NZ Warriors 2023 Round 7 Review: Warriors remain undefeated at Home in Gritty win over Cowboys

 

After last week's disappointing defeat to the Knights, the Warriors returned to Mount Smart to face the North Queensland Cowboys for the second time this season.

I predicted a 12-point win for the Warriors here, but I was off by a few points as they overcame plenty of adversity (some of it self-inflicted) to win 22-14.

What Went Down

Playing in an Mt Smart Stadium filled with almost 24,000 fans, the Warriors dug deep in defence to keep the Cowboys at bay despite having to make 80 more tackles.

It took the Warriors just four minutes to get the ball rolling when Addin Fonua-Blake powered over from close range after an Adam Pompey intercept had put the home side on the attack.

The Cowboys hit back in the 19th minute after mounting plenty of pressure on the back of Shaun Johnson, putting a short dropout out on the full and a string of six-again calls.

In his first game back from a knee injury, Taulagi finished off some slick inside work from centre Peta Hiku, who scooped up a bouncing ball and put it on a platter for the Maroons flyer to grab his second try of the season.

The Warriors extended their lead on the half-hour mark when Marcelo Montoya surged into the backfield and got a great offload away for Edward Kosi to score.

Taulagi looked to have made it a double in the 33rd minute but some desperation defence from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad forced him into touch.

The Warriors fullback was penalised for the tackle, and the Cowboys earned a line dropout when Scott Drinkwater grubbered into the in-goal, and Watene-Zelezniak had to knock the ball dead.

With two minutes to play in the half, the Cowboys hit back through Maroons star Reuben Cotter when he brushed through some flimsy Warriors defence to make it 10-8 at the break.

The opening 10 minutes of the second half was all the Cowboys as they peppered the line, but the Warriors showed remarkable resilience to defend their line and went the length of the field in one set to score through Josh Curran off a Johnson short ball.

A brilliant Cowboys try scored by Val Holmes off a Drinkwater grubber levelled the scores at 14-14 to set up a grandstand finish with 22 minutes to play.

Two minutes later, Kyle Feldt looked to have snatched the lead for the Cowboys when he dived into the corner, but Peta Hiku was ruled offside in the kick chase, and the Warriors were off the hook.

In a see-sawing contest, the Warriors hit the front when Johnson put in a grubber which was blocked by Nanai, the ball rebounding back to the veteran No.7, who found Dylan Walker to cross for his first try of the season. Johnson converted to make it 20-14.

A penalty against Drinkwater for knocking Kosi off the ball gave Johnson a chance to make it an eight-point lead, but he missed the kick.

Drinkwater then went for a short dropout and kicked out on the full, giving Johnson a shot from in front to make it 22-14 to the Warriors and from there, they hung on for their fifth win of the season.

My Thoughts

Well, it wasn't a pretty watch, but the Warriors dug deep and got a much-needed win despite being behind in almost all the stats. There was a step in the right direction with some aspects of the Warriors' performance, but unfortunately, there were a few steps back in other areas. Still, as I said last week, it is all fixable, and the one constant this side has is its grit; no matter the situation, this team doesn't make excuses and refuses to give up on each other. 

We have yet to see an 80-minute performance from the Warriors in 2023, but sitting here with a 5-2 record with the knowledge that there is still lots of improvement to come makes me a very excited fan.

The next three rounds will be tough; matches against the Storm, Roosters, and Panthers is a rough stretch, but this will show us where this side sits in the 2023 NRL landscape.

 Before I move on, I just want to mention that seeing Mount Smart full of fans once again is fantastic; the atmosphere you get from a packed-out house there makes it an intimidating place for other clubs to visit, and I hope that the fans continue to show up and turn it into a fortress. 

There was plenty to be proud of, leading to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

Finally, the Warriors had a decent start and scored first. I am unsure if the coaching staff have figured out how to fix it or if the Warriors have found the starting lineup to hit the ground running. They still made a few errors in the opening minutes, but their defence didn't fold like the previous weeks, and they showed patience with the ball in hand and got the rewards. Starting well will be integral if they want to beat the big boppers in the next three weeks, as those top-tier teams are too dangerous if you give them a headstart, so I am a bit more confident in how the Warriors will fare now that we have seen a good start. 

