NZ Warriors 2023 Round 18 Review: Weather bogs down Warriors as Rabbitohs open the Floodgates

 

After Round 17's victory over the Dragons, the Warriors return home to face the Rabbitohs.

In horrible conditions, the Warriors failed to execute and were soundly defeated 28-6 in what may be their worst performance of the 2023 campaign.

What Went Down

Wet and wild weather was on hand to greet the Warriors and Rabbitohs at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. Both sides had late withdrawals before kick-off – Isaiah Tass and Campbell Graham for the Rabbitohs and Josh Curran for the Warriors.

In the early exchanges, both sides traded sets while remaining cautious with ball movement in the wet conditions. The Warriors gained the ascendency off the back of several penalties. With the field position advantage, they eventually broke through the Rabbitohs' defence. Wade Egan created an opportunity down the short side for Marcelo Montoya to grab a try. Despite conceding the first points, the Rabbitohs bounced back quickly.

Off the back of a penalty of their own, the Rabbitohs got their first crack at the Warrior's goal-line defence and converted it into points. Cody Walker created an overlap, and Alex Johnston finished the backline shift to score. After the Rabbitohs won back momentum, Addin Fonua-Blake was sin-binned for high contact, and the Rabbitohs took the two points.

With the man advantage and fatigue setting in, Damien Cook set up Cameron Murray for a try, giving the Rabbitohs a 12-6 lead at halftime.

The second half was more of the same from the Rabbitohs, applying pressure from the get-go. Eventually, they broke through when Cody Walker chipped for Alex Johnston to grab his second try. Falling behind by 10, the Warriors looked to have scored against the run of play when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak charged down a kick and ran away to score. However, the bunker found a knock-on in the play and overturned the try.

Making matters worse for the Warriors, they conceded a try going the other way. Lachlan Ilias kicked for 18-year-old Tyrone Munro to score on debut, putting the Rabbitohs up by 16 points. That lead would prove too much to overcome for the Warriors. The Rabbitohs executed their wet weather game plan to perfection in the last 10 minutes, with Blake Taaffe adding one more try to finish off the win 28-6.

My Thoughts

Well, that really sucked; in my infinite wisdom, with the knowledge of the pending poor weather, I decided to get to the grounds early to watch the NSW Cup match; this meant that before the Warriors match kicked off, I was already soaked to the bone. 

Being cold and wet while watching the Warriors put on their worst display of the season put me in a deflated mood. As I was making the long walk back to my car, various emotions ran through me, but I settled on disappointment.

The Warriors got the first try, but after that, it was a brutal watch with error after error, and the Rabbitohs just bullied them all over the park. 

The weather was horrendous, but both teams had to play in it, and one was much better in the wet than the other. This is something that concerns me as the Warrior's two worse performances this season have been in the poor weather, so maybe the Warriors just cannot perform in rainy conditions, which is something they need to fix since they play in Auckland regularly.

It's a crash-to-earth moment for the Warriors, I was talking up a top 4 spot last week, and now they are at risk of falling out of the top eight; the competition is just that close, so they need to take a breath, take note of what went wrong and make sure it doesn't happen again as the next few weeks are against quality opposition and they need to nail those wins.

 

There wasn't much from this game to smile about, but I have one which leads to my positive from the match.

Match Positive

It was hard to glean any positives from the multiple times I have watched the match other than it is a valuable lesson for the Warriors to learn. They were shown that even if you are out of form, if you execute the basics, have the right game plan and stick to it, then you should set yourself up for victory.

The Warriors got caught with their pants down and had the wrong idea of how to succeed in the wet, and I am sure that the coaching staff have got together and gone over the tape to ensure that this doesn't happen again. Losses suck, but how a team bounces back is the true sign of their character.

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors deviated from the game plan and paid the price. Instead of doing the hard yards up the middle, they elected to try and go around the Rabbitohs, which may have worked if they could keep their hands on the ball. However, expansive football seldom works in the wet, as was proven here. Keeping to the plans set in place falls to the leaders on the pitch, so Tohu Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake and Shaun Johnson need to be better at getting the squad back on track. If they return to following the game plan, I expect them to return to the winner's circle again.

