Ingers League Wrap-Up 2022 Round 14 Match Report: Sharks 38 Warriors 16

Scoreboard

New Zealand Warriors 16

Tries: Reece Walsh 6, Wayde Egan 11, Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak 52

Goals: Reece Walsh 7, 12

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 38

Tries: Sione Katoa 14, 33, 76, Siosifa Talakai 17, Ronaldo Mulitalo 23, 58, Matt Moylan 33, William Kennedy 62

Goals: Nicho Hines 23, 33, 64

MATCH REPORT 

First Half

After yet another turbulent week which resulted in Nathan Brown leaving the Warriors midweek, the coaching role being handed to Warriors legend Stacey Jones, the home side had an arduous task ahead of them if they wanted to get his head coach career started on a positive note against a dangerous Sharks outfit.

An incorrect play the ball from Jesse Ramien handed the Warriors a scrum on the halfway line. The New Zealand side had a few attempts at the try line but were held out by some tough Sharks defence.

The tough defence continued when Ramien cut Marcelo Montoya in half, but the visitors gave away a penalty for an illegal strip which handed the ball back to the Warriors. The home side showed some promise with solid runs up the middle before Reece Walsh sold a dummy pass and crossed for the night's first try.

Walsh was involved again moments later, deciding to let a Sharks kick go over the dead-ball line before a rough bounce forced him to grab it and dive into the field of play. Another Cronulla penalty got the Warriors out of their half, and they were over for their second try when Wayde Egan spied some slow markers and sniped out of the ruck before reaching out and touching the try line.

After the slow start, the Sharks got back into the contest after surging up the field before Nicho Hines kicked to the right edge; Ramien tapped the ball back to Briton Nikora, who quickly shifted it to Sione Katoa to score in the corner.

Adam Pompey was penalised on the next play for his kickoff going over the dead-ball line on the full, which saw the Sharks in the driver's seat once again, and they wasted little time moving the ball from right to left before Siosifa Talakai took Rocco Berry on and bashed his way over the line. Hynes missed his second conversion attempt, which saw the Warriors hold onto a 12-8 lead. Chanel Harris-Tavita was taken to the sidelines with an HIA after a head knock in the leadup to that try.

The Sharks looked ready to scorch up the field again, but a forward pass let the Warriors off the hook, but it wasnt without a price as Ben Murdoch-Masila was carried to the sidelines after injuring his arm in the tackle leading up to the forward pass.

The sides traded knock-ons; however, the Sharks challenged the call but were unsuccessful, but it didn't matter as they got the ball back on the next play when Jack Murchie was penalised for an incorrect play the ball. With momentum firmly on their side, Cronulla sent the ball to the left, spying an overlap that saw Ronaldo Mulitalo cross untouched for the visitor's third try and the lead.

After another penalty against the Sharks, the Warriors started to show some attacking threat again, and Walsh put a kick into the in-goal but could not get to it before it dribbled over the dead-ball line.

Another error from the Warriors deep in their half when Euan Aitken offloaded the call to Chanel Harris-Tavita, who could not secure it. Cronulla went to the left again before Matt Moylan took the line on and got across the try line for the Shark's fourth try in a row, extending their lead to eight.

A crusher penalty against Wade Graham saw the Warriors get to start a set inside the Sharks half, and after some promising runs from the forwards, the New Zealand side showed off some fair with a few offloads, but Cronulla's scrambling defence kept them out. Shaun Johnson kicked to the right edge on the last, but Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak tapped it back, but it went over the sideline. The Warriors followed that up with a penalty which saw the Sharks surge up the field before sending Katoa over in the corner for his second try as the half-time siren sounded, with the visitors going into the sheds with a twelve-point lead.

HALF-TIME: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 New Zealand Warriors 12

Second Half

The second half did saw the scoring slow down; the Warriors looked sure to score after the Sharks gave away two penalties and a six again call on the same drive; the New Zealand side's attack started to ask questions of the Sharks defence, and they had a numbers advantage on the right edge, but Rocco Berry decided to keep hold of the ball on the last tackle instead of passing to his unmarked winger, the Sharks wrapped the centre up in another display of their excellent goal-line defence.