The middle showed some improvement this week, with Addin Fonua-Blake (141m, Jazz Tevaga (115m) and Tohu Harris (112m) leading the way. The Warriors look more dangerous with the ball in hand when Harris is out there, adding his short passing game. With AFB and Tevaga doing the hard yards up front, it softened the Cowboys, which allowed Bunty Afoa and Tom Ale to make an impact when they entered the match. Afoa relished in his return to his bench role, and hopefully, this is a sign that he is returning to his previous form. Shaun Johnson has been excellent this season, but if the Warriors want to see that continue, they need their boys in the middle to keep building pressure; we know they have bigger gas tanks than most of the other team's middle's, so if they can increase their input things are going to head in the right direction.

I've said it a lot already this year, but the Warriors' goal-line defence has been impressive, and this match was no exception. Bar letting a soft try in from Ruben Cotter, the Warriors were able to keep the Cowboys out despite having to endure several repeat sets several times throughout the match. Now it wasnt the best night out for the Cowboys, I have to admit, but I have been so used to watching the Warriors crumble under pressure in the past that I still get nervous when I see the referee wave his hand for the six again, but this sides mental toughness is something else, and it's a joy to watch.

However, some things concerned me, bringing me to my negative from the game.

Match Negative

The Warriors had a poor night regarding ball control, ending the night with 10 errors. Some were just schoolboy errors and could have changed the outcome if they weren't so good at defending their mistakes. Many of them just came from trying to rush the plays, so if they slow down a little and trust the game plan, life will be much easier for them. They need to show more respect for the ball when they face these big teams coming up, as I'm not sure they will be so lucky against them.

Discipline was another poor area; the Warriors were penalised 7 times and had 5 ruck infringements go against them. Much like the errors, the Warriors cannot afford to let teams off the hook with these. They were a bit hard done by on some of the calls, but that just comes with the territory for the Warriors. Each referee is different, but the team needs to adjust as soon as they get a read of how the official calls the match; I know it's not easy, but it just has to be done.

Lastly was the bench; I trust Andrew Webster, but I am still trying to understand why Taine Tuaupiki was named on the bench and not used. It allowed the Warriors an extra forward interchange, but they used that by sending Afoa out for the final 3 minutes, which didn't do much. I'm not a fan of having a player sit on the bench just in case, so I would have preferred to see it used for another forward, plus Tuaupiki may have learnt a bit staying with first grade, but I would have liked to see him get some game time with the reserve grade team instead of riding the pine. With some players returning this week, Im sure we won't see this again for some time or at least I hope it doesn't.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Marcelo Montoya.

There were a few players I think that could have gotten the nod here, but It was a strong outing for Montoya in his move into the centres; he set up Kosi's try with a fantastic run fending off defenders at will, and the rest of the match, he ran hard like we have come to expect from every week. 

He kept Peta Hiku quiet, too and also had an error-free night. With DWZ returning and Kosi not putting a foot wrong so far this season, we may see Montoya remain in the centres for a while. He has been one of the Warrior's most consistent backs this season, and as his confidence grows, I expect him to reach another level.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

It was hard to pick a player again this week, most players made some mistakes, but they all made up for it in the end, so I am settling on DWZ.

It was his first game of the year, and it's fair to say he was rusty; he had some solid runs. 

However, the Cowboys targeted him throughout the night, and for the most part, Taulagi had his number. Made a few errors which put the side under pressure, but he had got some runs on the board now, so I expect a better performance this week.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round eight sees the Warriors head back across the ditch for their annual ANZAC Day clash against a Storm side that went down 18-8 to the Sea Eagles in Round 7.

Regarding the team, I would pick; The Warriors should have Wayde Egan, Marata Niukore and Brayden Wiliame all available. I would keep the backs exactly the same, but in the pack, I would bring Egan back in for Lussick and Niukore back to the second row. My bench would be Sironen, Ale, Afoa and Curran, with Tuaupiki dropping out.