Again, Errors were high; they ended the match with 13, and while the weather played its part, their opponents only made 3. They stayed in the fight for the first half, but as they kept giving up possession, they made the hill that much harder to climb, which pushed them to take further risks that did not work in their favour. On top of that, they keep pushing to the edges in the wet weather, which wasn't wise as the Rabbitohs easily slid them over the sidelines. It goes back to my positive, take note of this lesson, build on it, and show the ball more respect. 

Lastly, the forwards lost the battle in the middle; we still had three of the pack hit the triple digits, Addin Fonua-Blake (139m), Tohu Harris (125m), and Mitch Barnett (113m), but the pack lacked punch, and it's why they failed when they started to spread it wide, as they didn't get the job done in the middle. There are no shortcuts in the NRL if you want to be successful, and the Warriors need their forwards to play their part if they want to climb the ladder.

Warrior of the Match

 

My Warrior of the Match goes to Tohu Harris.

The Warriors skipper hasn't featured a lot in this category, but it's just because I am so used to the massive job he does every week that others always get ahead of him, so when there is an overall poor performance from the team, he is almost guaranteed to get the nod. He made 51 tackles, ran 16 times for 125m, second only to Addin Fonua-Blake (139m) and just kept plugging away in what was a frustrating match. He did make a few errors, including a few silly passes that lost his side possession, but those are things that I'm sure will improve next week. Wasnt the best performance, but he was better than the rest of his teammates, at least.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to Improve is Rocco Berry.

Another tough pick this week, but unfortunately, it was due to many players having an off night; however, I have settled on Berry. The young centre is a controversial figure in Warriors fandom; some think he has the goods, while others believe he will never be a regular first-grader. I am on the fence with him, but I can admit that his stock is depleting.

He has had a few good moments, but in this match, there was nothing to highlight for him; he did make 25 tackles with no misses, but a few defensive misreads from him really put the Warriors' defensive line under pressure. With the ball in hand, he was nothing to write home about, with only 4 runs for 38m, which was less than half the next lowest in the Warriors' back five (Adam Pompey and DWZ both with 99m). He will likely get a chance to redeem himself due to the current injuries in the backs, but his time is running out.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 19 sees the Warriors head back across the ditch to face the Eels, who had the bye in Round 18.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, except for bringing in Brayden Wiliame or Ali Leiataua for Rocco Berry, depending on if either is fit. Still no word on Te Maire Martin or Jazz Tevaga yet, so I have ruled them out. There are also rumours that Shaun Johnson may miss this match due to the pending arrival of his new child, half stocks are thin right now, but I assume that would mean Ronald Volkman would replace him, which has me worried after watching his less-than-stellar showing on Friday night in the NSW Cup.

The Warriors need to get this win if they wish to remain in the top eight, as a defeat here will see the Cowboys replace them due to them having a bye this round. The Eels will most likely be without Mitch Moses due to Origin, but that makes them no easier to play against.

The Warriors were taught a harsh lesson this week, and if they want to get back on track, they need to stick to the basics. 

The forwards need to dominate the middle, and the team needs to reduce the error rate while utilising that short passing game that has created so many opportunities for them this season. If they do that, it should open up the Eels' defensive line and allow Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Marcelo Montoya to strike on the edges. It will be a challenging task, but I expect a bounce back, so I am going with a 6-point victory for the Warriors.

So that was a wet and miserable Round 18, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who would you have in the centres?

Do you think the Warriors have an issue playing in the rain?

If SJ is out, can the Warriors compete?

What is your score prediction against the Eels?

NZ Warriors 2023 Round 17 Review: Warriors surge to biggest win of the season against Dismal Dragons

After their Round 16 Bye, the Warriors headed to WIN Stadium in Wollongong to face the Dragons.

The Warriors had a patchy first 20 minutes, but once they started to click, they cruised home with their largest win of 2023 with a comprehensive 48-18 victory.

What Went Down

The Warriors opened the scoring in the fifth minute, taking advantage of Mikaele Ravalawa dropping a relatively easy bomb, and it was Dallin Watene-Zelezniak who scored – for the fifth match in a row – in the corner with ease. Shaun Johnson missed the conversion, and the score remained 4-0.

