NZ Warriors 2023 Magic Round Review: No Houdini Act as Warriors rue Missed Opportunities

 

After their Round 9 loss to the Roosters, the Warriors made their way to Suncorp Stadium for Magic Round, where they hosted the reigning premier Penrith Panthers.

In a tight tussle, the Panthers did just enough to overcome a Warriors side that again faced plenty of adversity, winning 18-6. Meaning I actually got my prediction right this time with a 12-point Panthers win.

What Went Down

With the majority of the crowd backing the Warriors, Addin Fonua Blake led the line for the New Zealand Warriors in the early exchanges and was rewarded early with a try under the sticks after some uncharacteristically weak defence from Penrith.

Penrith – riled up – soon replied with Dylan Edwards squaring the ledger off the back of a try-saving tackle to bustle over and level the scores after a Nathan Cleary conversion.

Penrith produced stout defence and worked into the Warrior's half, eventually working a goal-line drop-out from a fatigued Warriors defence.

The boys in pink worked the ball down into the Warriors’ danger zone and converted on the edge with excellent shape for Brian To’o to go in at the right-hand corner.

The Warriors battled back with just under 15 minutes to play and nearly levelled the scores but were held close to the line; the two sides – after trading sets – went into the sheds with Penrith up 12-6.

The New Zealand Warriors fell foul of the new hip-drop directive, and Jackson Ford was sent to the bin. Soon after, Cleary imposed his mark on the game and forced a goal-line drop-out with just over six minutes gone in the half. Penrith pressed the Warriors’ line but to no avail, with Mitch Kenny knocking on in attacking shape.

Penrith regained possession and ascendency soon after with strong middle carries that culminated in a hip drop penalty. From which Cleary landed a fairly straightforward chip off the right-hand upright to put his side eight in the lead.

The Warriors – seemingly buoyed by holding the defending champions to two points – made a considerable effort to control the middle and did so for 20 minutes until Cleary led from the front and nailed Josh Curran to force the ball and gift his side excellent field position to attack the line.

Following the tackle, a fracas ensued, and Demitric Sifakula was sent to the bin for his involvement – albeit terribly soft – by the referee.

The two-time defending champions eventually made use of the extra man – with Spencer Leniu crossing to stretch the lead to 12 points with six minutes to play. That was enough for the Panthers.

My Thoughts

Well, this was a mixed bag of emotions for me; on the one hand, I was highly frustrated with the Warriors losing their third match in a row, but on the other hand, I was proud once again of their ability to face adversity and not just give up. The Panthers have been patchy, it's fair to admit, but they played smart football here, forcing the Warriors to battle from deep within their own half and defended well to stop most of what the Warriors threw at them.

The Warriors had their fair share of issues here with injuries and sin binning's, but they looked the better side in the early stages at around the 20-minute mark; they started to lack punch and struggled to make inroads. They almost showed signs of panic when they had some close calls, which isn't something we tend to relate to the 2023 squad. None of what we saw is anything to start panicking about; the issues we saw are all fixable, and with some injured players returning soon, I am sure the Warriors will get back on track, this three-game stretch was always going to be the most challenging part of the Warriors season, and now it is over, and I think the Warriors didn't embarrass themselves.

Before moving on, I know there were plenty of discussions about the officiating, with ONE NZ Ceo Jason Paris getting plenty of airtime for his Twitter thoughts about the officials. I have no issues with his thoughts and think the Warriors have plenty of examples from the past three matches to request a please explain from the NRL. However, despite some poor calls, the Warriors have more than enough opportunities to win these matches. It will be an interesting few days to see if the NRL do anything about what has been said, but I personally think it will be swept under the rug.

 

There were aspects of the game to smile about, leading to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

In the early stages, Tohu Harris's short passing game asked plenty of questions of the Panthers, which made the Warriors attacking shape so much better. With him out there, Shaun Johnson could stand back a bit and direct play better. Still, a lot of work to do to ensure that it becomes an 80-minute effort instead of just 10-20 minute bursts.

I thought they defended reasonably well; there were a lot of missed tackles, but to hold the Panthers to 18 points is a massive effort; it may sound like a defeatist attitude, but I'm being realistic. With only 12 men for 20 minutes, the Panthers had every chance to run the score up; however, the Warriors scrambled well. There are still some poor defensive reads, but more often than not, I am getting more confident in the Warriors holding their opposition to only 2 or 3 tries a game which is a massive improvement compared to previous seasons.