The Warriors have struggled in the ANZAC match for a long time, the last time they won this annual clash was in 2014, and I still get nightmares from the 70-10 defeat last season. This is a great chance to see how different this Warriors outfit is; the Storm have yet to find their groove but are always a dangerous side. The Warriors have shown us plenty of grit this season, and I hope they can get the job done, but unfortunately, the Storm has too much strike power, so I think they will be victorious, so I'm picking the Storm to win by 16.

So that was a nerve-racking Round 7, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

How confident are you in the Warriors getting through the next three rounds with some wins?

Who would your gameday 17 be?

Where do you realistically see the Warriors sitting on the ladder at the end of the season?

What is your score prediction against the Storm?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 6 Review: No Fairytale Comeback As Slow-Start & Errors End Warriors' Streak

After last week's impressive comeback victory over the Sharks, the Warriors stayed across the ditch, heading to McDonald Jones Stadium to face the Newcastle Knights for the second time this season.

I predicted an 18-point win for the Warriors here, but unfortunately, another poor start saw the Warriors have to play catch-up; however, they could not create back-to-back comeback miracles and went down 34-24.

What Went Down

It was a packed McDonald Jones Stadium for the Easter Sunday night clash between the Knights and Warriors. 

Dominic Young continued from where he finished last week, scoring the opening try and having a major influence on Greg Marzhew’s try, with the Knights taking a 22-6 lead into the break.

Crucially, Charnze Nicoll-Kloskstad was denied a try by the Bunker at 16-6 for obstruction in the lead-up. In the Knight's next set, they scored with Bradman Best’s kick for Pheonix Crossland to score, adding to the visitor’s pain.

The Warriors dominated the early stages after half-time, with Adam Pompey crossing for his second and Edward Kosi getting on the board. Shaun Johnson was influential in kickstarting the Warriors' revival, with the Knight's lead reduced to four points.

An error by Marcelo Montoya changed the game's momentum, and shortly after, Kurt Mann slipped through the Warriors' defence to score. Marzhew’s second saw the Knights lead 34-16.

However, the Warriors weren’t finished, with Jackson Ford scoring his third career try, but the home side held on to record their third win of 2023 and move inside the top eight.

It was a costly night for both teams, with Wayde Egan (HIA), Te Maire Martin (Lower Leg) and Jayden Brailey (Knee) leaving the field with injuries.

My Thoughts

There was a feeling in my stomach all week that this could be a banana skin match, and that's what happened. This game had some of the ongoing issues we have seen in Warriors matches (which I will discuss more in my game negatives). Still, it also had some of the good trademarks of the 2023 Warriors thrown in there, so while it was disappointing to see the Warriors lose here, it didn't feel like the way the Warriors have lost the past few seasons.

There is plenty to work on for sure, but all the issues are fixable, and with some troops returning in the next few weeks, that should help, so the season can still remain on track, but with some brutal clashes coming up in the next four weeks those issues need to be sorted now.

It wasn't all bad, however, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

The Warriors had another shocking start, but they showed improvements again in the second half; they cut the Knights' lead down to 6 with 20 minutes left on the clock and looked set to surge back into the contest, but a few untimely errors let Newcastle off the hook. It could be as simple as the Warriors were still coming down from that Sharks win and weren't in the right headspace for another gritty clash, but if the Warriors can turn their second-half efforts into an 80-minute performance, then they will be a tough side for anyone to face.

Shaun Johnson had another great outing; his kicking game was asking questions, he engaged the Knights' defensive line, which led to him sending Pompey over for his double, and he sent CNK over for his try that was taken by the Bunker. He defended well again with no misses and was 100% at the kicking tee, which saw him pass the 1000-point mark for the Warriors. His resurgence has been one of the better stories of 2023, and I have my fingers crossed that he only continues to improve.