Early errors were hurting the Warriors, and they were punished in the 13th minute when the Dragons’ speedy fullback Tyrell Sloan sliced through the Warriors’ left edge defence to score. And Sloan almost inspired another try five minutes later, but Ravalawa couldn’t sneak over. The conversion for the earlier try saw the Dragons take the lead 6-4.

The see-sawing of the lead continued in the 26th minute when a loose pass from Luke Metcalf that found the ground also found its way to Marcelo Montoya, who did very well to score through two Dragons defenders, wrestling the ball to the ground. Shaun Johnson missed his second conversion of the night, and the score stayed at 8-6.

After a lengthy (successful) Captain’s Challenge for the Warriors – where an audible cry from the crowd urged them to “play the game”, which was fair enough – the Warriors scored twice in the next three minutes to blow the Dragons away. The first came when Johnson laid on the perfect grubber, and Bayley Sironen found space and the ball to score the try. The next Warriors try minutes later was also from a kick, as Dylan Walker wanted a bomb more than the Dragons fullback, and Jackson Ford was on hand for the offload to score under the posts. Johnson kicked both conversions for a 20-6 lead.

The second half started with Warriors forward Marata Niukore being sent to the sin bin within minutes for high contact on Moses Suli, who left the field for an HIA and didn’t return. It was Niukore’s third sin-binning of the season and third report. Both are season highs.

And the Dragons made the Warriors pay not long after when Jacob Liddle set up Zane Musgrove to crash over from close to the line with almost his first touch of the game. The easy conversion closed the score to 20-12. But the Warriors defied the numerical disadvantage a few minutes later when Watene-Zelezniak’s acrobatics in the corner saw him score his second try. Johnson’s off night with conversions continued, but the Warriors still led 24-12.

Not long after the Warriors regained their 13th player, they extended their lead with two quick tries in quick time. First, Johnson ran onto an excellent offload close to the line from Addin Fonua-Blake. Then Rocco Berry was on hand to receive a selfless offload in the corner from Watene-Zelezniak for the second try in three minutes. Johnson converted both for a 36-12 lead, the Warriors were on fire, and the Dragons were officially out of puff.

St George Illawarra stopped the one-way traffic with 13 minutes to go as Francis Molo dived on a Jayden Sullivan grubber from dummy half under the posts and reduced the score to 36-18.

The joy didn’t last more than a few minutes as the Warriors passed 40 points, and Watene-Zelezniak secured a third career hat-trick with some more of his signature try-scoring acrobatics. Then minutes later, he scored his fourth – a more regulation try this time which owed equally to his speed and inept Dragons defence. Johnson was involved in the lead-up to both tries and converted both, and the score had quickly blown out to 48-18.

My Thoughts

Well, I have mixed emotions about this match, it was the biggest win for the Warriors this season, and it was against the team I dislike the most (or should I say hate); however, I don't believe it was the Warrior's best performance. My take on this match was tainted by the less-than-stellar first 20 minutes; in the final 60, the Warriors looked closer to the team I have come to expect this season, but a massive win was what was needed with how tight the ladder is, so I'm thrilled to see the team walk away with a win that sees them move to 5th on the ladder.

The Warriors started the match looking rusty, giving me flashbacks of the Broncos clash in Napier with them rushing and making silly errors; however, they righted the ship and started to punish the Dragons, with the match looking essentially over at halftime. 

It was great to see the Warriors put their foot down in the second half as if they want to be a top-eight or even top-four side; these are the winning margins they need to deliver against the cellar-dweller sides.

I've said it often this year, but this season feels special; this was a match that we would be used to seeing the Warriors let slip, but this team is built differently, and despite saying this wasnt their best performance, to score 48 points in a match when you are far from your best is a decent effort. The finals are still a bit away, and with the ladder being so close, you really can't have an off night, but the Warriors are in control of their own destiny right now and just need to keep improving on the little things, and a top-four finish is a definite possibility. Which I never thought I would say this year before the season started.

