries: Tom Dearden 6, Scott Drinkwater 21, Kyle Feldt 34, Valentine Holmes 47
Goals: Valentine Holmes 16, 22, 35, 60

MATCH REPORT 

First Half

The Warriors had the first chance at points in the early stages after Shaun Johnson pushed a grubber into the in-goal; however, Jesse Arthars could not keep hold of it, handing the Cowboys a seven tackle set. The Cowboys troubled the home side with their offloading, creating several pieces of second-phase football. The New Zealand side struggled with their defensive reads, but Chanel Harris-Tavita forced a knock-on when he floored Chad Townsend; however, it was only a slight reprieve as the visitors wasted little time getting back into the Warrior's RedZone and found themselves the first to put points on the board when Tom Dearden evaded Josh Curran's tackle and darted across the line. The New Zealand side fought back and levelled the scores a few minutes when Arthars made up for his previous error by latching onto a Johnson short ball for the Warrior's first try of the evening; a Reece Walsh conversion handed the home side the lead. The sides settled into the grind and traded sets until Addin Fonua-Blake made the error of all errors, casually attempting to grab a Cowboys kick in goal and allowing Scott Drinkwater to pounce on it, handing the visitors back the lead. The New Zealand side found themselves under pressure due to some poor discipline but were able to keep the Cowboys out and get themselves into the visitor's half. Still, the hard work was undone when Murray Taulagi intercepted a Johnson cutout pass. He screamed down the pitch before being caught by Adam Pompey; with the Warrior's defensive line in tatters, the Cowboys spread the ball out wide for Kyle Feldt to score his side's third try of the night. The first half was winding to a close, but the Warriors still had a little bit of juice in the tank and got themselves in prime attacking position after Harris-Tavita nailed a 40/20; a plays later, Curren crossed the white line untouched for the home sides second try to see them go into the sheds trailing the Cowboys 18-12.

HALF-TIME: North Queensland Cowboys 18 New Zealand Warriors 12

Second Half

Taulagi went from hero to villain as soon as the second half started, dropping the kick-off and gifting the Warriors excellent field position. The home side levelled the scores moments later when Kodi Nikorima spied some poor goal-line defence and darted his way across to level the scores. An error by Bunty Afoa gave the Cowboys the ball back, and after back to back six again calls, a decision to run on the last proved successful when Valentine Holmes strutted over the line and, after a wrestle with Walsh, grounded the ball to regain the lead. Both sides went through a patch where they struggled to complete sets, making errors, but a penalty against Marcelo Montoya for a high shot, allowed the Cowboys to push their lead out by two. The Warriors made another error when Walsh dropped a kick defusal, but the Cowboys were unable to add to their lead; the home side had their turn to get a few six again calls, and they made the most of it when Euan Aitken bashed his way through to score, levelling the scores once again. Time was winding down, and both sides were desperate to get the win; with the Warriors attempting two field goals, Johnson had his charged down, and Walsh's sailed to the left. North Queensland had one last dash but could not get it done with the ball coming loose and Harris-Tavita diving on it. This saw the match go into Golden Point.

Golden Point

The Warriors started Golden Point with the ball in hand and unsuccessfully attempted two field goals on their first drive. The Cowboys marched up the field, but Townsend's attempt also missed; Walsh scooped up the ball and made a big run up the field. After a few one out runs, Wayde Egan fired the ball at Johnson, who had to step an offside defender before kicking his side to their third win in a row with an ugly field goal and a 25-24 victory.

FULL-TIME: New Zealand Warriors 25 North Queensland Cowboys 24

Warrior of the match Points

3 pts - Chanel Harris-Tavita, 2 pts - Euan Aitken, 1 pt - Josh Curran

My official review will be out on Monday, so keep an eye out for when that drops to get my opinion on the match.

NZ Warriors 2022 Round 4 Review: Warrior's improved effort reaps rewards against ill-disciplined Broncos

After Round three's ugly victory over the Tigers, the Warriors made the trip to their home away from home at Moreton Daily Stadium to face the Broncos. Both sides had something to prove here after less than stellar efforts last week but the Warriors put on their best performance of 2022 to walk away with a solid 20-6 win.

I decided to make some changes here, so I wrote a match report that was released straight after the game finished. I will write a match report each week that will be posted the night of the game so keep an eye out for that each week. If you haven't checked it out, click on the link below. 

My Match Report

Let's get back to my review.

My optimism was low after that last performance, but it got a boost during the week when Shaun Johnson was named to play. There were a few other changes before kickoff too, with Rocco Berry and Aaron Pene pulling out with Berry sick and Pene injured. This saw Ed Kosi coming onto the wing with Adam Pompey moving to the centres, while Ben Murdoch-Masila came onto the bench.  

The Warriors started the match quickly, scoring in the first five minutes and never looked in doubt for almost the entire game. Their forwards were all over a Broncos side that lacked discipline and respect for the ball. Almost everything that has concerned me about the Warriors so far this season was improved; still a long way to go, of course, but at least it looks like they could be heading in the right direction. 