With injuries and two sin bins, the Warriors had plenty of reasons to throw in the towel and just look ahead to Round 11, but they didn't, they kept grinding right up to the final whistle, and this attitude will reap the rewards in the long run. Get a few injured players back, and it's a whole new ballgame.

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

Match Negative

Despite a strong start, the Warrior's attack in the final hour was stilted; I will admit it is hard to make big attacking plays when you are constantly stuck in your own half. However, when they had a few opportunities, they let them slip; the biggest one that sticks out for me was after Curran's linebreak ended with Egan close to scoring, the Warriors shifted right, and Johnson put in a silly kick. I'm no halfback, but I think they could have taken the tackle and set up to try and score up the middle or left edge, or at least go for a repeat set. There were moments when taking a breath may have been the better option over rushing.

I noticed a lack of kick chase whenever Johnson put a big kick downtown; in fact, the best kick chaser on the day was Johnson himself, so he got a pass from me. However, the Warriors needed to play the territory game; if they had forced the Panthers to start sets deep in their own half more, they could have earnt themselves more opportunities. I don't know if the players were gassed or if they just were off by a step, but I expect a better kick-chase against the Bulldogs this week.

Lastly, I didn't like seeing Ed Kosi stuck out there hobbling around, he was clearly injured after his monster tackle of Stephen Crichton and full credit to him for trying to stay out on the pitch, but he was a liability. Thankfully, the Panthers didn't target him too much before he left the field. It sounds like he may have fractured his kneecap, and I could only imagine how tough it would have been to stay out there with that kind of injury, but I expect more from the club when it comes to the player's well-being,

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Tohu Harris.

As mentioned already, the Warrior's attack is a lot better when Harris is on the pitch, setting up Addin Fonua-Blake's try, but he also did plenty of the heavy lifting himself. Running for 155m and leading his side with 48 tackles. A strong performance from the skipper, and he got through the game with his knee intact; I just hope Webster can manage his minutes effectively to ensure that he can avoid returning to the casualty ward.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve was Marata Niukore.

Hard to pick a player again in this category, but I went with Niukore just because I expected a more significant impact from him. He ran for 67 metres and made 31 tackles with 5 misses. He also moved out to the centres when Ed Kosi went off injured, which was the logical choice; however, he struggled to make his mark on the game. Not a poor match but perhaps I was just expecting too much?

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 11 sees the Warriors stay in Australia, heading to Accor Stadium to face the Bulldogs, who went down 34-30 against the Raiders in Magic Round.

Regarding the team, I would pick; Kosi will most likely be out, so I would move Montoya to the wing and bring Brayden Wiliame back into the centres. If Luke Metcalf is available, I would chuck him straight into the halves, allowing Dylan Walker to return to the interchange where he has excelled.

In the pack, I would keep it the same; however, if Jackson Ford is unavailable, Curran moves into his spot.

With the Interchange, I like the option of Freddy Lussick starting with Wayde Egan coming off the bench so Egan stays on the pine, joined by Tom Ale, Demitric Sifakula and Walker.

The Warriors have already beaten the Bulldogs this season, winning at the death 16-14; however, the Bulldogs are now at home and will be looking for a big bounce back after their Magic Round defeat. There are also rumours that Josh Addo Carr may be named to return; also, it will be a tough match for sure, and the Warriors need to win this match if they wish to remain in the hunt for the Top Eight, if they keep their discipline in check and stick with the gameplan and keep Matt Burton quiet then they should be able to get the job done so I am backing them to get the win by 8 points.

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

What changes would you make to the game day 17?

Would you bring Luke Metcalf straight into the side?

Do you think anything will happen after Jason Paris's comments?

What is your score prediction against the Bulldogs?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 9 Review: Downpour Dampens Warriors in Shutout Defeat

After their ANZAC Day loss to the Storm, the Warriors returned to Mount Smart Stadium to face the Sydney Roosters for the second time in 2023.

The Roosters handed the Warriors their first defeat of the 2023 season, and in horrible conditions, the Roosters were also the first team to defeat the Warriors at Mount Smart in 2023, grinding to a 14-0 win.

What Went Down

It was a defence-orientated tussle in wet, gloomy conditions in Auckland. The Roosters had plenty of early possession down the Warrior's end; however, the Warrior's defence held them out, only conceding a penalty goal after Marcelo Montoya played at a short drop-out before it had travelled ten metres.

Kicking was key, with Luke Keary landing a 40/20 and Shaun Johnson coming close to a rare 20/40, only for the ball to take an unfavourable bounce. The two halfbacks also forced several goal-line drop-outs with their short kicking games.