The home side was back at it again a few moments later, making some in-roads with some second-phase football before quickly heading to the right edge again; Bayley Sironen skipped Berry this time and sent it straight to Watene-Zeleaniak who showed some tremendous acrobatic skills as he flipped his way over the try-line.

The Warriors made another error but regathered the ball back after the Sharks also dropped the ball; the official called the playback due to no advantage being played. The Warriors challenged the original knock-on but were denied by the bunker. Cronulla got themselves back on track and sent the ball to the left for Mulitalo, who dived over in the corner. The decision was sent up to the bunker, and while it looked close, they deemed that the winger managed to keep in the field of play, and he was awarded his second try of the night.

The Sharks kept the pressure on, and Ramien pushed through a quick which went directly to Walsh, but he could not contain it, juggling the ball several times before losing it. William Kennedy lept at the loose ball, grounding it for Cronulla's seventh try of the night.

Mulitalo made an error which saw the Warriors get some favourable field position, but they struggled to get through Cronulla's defence; Josh Curran put a grubber through, and despite being hit without the ball, the Warriors did not get another penalty, and the Sharks got themselves quickly towards halfway.

The Warriors had a scrum at halfway in the final minutes of the pass, and a wayward pass from Walsh went to the ground before being scooped up by Katoa, who ran fifty metres to dot down for his third try and the Shark's eighth for the night.

The home side had one last attempt, and getting points on the board, Walsh threw an offload to Watene-Zeleaniak, who then kicked it towards the corner, but it went out before he could get to it. That would be the match's final play as the final whistle was blown with the Sharks winning in comprehensive style.

FULL-TIME: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 38 New Zealand Warriors 16

Warrior of the match Points

3 Pts - Wayde Egan,  2 Pts - Reece Walsh, 1 Pt - Jazz Tevaga 

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 13 Review: Season goes from bad to worse after Sea Eagles dominate woeful Warriors

 

After their frustrating Round 12 defeat to the Knights, the Warriors travelled to 4 Pines Park to face the Manly Sea Eagles minus their Origin stars. The Warriors were never in the contest as the Sea Eagles dominated them all over the park as they cruised to a 44-12 victory, handing them their fifth loss in a row in what is arguably their worst season to date.

For a breakdown of how the match went, check out my match report at the link below.

Ingers League Wrap-Up Round 13 Match Report

The worst season to date may sound overly dramatic, but I haven't felt this low as a Warriors fan in some time, if not ever. It's clear that something is broken within this organisation, and I don't even know where they start to get things fixed, but as the saying goes, it all starts at the top. 

I think fans can take a loss if they see some effort from the side, but it looks like the team has given up, and if they don't look at themselves in the mirror and hold each other accountable, then one-sided defeats will be their future for some time.

This match was just frustrating to watch, you can see that some players are giving it their all, but so many of them looked checked out. Besides a few brief patches, this game was a training run for Manly. Their big boys were devastating up the middle, and the Warrior's defence left plenty to be desired. Throw in all the errors and ill-discipline, and it's fortunate that Manly didn't score more points; this team is no longer a team, they are a bunch of individuals out there doing their own thing, and significant changes need to be made. Either drop some of the underperformers and give some fringe players a shot or have an honesty session and clear the air before they sink even further.

There wasnt much to smile about this week, but I managed to find some glimmers of hope, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

I have to give credit to the few players that looked to be giving it a 100%, Jazz Tevaga, Reece Walsh, Tohu Harris, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Marcelo Montoya, Wayde Egan and Euan Aitken. While they may not have had the best game, they were making an effort. If the rest of the 17 followed in their footsteps, they might have been at least a little competitive.

Josh Curran is set to return this week, and the team needs him now more than ever. He was one of the best on the pitch week in and week out before his injury, and while he may be a bit rusty in his return, you can expect a lift in the side with him being out there.

However, I had plenty of concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.

Match Negatives

The Warrior's attack continued to be atrocious, the lack of impact from the forwards did not make things easy, but there was no communication at all. They struggled to complete sets, and when they did, they weren't getting anywhere near the Sea Eagles' try line. Talking and working together is the key; troops are down right now, but there is enough talent out there to at least ask questions of the opposition defence. The experienced heads in the backline need to start stepping up; otherwise, they may as well go down to reserve grade.