I will admit that I was worried about the backline changes, Kosi showed his inexperience last season, and I have talked at length about how I don't see Pompey as a first-grade centre, but they both played well; Kosi was solid running the ball and had a few big moments on defence including a massive hit on Herbie Farnworth. Pompey also had a good afternoon; he kept Kotoni Staggs quiet and created some opportunities for Marcelo Montoya on the wing with some Hiku like flick passes.

Overall it just feels great to talk about a good win, and I have my fingers crossed for more of this in the future.

I enjoyed quite a bit about this performance, which leads to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

As a former front-rower, I am biased, but I loved the effort from the props this week; the Warriors always play better when their big men are getting the job done in the middle. The three main contributors were Addin Fonua-Blake (196m), Matt Lodge (175m) and Bunty Afoa (97m). Ben Murdoch-Masila was injured, so he did not get a lot of minutes, but he averaged 10m a carry, so he did his part while he was able. The Warriors need this effort week in and week out from the big boppers to keep their spot in the top eight.

Nathan Brown and the coaching staff adjusted the game plan, and it worked wonders, gone was the constant looking for second phase football and front-rowers looking to throw short balls instead of bending the line, and in its place were hard runs up the middle of the field before shifting wide. It's a simple game plan, but it works when you have size up the middle and an experienced half that can direct the attack. The expansive style relies heavily on confidence, and that's something the Warriors don't have right now, so after a few solid performances together, we may see that style sneak back in with better success. 

Lastly, the return of Johnson, this side just looks and performs so much better with him out there. I mentioned it briefly when asked why I gave SJ the third spot in my Warriors of the round (behind AFB and Reece Walsh), but I explained that there were several times when momentum looked to be swinging in the Bronco's favour, and you could see Johnson out there talking and settling the side and keeping them focused. The side did not look confused or lost, and as long as he keeps that up, I will be more confident in the Warrior's chances every week. This is that leadership that has been missing that I discussed last week.

However, it wasn't a perfect performance, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The edge defence has been the Warrior's most significant weakness this season, but they were able to shut down Farnworth and Staggs for most of the match. Missed tackles still concern me; they missed 31 in this match, but there was better decision-making, and keeping the Broncos to only one try is fantastic, especially when that try was a piece of solo brilliance from Adam Reynolds. More welcomed signs, and hopefully, it means that missed tackles will soon disappear from my negatives sections.

Errors are a current issue for many teams, with eight other sides making more errors than the Warriors so far. The Warriors did reduce their errors, making only 10 this week, but they are still too high for my liking. I expect the error rate to continue to drop with the new game plan, and it will need to as the Warriors begin a run of tough challenges from Round 6 against sides that will punish them for each dropped ball.

Lastly, after a promising start, the Warrior's attack still lacked. They were held tryless in the second half but did have a few shots down the edges. It was the first game with the preferred spine, and I liked what I saw; they just need time to build cohesion. Once they are all comfortable in their roles and with each other, watch the points start to flow. Johnson and Walsh will be a joy to watch play together every week.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake. AFB was a monster in this game with his 197 running metres, 26 tackles with no misses and zero errors. 

Having SJ return and help in the leadership department allowed AFB to take some pressure off, and you saw it in his improved performance. He is one of the top front-rowers in the game right now, running for the most metres by any forward to date this year and second only to Payne Haas in post-contact metres. I loved that he has re-signed with the club already, and if he keeps playing at this level, he will go down as one of the Warrior's best forwards ever. 

Warrior to Improve

I couldn't pick a Warrior to improve this week, they all impressed me, and some did not get the required minutes to review their performance.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 5 sees the Warriors stay in Redcliffe to face the Cowboys, who, after starting the season strong, came crashing back to earth with a humbling 28-4 defeat to the Roosters in Round 4. They will be looking for a bounceback here, so it will be a tough matchup for the Warriors.

I would keep the squad the same here; jazz Tevaga is set to be suspended for at least two weeks, so in his absence, I would move Josh Curran back to lock and bring Eliesa Katoa back to the second row.

If the Warriors can build on the platform, they set in Round 4, getting the forwards rolling up the middle it will allow Johnson the time and space needed to get his backline into scoring positions as well as some more work on their defensive structures then they should make it three in a row. 

Optimistic Brad is back, so I am picking the Warriors to win this match by 16.

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

What did you think of the spines' first game together?
Would you keep the same 17 for Round 5?
Did you have a player to improve?
What is your score prediction against the Cowboys?