Errors started seeping into the Rooster's game in the middle period of the half, putting them under pressure, but like the Warriors before them, they could turn away every attacking raid.

The Roosters finally broke the impasse in the 35th minute when Nat Butcher crashed over from close range. Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i converted to give them an 8-0 lead heading into halftime.

The second half picked up from where the first left off with a defensive slog in the drizzling rain. The Warriors enjoyed plenty of early possession, but the Rooster's defence held on.

The Roosters capitalised on a rare attacking set, two Auckland-born players combined, Sitili Tupouniua scooping up a Brandon Smith grubber to score under the posts in his second game back from a knee reconstruction.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak came close to keeping the Warriors in the contest with seven minutes remaining, racing onto a perfectly weighted kick, but he was stopped just short and turned possession over. Under torrential rain in the final minutes, the Roosters held their line intact, marking the second consecutive occasion that they’ve kept the Warriors scoreless in Auckland with a 14-0 victory.

My Thoughts

Well, that was the worse weather to sit and watch a game in that I have encountered personally in some time and leaving the stadium soaking to the bone without being able to celebrate a Warriors try, let alone a win, did hurt; however, it wasnt all doom and gloom as there was nothing I witnessed in this performance that can't be corrected. We all knew rounds 8 to 10 were going to be tough, and with a short turnaround and plenty of players unavailable, the Roosters were going to be a tough challenge, and that's what we witnessed. Both sides had limited scoring opportunities in heavy rain, and the Roosters made theirs count and defended exceptionally well to stop any chance the Warriors had. 

Despite their second loss in a row, I still believe the Warriors are a top-eight side, and finals are definitely a possibility; the Warriors just need to stay competitive until they get some troops back and then put their foot down, build some combinations and string together some wins.

There were aspects of the game to smile about, leading to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

The attitude of this continues to shine through for me, I didn't think they played poorly, and there were no excuses for their performances. Despite the Short turnaround, injured players and a few questionable calls from the officials, you don't hear the players or Andrew Webster pointing fingers at anyone other them themselves. You also see it reflected in their performance on the pitch; despite trailing on the scoreboard, they kept pushing forward and trying, and when things went wrong, the players didn't start having a go at each other like we saw last year. This not "playing the victim" mindset will only bode well for the future of this team.

They defended reasonably well; they did miss 27 tackles and kept falling off James Tedesco and Joseph Manu. However, despite repeated attempts, the Roosters only managed one barge-over try and a fortuitous try off a grubber. The Warriors always seem to be found wanting when it comes to defusing tries from kicks, so hopefully, the coaching staff can fix that, but I take pride in how the Warrior's goal-line defuse can hold out these teams for long stages. If they can improve their defensive structure in the middle of the park, they can alleviate some of the pressure they put on themselves.

Lastly, 20,395 fans showed up in that rain; that is a massive effort, and I applaud everyone that showed up; I can admit as I was driving to the stadium, I thought that watching in the comfort of my home was a lot more appealing and several times during the match I kept going back to that thought. I think the weather took a bit of sting out of the crowd reaction, the chanting we are used to was at a minimum while fans weathered the Storm, but it's just all part of the game day experience, and you don't get that sitting on your couch.

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

Match Negative

Errors were to be expected in this weather, but the Warriors ended the match with 13, and unfortunately, they were at times when the Warriors looked to be getting back into the fight. These let-offs help the Roosters maintain control of the contests; most of the errors were from the Warriors, just simply rushing, which Webster has been trying to get out of this team. Quick play the balls can help you catch the opposition off-guard, but respect for the ball should always come first. Eliminate the silly errors, and you are one step closer to victory.

The Warriors did well to build pressure and camp themselves in the Rooster's red zone, but once they were there, what they offered on attack was too predictable and easily defused by the Rooster's. They missed Tohu Harris's short passing game, which meant most of the attack was directed through Shaun Johnson, and while they had a few close calls, short passes to the second rowers are not the answer every time. Add some dimension to the attacking structure and watch the points flow.

For the second week in a row, I am throwing shade at the officials; there were several dubious calls once again, knock-ons that were missed, and a shoulder charge that the bunker missed even though it seemed obvious. Change all those calls, and I still don't see the Warriors winning due to my previous two negatives, but shocking calls from referees just takes the joy out of watching the contest. I know that the Warriors don't get the rub of the green, but they are not the only team that suffer at the hands of officials, and I don't see that improving anytime soon.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake.