Tom Ale had a massive night and is one of the must-haves on the Warriors' bench this season; he got more minutes this week and did not waste them. He led the Warriors' forward pack in running metres with 155m and made 31 tackles with no misses. He was one of the bright sparks in a dour season in 2022, and it's great to see him build on his potential. I would like to see what he could do if Webster handed him a starting spot.

However, some things concerned me, bringing me to my negative from the game.

Match Negative

Poor starts again; this was the sixth week in a row that the Warriors allowed their opponents to score within the first ten minutes, and chasing the match every week takes its toll on not only the players but the fans as well. I don't know why they started so poorly; perhaps they were still coming down from such an emotional win last week, or slow starts are as much a part of the Warriors' DNA as the second-half improvements are. There are more intelligent people than me working at the club, so I'm sure they will get to the bottom of this issue before I can figure out how to fix it.

The Warriors let the Knights off the hook in both halves with their errors and ill-discipline. They made 9 errors, conceded 7 penalties, and gave away 1 ruck infringement and 1 inside the 10 call. Some of the calls were harsh, but they have to play to the rules that the referee officiating the match is setting. It is all stuff that the players can work on, but they need to do it sooner rather than later, as giving the Cowboys, Storm, Roosters and Panthers these let-offs in the next four Rounds could undo all the hard work the Warriors have put in so far this season.

Lastly, the injuries, the Warriors have been hit another blow with Wayde Egan and Te Maire Martin leaving the match early. Egan suffered another head knock and will have his second 11-day stand down this season, missing the Round 7 match against the Cowboys. TMM is feared to have fractured his fibula, and if that is correct, he could be out for up to three months. The next-man-up approach has been working for the most part, but both players are massive outs and will be missed, especially with the tough matches ahead. The good news, however, is that Tohu Harris, Brayden Wiliame, and Mitch Barnett should all be back this week or the next and Round 8 also see Marata Niukore back from suspension. Luke Metcalf also shouldn't be far away either and could be the perfect choice to replace TMM if he is out long-term.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

I was stuck between CNK and SJ this week, but I have gone for the fullback; he led the Warriors with 245 running metres, showed some strength while scoring his disallowed try and set up Jackson Ford's try towards the end of the match. 

I am so happy to see CNK hit the ground running in his first year back with the club. He will never be regarded as a player with X-Factor, but you can guarantee he will always give 100%. He is constantly looking for work and will go in and make those tough carries when the side needs him to. I would take heart over X-Factor any day of the week.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Bunty Afoa.

I had Adam Pompey marked down this week for most of the match, but he avoided selection due to scoring a double, so I had to select Afoa.

He got two stints this week, playing 33 minutes in total and was defensively sound making 20 tackles without a miss, but he only managed 3 runs for 33m. 

I don't know why his numbers are so low, if it is part of the game plan, if he is just not adjusting to being a starter or if he is just in a rut at the moment. However, with Barnett returning soon and Ale playing as good as he is, Afoa may find his spot in the first grade 17 slipping out of his grasp.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round seven sees the Warriors return to Mount Smart for the second time this season, hosting a Cowboys side that went down 32-22 to the Dolphins in Round 6.

Regarding the team, I would pick; Lussick will come in for Egan, Harris will return, moving Tevaga back to the bench with Tuaupiki dropping off the bench. 

If Wiliame is fit, I would bring him in for Pompey and with TMM out, I expect Volkman will get the halves' spot. Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak had a strong outing in his first game back for the NSW cup side, scoring four tries so he could come straight into the side, most likely for Ed Kosi, who has yet to do much wrong but just isn't DWZ.

The Warriors have already faced and defeated the Cowboys this season. 

With some players out, it will be a challenge, but playing in front of what should be a big crowd at home should give the Warriors an edge here, so I am picking the Warriors to get the job done with a 12-point victory.

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

Who was your Player of the Day?

How would you rate the Warriors after six rounds?

Who would you bring into the hooker and halves spots?

What is your score prediction against the Cowboys?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 5 Review: Warriors Hype Continues with Unbelievable Comeback Win

 

After last week's victory over the Bulldogs, the Warriors headed back over the ditch to PointsBet Stadium to face the Sharks.