If the lack of attack wasn't bad enough, the Warrior's errors and penalties ensured they would never get in the fight. They made ten errors and gave away ten penalties, and each one was just a massive let off for the Sea Eagles. I know some of the penalties were a bit harsh, so I will only say that as poor as the officiating may be, the Warriors have to adjust their style to the referee that is calling the shots, but how Grant Aitken just gave Martin Taupau his try as I still think it wasnt a try.

The errors were more of the same schoolboy mistakes that we are used to the Warrior's delivering in 2022. Have more respect for the ball and, probably, more importantly, some respect for themselves, their teammates and the fans.

Lastly, my pet peeve, the Warriors missed 43 tackles in this match. Manly was having a field day out there, casually running 60-70 metres a set with the Warriors resorting to jersey grabbing tackles on the big forwards. It looked like children against men out there, and it is all down to attitude and trust; the communication I want to see on attack also moves across to defence. Keep vocal, talk to the men on either side of you and hit your assignments.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Reece Walsh.

It was difficult to highlight a player this week, and I kept going back to the young fullback. His game was by no means excellent; he made some poor defences reads and that horrible intercept pass that saw Jason Saab run the length of the field to score. However, he did set up the first Warriors try and was one of the only players to ask questions of Manly's defensive line, running for a team high 137 metres. He just needs to get his hands on the ball more and stop rushing; his mistakes will come down if he stops running around like a headless chicken.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Shaun Johnson.

Johnson is playing like a shadow of his former self right now; I'm not sure what is happening with him as he is better than what he is delivering right now. He was out of sync with the rest of the side, and his kicking wasnt as accurate as the side needed. 

The most significant sign of how much he is struggling was that the only times the Warriors looked dangerous on attack was when he was left out of the plays and CHT and Walsh took over. 

He can do better, and the team and fans need him to bounce back.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 14 sees the Warriors travel back to Moreton Daily Stadium to face the Sharks, who had a bye in Round 13.

Regarding the side that I would pick, I would be making some changes.

In the backs, I would give SJ a week to think and bring Daejarn Asi into partner with CHT; I would also move Euan Aitken to the centres to replace Rocco Berry.

I would bring Curran into Aitken's spot and promote Bunty Afoa to the starting front row in the forwards. I still want to see Pride Petterson-Robati get his shot as he is ready for first grade, so I would bring him in for Jack Murchie.

Predicting this match isn't that hard for me anymore as I have lost plenty of confidence in this Warriors outfit in the past month. The Sharks may have a few players missing after origin, but they will still be a tough challenge. The Warrior's defence is a huge concern, and I think that will cost them here, so I am picking the Sharks to win by 18.

So that was an embarrassing Round 13, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Have the Warriors hit rock bottom, or will it get worse?

What changes would you make to the game day 17?

How would you start trying to fix the Warriors?

What is your score prediction against the Sharks?

Ingers League Wrap-Up 2022 Round 13 Match Report: Sea Eagles 44 Warriors 12

Scoreboard

New Zealand Warriors 12

Tries: Jack Murchie 53, Bunty Afoa 75

Goals: Reece Walsh 53, 75

Manly Sea Eagles 44

Tries: Toafofoa Sipley 4, Haumole Olakau'atu 10, Martin Taupau 25, Josh Schuster 28, Reuben Garrick 61, 72, Jason Saab 77

Goals: Ruben Garrick 5, 12, 19, 27, 44, 63, 73, 78

MATCH REPORT 

First Half

In a must-win match for both sides, the game started with some intense running which saw Tolutau Koula floored by a rampaging Marcelo Montoya and sent off for an HIA. An escort penalty against the Warriors on their try line handed Manly the chance they needed, scoring via former Warrior Toafofoa Sipley, who burrowed over the line at the four-minute mark.

The Sea Eagles looked dangerous with the ball in hand, and after a strong run from Haumole Olakau'atu, which saw the second rower fend Chanel Harris-Tavita off his feet, they earnt a repeat set and were over for their second try moments later when Olakau'atu crashed over after Lachlan Croker faked to the left and threw him a short ball on the right.