AFB moved into Lock for this match and had another strong showing; he played 75 minutes and ran for a game-high 194 metres, including 654 post-contact metres. Led his side with 3 offloads and made 34 tackles with only 1 miss. He has been a beast for the Warriors this season, and with all the injuries in the pack, the team has been leaning on him a lot for the grunt work, and he is not shedding responsibility and long may it continue. My only concern is that he is more at risk of joining the casualty ward with the extended minutes he is currently playing.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve was Adam Pompey.

Pompey missed two tackles, made two errors and gave away a penalty and a ruck infringement. He did run for 107 metres, but his mistakes were just coach-killers. In wet conditions, he lacked ball control, and as the only outside back in the club without a contract for 2024, he needs to start making every post a winner if he wishes to continue with the club. He is a hell of a talent but simply lacks consistency.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Magic Round sees the Warriors head to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to play hosts to the Penrith Panthers, who went down 12-8 to the Tigers in Round 9 and are currently on a two-game losing streak.

Regarding the team, I would pick; it all depends on who is available. The NRL website says Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Brayden Williame are the only players ready to return for Magic Round. Still, I'm hoping that Mitchell Barnett is included in that list (he is slated for round 11 currently). I would keep the same 17 but bring CNK back to fullback and replace Pompey and Viliame Vailea in the centres with newly re-signed Marcelo Montoya and Brayden Wiliame.

I would keep the forward pack the same, but I still wish to see how Tom Ale would go as a starter, so I may swap him and Bunty around, or if Barnett is available, I would bring him into the front row, and Bunty drops out of the 17.

The Panthers are still one of the best sides in the competition, but they are a lot more human this season; they are no longer untouchable, and this is a game that the Warriors could succeed in if they reduce their errors and show more enterprise with the ball in hand.

Unfortunately, I just don't see the Panthers losing three matches in a row, so I am going with a Panthers win by 12.

So that was a frustrating and wet Round 9, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

What changes would you make to the game day 17?

How would you address and fix the poor officiating?

Do you still see the Warriors as a finals team?

What is your score prediction against the Panthers?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 8 Review: Injuries take toll as Warriors go down swinging against Storm

 

After last week's gritty win over the Cowboys, the Warriors made their annual ANZAC Day trip to AAMI Park to face the Storm.

I predicted a 16-point win to Storm here, but I overshot the mark, with the Storm only managing an eight-point victory against a valiant Warriors outfit that, despite suffering some game-changing injuries, stayed in the fight until the bitter end.

What Went Down

Melbourne hosted the final ANZAC Round clash with their traditional opponents New Zealand Warriors, at AAMI Park. The Storm was without suspended forward Tui Kamikamica and opted to start Nelson Asofa-Solomona from the bench.

The Warriors got on top early with a try within the first five minutes to Jackson Ford before Dallin Watene-Zelezniak crossed after ten minutes, taking an early 12-0 lead.

Cameron Munster's 40/20 got Melbourne into the contest, with Justin Olam scoring shortly after. When Addin Fonua-Blake went through some soft Storm defence to score under the posts, the Warriors were running hot at 18-6 and dominating with 73% possession.

That possession started to even up before the break, and an error by Shaun Johnson with a rare incorrect restart error led to Munster scoring and reducing the half-time deficit to six points.

A double blow right on half-time saw Tohu Harris leave the field injured with a knee problem, and Dylan Walker was sent to the sin-bin for what appeared to be a head slam.

Watene-Zelezniak's second try of the night put the Warriors up by 22-12, but that would be the end of the scoring for the visitors, with Melbourne dominating the line-breaks 6-1 in the final forty.

Nick Meaney made up for his error in the lead-up to Watene-Zelezniak's 44th-minute try by scoring twice within nine minutes which saw the Storm hit the front for the first time of the evening after 56 minutes.

The injury toll for the Warriors continued to mount, with Jazz Tevaga limping from the field and Charnze Nicoll-Kloskstad failing his HIA assessment.

Harry Grant's try next to the posts sealed victory for the Storm, but the Warriors were far from disgraced, making amends for their 70-10 loss in the same fixture last year.

My Thoughts

Well, this is a strange match to review; it was heartbreaking to watch the Warriors lose, yet another ANZAC clash, but at the end of the 80 minutes, I came away feeling proud of the performance, albeit a bit frustrated. Once again, this match had plenty of adversity for the Warriors to overcome, which is becoming a regular occurrence. This was the start of the dangerous three-game stretch that was going to show us where the Warriors actually sit in the 2023 season, and despite losing, the Warriors are a legitimate top-eight contender now.