I predicted a close Sharks win (by 10) in my review last week, but boy was I wrong; the Sharks looked to make a mockery of that prediction when they shot out to a 20-point lead; however, the 2023 Warriors once again proved that they just refuse to quit and clawed there way back into the contest before Shaun Johnson nailed the match-winning penalty in the dying stages for an impressive 32-30 victory.

What Went Down

The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks continued where they left off from their thrashing of the St. George Illawarra Dragons last week with an extremely early try from Teig Wilton just over one minute into the game.

They continued their dominance through the first quarter of the game and extended their lead to 18 points with tries from Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa.

Nicho Hynes continued the assault off the tee with a penalty shot 18 minutes in to take the lead out to 20 points before the Warriors made inroads with a try from Wayde Egan.

The points flowed with seemingly optional defence, and Will Kennedy added to the Sharks’ lead. Marata Niukore cancelled out Kennedy’s effort with a try of his own with just 10 minutes of the half to play. The final 10 minutes, by contrast to the rest of the half, stayed scoreless, and the Cronulla Sharks went into the sheds at halftime 26-12 up and a man up after Marata Niukore was sent for 10 minutes for a dangerous tackle.

However, the Sharks didn’t capitalise on the sin bin, and the Warriors started the second half the better of the two sides. After shelling out criticism of his opposing winger in the first half, Ronaldo Mulitalo dropped a high bomb from Shaun Johnson, who then cleaned up the bouncing ball to go over and cut the lead to eight points after converting his own try with just over five minutes played.

Mulitalo endured more embarrassment shortly after with his opposing winger, Edward Kosi, scoring to cut the Sharks’ lead down to one score. However, he managed to redeem himself with a try of his own five minutes later in the 56th minute to score and give the Sharks some breathing room while mouthing off to the Warriors again.

Johnson made him look a fool for a second time, though, dropping another one of his high bombs for the Warriors to regain possession. The Warriors pressed the Sharks’ line with the ensuing sets and ultimately powered over through Josh Curran to level the scores.

With the two sides, trading blows at 30-30, Dale Finucane was sent to the sin bin for a hip drop tackle with six minutes to play. On the following penalty, the Warriors couldn’t take their advantage and missed touch in the Cronulla half.

In the closing stages, Cronulla looked most likely to break the deadlock and began playing loose attacking rugby in the pouring rain. It eventually spelled their demise with a frantic pass in the Warriors’ half, missing its target and Josh Curran hacking it into the Sharks’ half. Curran couldn’t regain the ball, however, with Matt Moylan getting there first, but the officials clocked a penalty against Royce Hunt to give Johnson a chance to put the Warriors in the lead with a minute to play. Johnson obliged, and the Warriors looked to be heading back to New Zealand with the win.

It wasn’t over yet, though, with the Warriors failing to regain possession after the kickoff and Johnson playing at the ball from an offside position on the touchline, giving Nicho Hynes a final chance at a penalty to level it up with a very tough kick. Hynes sliced the kick right, and the Warriors scored another upset on the road.

My Thoughts

Holy crap, what a game; it had all the ups and downs of a Warriors match, didn't it? 

I can admit that when the Sharks started piling on the points in the early stages, my heart sank; it gave me flashbacks to last year. However, at halftime, with the score 26-12, some of that good old-fashioned Warriors optimism started to sneak back into my mind and then the Warriors put on the second half of a lifetime to nab the win.

I struggle to put into words how proud this team has made me, 20-0 down, several key players out, and the officials making some strange calls, the Warriors had so many reasons to just hang their heads and give up, but this side just refuses to quit, and I love it.

I keep saying it's early days, and we need to wait until the Warriors face some top-tier sides, well its been 5 weeks, and they just beat a full-strength Sharks side, so I'm done with the early-days stuff; this Warriors outfit is special, and if they can keep building, well the sky is the limit.