 

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

Match Positives

The Warrior's attack looked good in the final 60 of this match, it shouldn't really be a surprise against a bottom-four side, but the Warriors dominated the attacking stats running for 500 more metres, making 10 linebreaks, 32 tackle breaks and throwing 14 offloads. The Warriors did enough work up front to allow them opportunities out wide, and for the most part, they didn't panic and made the right choices when shifting to the edges. Another promising sign for me was there were no individuals out there; they thought and worked as a team, sending the ball out to the open man instead of trying to go it alone. This is something that needs to continue, as being individuals will only lead to their downfall. 

The forwards dominated in the middle again, with four hitting my triple-digit target.

Addin Fonua-Blake led the way yet again with 193m, followed by Tohu Harris (161m), Marata Niukore (148m) and Jackson Ford (113m). Dylan Walker was close with 97m also. With their heavy lifting upfront, the game opened up, and we saw the backs reap the benefits with some big runs and not to forget the back three's rampaging kick returns, which set the forwards up for success. If the forwards keep this up with Jazz Tevaga's return on the horizon, the Warriors will have a scary pack.

That defence was strong once again, only allowing in three tries, and while they were soft ones to let in, the fact they only conceded one try while being reduced to 12 men is commendable. They communicated well, worked together to plug holes in the defensive line and scrambled when needed. When things went wrong, there was no bickering or finger-pointing; they just brushed themselves off and got back to work. Nothing more to say about the Warriors 2023 defence that I haven't already said other than please keep it up, as it could make all the difference in where they end up on the ladder.

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

Match Negative

That first 20 minutes, I know the Warriors scored in the opening 5 minutes, but the Dragons looked dangerous in this period, especially Tyrell Sloan, who looked lethal with the ball in hand. The Warriors appeared to be rushing things and trying to cut corners at first but weathered the early onslaught before taking control. However, if the Warriors start a match against a top-tier side cold like they did here, they could find themselves in trouble. The Warriors do get better in the final 20-30 minutes, but if they are too far behind at that point, it will lead to a difficult day at the office.

Once again, the errors stayed concerning high, with the Warriors making 12 for the second performance in a row. Some were just from the Warriors rushing and trying to push things that weren't on. 

I just don't like seeing the Warriors gift their opposition extra sets, and while their defence saves them in most cases, it would be good to see the error rate return to the single digits sooner rather than later, especially with some of the teams coming up that will punish them for any errors they make.

Lastly the discipline, there was a low penalty count, but the Warriors conceded 4 to the Dragons 2, and they also gave away 3 ruck infringements to the Dragons 1. They also had another sin-bin, with Marata Niukore being given his marching orders for the second match in a row. I thought the sin-bin call was rough, but Niukore needs to lower his target when connecting with tackles, as the officials will be watching him like a hawk now. A bit like my issues with the errors, I don't want the Warriors to give away easy sets to the opposition. Each official calls matches differently, so I just want to see the Warriors learn to adjust to the current official as the game develops and reduce the calls against them; easier said than done, I know.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the Match goes to Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

A stellar night for DWZ, who has been making every post a winner in his delayed start to the 2023 season. He entered this match never scoring a hat-trick in the NRL and decided to go one better with his first even four-try haul. That sees him at the top of the Warrior's try-scorer tally with 12 tries from 9 matches. Not content to sit on the sideline waiting for an easy four-pointer, he led the game with 227 running metres and 5 linebreaks and setting Rocco Berry up for a nice try. An excellent overall performance from the winger, he is one of the best at scoring in the corner, and hopefully, we will see him continue to grow this season as he is becoming the Warrior's best strike weapon on that edge.

Warrior to Improve

I couldn't pick a Warrior to improve this week, I thought they all did a decent job out there, and I couldn't pinpoint anyone that let the side down, and some did not get the required minutes to review their performance.

Next Round Thoughts and Prediction

Round 18 sees the Warriors return home to a sell-out crowd to host the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who lost to the Cowboys 31-6 this round.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, except for bringing Mitch Barnett in to replace Marata Niukore, who will be suspended.

Te Maire Martin may be ready to return, and I think I would bring him straight back into the halves; Metcalf is good and growing in confidence, but TMM has the experience and is better defensively. 

It sounds like the Rabbitohs may still be missing Latrell Mitchell for this trip, which makes them less dangerous, but not by much. 