Ingers League Wrap-Up 2022 Round 4 Match Report: NZ Warriors 20 vs Brisbane Broncos 6

Scoreboard

Warriors 20
Tries: Jesse Arthars 4, 21, Marcelo Montoya 35
Goals: Reece Walsh 5, 22

Penalty Goals: Reece Walsh 71, 77

Broncos 6
Tries: Adam Reynolds 27,
Goals: Adam Reynolds 28, 

Sin Bin: Thomas Flegler 20, Jake Turpin 75

MATCH REPORT 

First Half

Both sides started the match better than they did last round, trading sets without errors. The Broncos had the first scoring threat when Tesi Niu attempted a chip and chase that Reece Walsh defused. A penalty against the Broncos handed the Warriors good field position, and they wasted little time, scoring on the right edge when Jesse Arthars latched onto a Shaun Johnson cutout pass. Another penalty against Brisbane on the next set saw the Warriors back on attack deep in the visitor's territory, but they were unable to convert it to points with the ball going to ground when they pushed out to the right; Corey Oates scooped up the ball and made a break before being dragged down by Walsh. Brisbane had a few set restarts to help them march down the field but let the Warriors off the hook with a handling error from Selwyn Cobbo. The sides traded sets with neither able to get the upper hand, the Warriors forced a repeat set, but the Broncos recovered the short dropout to keep the pressure on the home side. The errors started to creep in for both clubs, with neither being able to complete a set for a stint. Brisbane had a chance with some space outside, but Herbie Farnworth dropped the ball after a monster hit from Ed Kosi; not long after that, the Broncos looked close to scoring again after getting a scrum deep in the Warrior's RedZone, but their hands let them down. The New Zealand side marched up the field on the back of some strong runs by their forwards. They were given another penalty that saw Thomas Flegler sent to the bin. With the one-man advantage, the home side clicked into gear and were over the try line again, with Arthars scoring his second after Walsh spun his way out of a tackle before throwing a cutout pass. The Broncos survived the next set, and after a penalty against Jazz Tevaga were in the Warrior's half again; Adam Reynolds stepped up and got his side on the scoreboard, pushing a grubber through and picking it up to score. A penalty against Walsh for his kickoff going out on the full handing Brisbane a chance to level the scores, but it was left hanging with another handling error, this time by Billy Walters. Back-to-back penalties against the Warriors saw Brisbane on attack in good field position, but a Marcelo Montoya hit on Kotoni Staggs saw the visitors lose possession again. Montoya found himself involved once again moments later, latching onto an Adam Pompey flick pass to cross for the Warrior's third try of the afternoon. The New Zealand side was not done yet as a Tevaga offload saw Walsh dart down the field before shifting the ball to Chanel Harris-Tavita, who then passed to Adam Pompey. The Broncos scrambled and managed to keep the Warriors contained with a Pompey flick pass going over the sidelines as the first half started to wind to a close, seeing the New Zealand side go into the sheds with a 16-6 lead.

HALF-TIME: New Zealand Warriors 16 Brisbane Broncos 6

Second Half

The Broncos started the second half better, completing their first set and doing some damage with a few breaks on the back of some quality offloads. They kept the pressure on with their next set and were close to scoring when Oates dived in the corner, but he could not place the ball in the field of play. The Warriors started to get back into the contest, but their momentum waned as a head clash saw Wayde Egan busted open, and the game stalled. Once the game got back underway, the Warriors looked to be building to another try-scoring opportunity; however, Walsh lost the ball in contact. Both sides started trading sets again, with the Broncos looking the more dangerous with the ball in hand with a few half breaks that were stopped by either scrambling defence or unforced errors. The home side sustained the pressure and ran with intent but could not turn it into points. An untimely error from Cobbo handed the Warriors great field position; however, it almost went to waste when a Walsh no-look pass went to ground; Kosi managed to regather it and earn his side a penalty when Farnworth dragged him over the sideline after the tackle had been completed. Luck was on the Warrior's side when they tried to push a pass on the next set as Oates intercepted it but dropped the ball. That luck ran out as Josh Curran dropped a short ball as the Bronco's goal-line defence stayed strong. Both clubs took turns having brain snaps, with Brisbane handing the ball to a forward on the last tackle and the Warriors kicking early via a Curran grubber. The home side kept control of the match and earnt a repeat set after Johnson kicked a grubber through and almost nabbed it for himself before Oates managed to bat it over the dead-ball line. The Warriors were building pressure and gained another penalty when Flegler was pinged for another hip drop tackle which saw Ben Murdoch-Masila injured; Walsh kicked the penalty to push the lead out to 12. With momentum heavily in the New Zealand side's favour, they kept knocking on Brisbane's door and were given another penalty when Jake Turpin held onto the tackle for too long; this saw the hooker sent to the bin while Walsh pushed the lead out again. As full-time was drawing near, the Broncos had one last attempt as Cobbo streaked down the sideline, but he was carried over the line by a solid defensive effort by Montoya. The Warriors played safe one-out football as they watched the timed run out as the final whistle blared, getting their second win in a row with a much better performance as they defeated the Broncos 20-6.

FULL-TIME: New Zealand Warriors 20 Brisbane Broncos 6

Warrior of the match Points

3 pts - Addin Fonua-Blake, 2 pts - Reece Walsh, 1 pt - Shaun Johnson

My official review will be out on Monday, so keep an eye out for when that drops to get my opinion on the match.