It was another performance to be proud of, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

That resiliency, man; as I mentioned earlier, the Warriors had every reason to give up, but they didn't. The Sharks started to run out of gas, but the Warriors didn't, and that is something we have seen in every match this year. The Warriors pack may not be the biggest out there, but they just drain the energy of their opposition pack and reap the rewards. This club's new mentality is refreshing, and the Players seem to love it. If you listened to Shaun Johnson's interview post-match, where he talked about the attitude at halftime and the players and Andrew Webster believing in themselves, they were the better team in that final 40. Their mindset makes them a very dangerous team for any club to face, and long may it continue.

The first-half defence could have been better, but the Warriors did a complete 180 in the second half. The Sharks looked like they could score at will in the first 40, but in the second half, they really struggled and could only manage one more try for the night. I will steal a stat from Bunty Afoa's biggest fan, Anton Posa; he highlighted that no team in 2023 has scored a try against the Warriors in the final 20 minutes. It flows right back to the new mindset; as we all know, in the past, the final segment of the match was when the Warrior's defence leaked like a sieve. Just fantastic to see.

The Warriors were behind in so many of the stats by the time the final whistle blew, but hey, screw the stats! The Warriors may have less possession and fewer metres, but they knew how to convert their small chances into points and at the end of the day, if you score more points than your opponent, you win. 

However, two things concerned me, bringing me to my negative from the game.

Match Negative

For the fifth week in a row, the Warriors allowed their opponents to score inside the first five minutes. These slow starts are brutal to watch, and despite the Warriors fighting back against all those slow starts, it just doesn't make their job easy. If the Warriors could start matches how they ended them, they could be classed as a top-tier side. Webster and the rest of the coaching staff have said they are working on fixing those slow starts, so hopefully, we will see the Warriors not let in an early try this week against Newcastle.

The Forwards lost the battle in that first half; only two forwards ran for over 100m (Jazz Tevaga 156m and Addin Fonua-Blake 112m). The Sharks forwards were all over the Warriors in the first 40, and that's why the Sharks were scoring at will. However, as I said earlier, this Warriors pack can just wear sides out, so the Shark's forwards impact declined as the match dragged on. So overall not a massive negative; I just like seeing a few more forwards hit those triple digits, and that will likely happen when Tohu Harris and Mitch Barnett return.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Shaun Johnson.

For the second week in a row, I have gone with Johnson; it was another stellar evening for the halfback; his kicking was excellent, I know he did not find touch on that penalty, but I thought Mulitalo touched the sideline before tapping the ball back so it should have been Warriors feed anyway. Regardless, he set up Niukore and Curran beautifully for their tries, showing great instinct to score his own after Mulitalo dropped one of his bombs. Had another big night defensively, making 24 tackles with only 1 miss, before rounding his night out with a clutch penalty goal for the win. He is in a better place mentally this year, and the Warriors are being rewarded with some great performances from him, and I hope it continues throughout 2023.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Viliame Vailea.

Was hard to pick a player here after the euphoria of that win, but I have gone with Vailea; he wasnt horrible and had some good runs, but Jesse Ramien had the edge over him, leading to some poor defensive reads and 5 missed tackles. He is going to be a star for this club. Still, he needs more seasoning, so when Brayden Williame is fit again, I would be sending him back to NSW Cup (which I did not predict ever saying as I would typically pick Vailea over Pompey, but I can't deny that Pompey has been doing enough to keep his spot).

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round six sees the Warriors stay in Australia, heading to McDonald Jones Stadium to face the Newcastle Knights, who had a 32-all draw against the Sea Eagles in Round Five.

Regarding the team, I would pick; the only change I would make is bringing back any of the injured players; from interviews I have heard from Webster, it may only be Harris and TMM that will be available, so they would come in and replace Ronald Volkman and Bayley Sironen.

The Warriors have already faced and defeated the Knights this season, and while it is always a challenge playing in Newcastle, the Knights have some injuries. They will not be as dangerous as they were in Round One, so I am backing the Warriors to get their fourth straight win with a victory by 18.

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

How are you feeling about this side after 5 rounds?

Who was your Player of the day?

Would you be looking at offering SJ a new deal?

What is your score prediction against the Knights?