There is still plenty of room for improvement, and if they can start having some matches without injuries, we can see them build some cohesion and stay in the playoff hunt. Before moving on, I just want to mention how amazing AAMI Park looked; as annoying as it is to have the ANZAC Match always played in Melbourne, you cannot deny that they know how to put on a display, I still yearn for the annual event to make its way to Mount Smart, but I am not holding my breath.

There were aspects of the game to smile about, leading to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

The Warriors had a strong start for the second week running, so hopefully, the club has figured out what was going on for the first six weeks. It makes getting the victory easier when they are not chasing a lead. The Warriors must start strong the next two weeks, so I have my fingers crossed that I am talking about the third good start in a row next week.

With some key members of the forward back going down, the Warrior's back five were relied on for some extra work. They had a solid night with all five running over 100 metres (Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak - 157m, Ed Kosi - 138m, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - 124m, Adam Pompey - 116m and Marcelo Montoya - 110m). Their work out the back is needed to ensure the Warriors start their sets strong, and with a few forwards set to miss a few games, they will be leaned on for more big carries. 

The newfound attitude this club possesses shone through again, there were times when it looked like everything was stacked against the Warriors, and they had plenty of reasons to just throw in the towel and give up. However, this outfit does not do that; they fight to the bitter end and don't make excuses which is a refreshing approach for this club. We want to see them win, but losing to a side that is playing well when you give 100% is less demoralising than I am used to as a Warriors fan.

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

Match Negative

Injuries were my biggest negative; losing Tohu Harris to his knee injury took a lot of sting out of the Warrior's attack, as when he was on, his short passing game really started to open up the Storm. Then the Warriors lost Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Bayley Sironen to head knocks and Jazz Tevaga to an Achilles injury. Playing without a bench for a large portion of the second half made things challenging, and the Storm started to make inroads when the Warrior's forwards were tiring. Hopefully, the injuries will decrease, as it would be good to see the Warriors name the same 17 two weeks in a row.

As mentioned already, the Storm started to really take control of the middle of the pitch when the Warriors forwards started to tire. The Storm took advantage of some poor defensive misreads from the Warriors. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak was exposed a few times when he shot in off his wing, leading to a handful of tries. These are easy fixes, and the Warriors have shown good spirit in defence, and I'm optimistic that they can sort out the edges before the game this Sunday.

Lastly, the officials were dreadful, Dylan Walker's sin-binning should never have happened, and they let the Storm get away with plenty of ruck infringements. Also, one of Nick Meaney's tries, I thought, had a knock-on involved and should not have been given.

I will not throw my toys and say the Warriors were screwed out of this match, but I will say that some of these lucky calls the Storm got did help switch momentum. We all know that the Warriors seldom get the rub of the green, so they have to be squeaky clean and make the most of every opportunity; easier said than done, however.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake.

A big effort from AFB; with the injuries stacking up, he had to play 71 minutes and made them all count. Running for 177 metres, making seven tackle-breaks and 42 tackles. Not to forget, he scored a nice try for the second week in a row. Like many others in the squad, he has been building his form nicely this season, and with it looking like some experienced forwards will be missing for the next few weeks, the Warriors will need more mammoth efforts from their marque Prop.

Warrior to Improve

A few players made a few mistakes, but I couldn't really single anyone out, so I have not picked anyone this week.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round Nine sees the Warriors return to Mount Smart Stadium to face a Roosters team that defeated the Dragons 27-26 on ANZAC Day.

Regarding the team, I would pick. Egan needs to return, and the rest, I am not sure because of the injuries. Tohu, CNK, Jazz and Sironen may all be out. So I would keep the side the same, but if those guys are out, Curran will replace Tohu, Tuaupiki for CNK, Sifakula for Tevaga and Lussick for Sironen.

The Warriors are battered and bruised with a stack of injuries and only have a 5-day turnaround before facing the Roosters. On a positive note, the Roosters also have a 5-day turnaround. 

It will be another tough slog; with depleted stocks, the Warriors have their backs against the wall; however, this newfound tough mindset that the side has makes me a little confident. Hard to predict this match with no clue as to who will be playing, but I am backing the Warriors to keep their winning streak at home intact, so I am going with a Warriors win by 8.

So that was a heartbreaking Round 8, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Did you have a Warrior to improve?

Who would you replace Tohu Harris with?

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

What is your score prediction against the Roosters?