The Warriors were being starved of possession, but when they finally got their hands on it, they did themselves no favours with Jack Murchie dropping a Shaun Johnson short ball. Manly looked to have dropped it a few plays later, but successfully, Captain Challenged the call; they kicked towards Montoya on the last and were penalized for contacting the Warriors winger in the air.

The Warriors made another error on the first hit up after the penalty, with Euan Aitken losing the ball in the tackle. Manly was back in the hunt, and Olakau'atu was damaging again, flattening Montoya in a hit that saw the winger sent for an HIA. The New Zealand side gave away an escort penalty which saw Ruben Garrick extend his side's lead by two with a penalty goal.

Manly's dominance continued with another surge up the field before Garrick put a grubber through that he attempted to dive on but was just beaten by Wayde Egan. The bunker took a look and deemed that Bunty Afoa had held onto Garrick, which saw the front rower sent to the bin. On the very next play, Martin Taupau took a simple hit up and found himself on the try line for Manly's third. The Bunker was called upon again, and while it looked like the front rower had not got there, they advised that there was not enough evidence to take the try away. They continued to twist the knife, running the field's length with a nice display of second-phase football on the next set and scoring another try when Josh Schuster crashed over in the corner.

The Warriors found themselves in Manly's half with the ball in hand for the first time but gave away another penalty, this time for obstruction. Nothing was going the New Zealand's side's way, and it finally started to show some effect as the half came to a close with Montoya starting a push fight with Sean Keppe before another scuffle started in the final seconds between Morgan Harper and Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak, seeing the half end with Manly well in front with the Warriors needed a massive effort to get back into the contest.

HALF-TIME: Manly Sea Eagles 24 New Zealand Warriors 0

Second Half

The Sea Eagles continued to manhandle the Warriors straight out of the gates in the second half. Their forwards were causing plenty of headaches, and Olakau'atu carried multiple defenders for four or five metres before the Warriors illegally stripped the ball; Garrick took a penalty goal to increase the home side's lead to 26.

The Warriors started to show some life, managing to cruise up the field with the assistance of a six again call. Wayde Egan sniped out of dummy-half and was close to scoring before the Warriors put a kick up on the last, which Murchie caught, but he was prevented from scoring in a valiant effort from Harper, keeping the visitors scoreless. Harper got involved again on the Warrior's next set, preventing another try when he stopped Rocco Berry in the corner on the last tackle.

A Reece Walsh linebreak sprung the Warriors into life when he was able to shift the ball to Murchie, who made up for his last effort by grounding the ball. Getting points on the board added a bit more sting into the Warrior's defence, and they managed to force a Manly error and get back into a scoring position with Walsh causing plenty of problems for Manly. A Shaun Johnson grubber earned a repeat set, but a miscommunication saw them unable to convert it into points when Johnson threw a wayward pass to Watene-Zelezniak.

Momentum swung back to the home side when Harper bolted into open space after spying Johnson napping at marker; the centre drew Walsh in before sending Garrick over for their fifth try of the night. After marching up the field, the Warriors showed some fight and spent several sets on Manly's try line, but the defence was too strong, and eventually, the Warriors made an error when Watene-Zeleaniak dropped a Walsh pass.

The pain for Warriors fans continued when Croker put a kick up, which hit Berry in the head before being dived on by Garrick for his second try of the night; after his conversion, his 22 points became the record for most points scored by a Sea Eagle in a match against the Warriors, and there was still five minutes to go.

Josh Schuster made an error, handing the ball back to the New Zealand side, and after a strong run from Ben Murdoch-Masila, Afoa crashed over for the Warrior's second try. They were right back in the thick of it, going all the way up the field before earning a penalty when Pompey was tackled without the ball; this saw them in great field position to add another try, but that was extinguished when Jason Saab snatched a Walsh pass, and no one was going to stop the speedster as he strolled down the field for the home sides seventh try.

With time running out, Walsh attempted a kick and chase; however, it was defused by Manly, who took the tackle as the final siren sounded, seeing the home side break a three game losing streak with a well-deserved win but see a fifth loss in a row added to the visitors in what was a poor performance.

FULL-TIME: Manly Sea Eagles 44 New Zealand Warriors 12

Warrior of the match Points

3 Pts - Reece Walsh,  2 Pts - Tohu Harris, 1 Pt - Chanel Harris-Tavita

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