If the Warriors can iron out the kinks we saw in this Dragons match and stick to their game plan of having Tohu and AFB doing the hard yards up front and opening holes with their short passing game, the backs should be given plenty of chances to score. They have been great on defence this season, and they need to keep that up, reducing Cody Walker's impact on the match. It's the most challenging matchup for the Warriors in a while, but I am staying confident and backing them for the upset, seeing them walking away with an 8-point win.

So that was an okay Round 17, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Did you have a player to improve?

Is a top-four finish possible?

So would you stick with Metcalf or bring TMM back?

What is your score prediction against the Rabbitohs?

NZ Warriors 2023 Mid-Season Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

With the Warriors enjoying their second bye of the Season in Round 16, I have no match review to write, so instead, it was the best time to write my mid-season review.

I came into the 2023 season with only slight optimism, the first 10 rounds looked brutally tough, and I even predicted a 2-8 start to the Season. However, the Warriors of 2023 have happily surprised me, earning 20 points, and currently sit in 6th place with an 8-6 record and a +34 points differential. This Season is tight; the Warriors are only 4 points behind the table-topping Broncos and only 2 points ahead of the 11th-place Roosters.
After spending so long living in Australia, playing home or away does not seem to affect the Warriors much, with a 4-3 record both at home and away. Coming into this point of the Season, I had predicted a 4-10 record, so thankfully, I was way off the mark; however, the Warriors have let a handful of games slip.

Keeping in the theme, I started a few seasons back, I'm going to break my review into what's been good, what's been bad, and what has been downright ugly before summing it all up and looking at the second half of the Season and updating my player of the year tally and predicting the Dragons match in round 17.

So let's just get into it.

The Good

Let's start with Andrew Webster; I can admit that when the Warriors announced his signing, I was a bit concerned that a rookie first-grade coach would struggle to turn them around after the low point that was 2022. Those concerns quickly faded after listening to him speak in his interviews with various Media outlets, the This Warriors Life podcast and Roo and Hammer. He was direct, honest and appeared confident in his game plan and had me believing in him before a ball was kicked. The players have bought into what Webster is selling, which has shown in the performances on the pitch. The fans love him, and so do I, and I'm excited to see what he can create long-term at the club.

Returning home has been great for the club; I know they got to play a handful of games at Mt Smart last Season but to be able to be living here and being settled just sees the players in a better frame of mind, and if you are happy off the field more often than not you will perform better on it.

On top of that, every home game this year has been near sellout, which is great to see; a packed Mt Smart is intimidating for visiting sides and gives the Warriors an edge; if that continues and the Warriors can earn themselves a home playoff, then they could really make some waves.

The Warrior's defence has turned a complete 180; in 2022, I complained about the Warrior's defence every week, and this Season I don't believe I have mentioned it in a negative light at all. They have conceded the second least amount of points this season, with only 258 points being scored against them (The Panthers lead the way with only 176 points conceded). The team is responding to Webster's new coaching style, where the defensive structures are not solely the responsibility of a single coach, and the players are succeeding due to being fit and having trust and confidence in each other. Defence is a significant component in becoming a premiership contender, so they must keep it up.

The new recruits have added plenty to the team's performance; Jackson Ford has been a surprise this season, cementing his spot in the starting lineup after I incorrectly assumed he would spend the year in NSW Cup. Dylan Walker and Te Maire Martin have added attacking spark, while Mitchell Barnett and Marata Niukore have added much-needed starch to the pack. While Luke Metcalf, Taine Tuaupiki, Demitric Sifakula, and Ali Leiataua have all shown that they have a future in first grade. 

We, as Warriors fans, have gotten used to being let down by signings in the past, so it is great to have a huge batch of new players come in and do well, and a massive part of this, I believe, is picking players that want to succeed and are not just showing up for a paycheque. I would take a player that will give 100% over a superstar that will provide you with moments here or there any day of the week.

The return of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been fantastic; I never wanted to see him leave the Warriors in the first place. Still, I understood the decision made by him and the club, and in hindsight, it has seen him return to the club a much more complete player; and he is just what the Warriors need at fullback. While he may not be an out-and-out attacking weapon like Reece Walsh was, he battles for 80 minutes every match and does not shy away from doing the hard yards when required. He still knows his way to the try line and is excellent at setting the Warrior's defensive line, and I'm never concerned about him being unable to clean up any defensive misreads. He is full of heart and will never let the side down, which is all you can ask for.

So far, my game of the year was the Warrior's Round 15 36-14 victory over the Canberra Raiders. This game had it all: the story of Jarrod Croker's 300th milestone, a brutal defensive-heavy first half, and plenty of highlight-reel moments in the second half. This was perhaps the most complete performance from the Warriors in 2023 and was the perfect opportunity to show that they have what it takes this Season.

Lastly, I want to highlight my current Warrior of the Season, Shaun Johnson.

The veteran halfback had plenty of doubters before the Season started, and he has won the majority over with a massive resurgence. As I mentioned earlier, if a player is happy off the pitch, he will perform on it, and SJ is the best example of this; back in NZ with his family, he is content and is just blowing us all away with an impressive season. 

He has scored 5 tries, kicked 42 goals (at an 80.8% conversion rate), averaged 550 kicking metres a match, and made 14 try assists. He also has been a defensive menace making 275 tackles with a 93.09% tackle efficiency rating. 

He doesn't disappear when the going gets tough, which was a common complaint in the past, and while we still don't know if he will play in 2024, however, if this form continues, it would be a shame to not see him return.

The Bad

The Warriors have let a few games slip this year; they could have been a top-four side right now if they iced some opportunities in their losses in Round 2 against the Roosters, Round 6 against the Knights and then the Round 13 defeat to the Broncos in Napier. I've selected these matches because I believe they had enough chances to get the job done. However, while they did not get those points, they gained valuable lessons that have seen them improve and have them sitting in a great spot to climb the ladder.

The Warrior's attack has improved, but I still have question marks around their attacking shape when they get closer to the opposition's goal line. They are still a bit clunky and disorganized when they have less room to work in. Still, on a positive note, it has been getting better each week, and with some injured players returning, it will start to click, so I am confident that they will have it sorted before the Season is over.

My worst game of the year is the Round 9 14-0 loss to the Roosters. It was the first defeat on home soil and the only game this season where the Warriors have been held scoreless. It was in poor conditions and a short turnaround; Dylan Walker wasnt really adding much in the halves, and the pack got outmuscled in the middle. No excuses, however, they were just outplayed, but it still leaves a sore spot in me in what has been an overly positive season.

And now all that's left is the ugly.

The Ugly

Firstly injuries, the Warriors have been hampered by injuries this season, losing several key players for extended periods. Tohu Harris, Wayde Egan, Mitch Barnett, Jazz Tevaga, Dylan Walker and Te Maire Martin have all spent time in the casualty ward, and that is just a select few players that have missed time this year. At a point this season, the Warriors had 10 players all out injured, but to their credit, the Warriors have not made excuses, and the player that has to step up has done an admiral job. Now that the injured players are starting to return, I have my fingers crossed that the Warrior's bad luck stops and we begin to see the same 17 get to play together for the final stretch.

My last ugly is the draw; with the Warriors finally returning to New Zealand, I thought the NRL would take advantage of it and have a few early rounds on this side of the Tasman, but after starting the Season in Wellington, the Warriors only had two games in Auckland by the end of Round 7. 

Not to forget the horror run of games against the Storm in Melbourne, the Roosters in Auckland and the Panthers in Penrith, all in the span of 11 days. That is a brutal campaign, and I know they are not the only team to have a tough stretch like that, but the NRL need to do better when it comes to setting up the draw; with each team getting three byes, no team should be put in that situation. On a positive note, though, the Warriors get to spend much of the second half of the Season in New Zealand.

The Season so far and what's next

Overall, I am pleased with how the Warriors have gone so far this Season. 

After the past few years where writing about each performance was taxing on me, being able to write about an improved Warriors team has been a welcome boost to my mental well-being; the team still has plenty to work on for sure, but I feel like they have got through the toughest part of their Season and while no game is ever easy in the NRL in the last 10 matches they have they face only four current top eight sides and have 6 games on home soil (including an away match in Hamilton against the Tigers). Rounds 18 to 21 are still challenging, with matches against the Rabbitohs, Eels, Sharks and Raiders in a row; after the Round 22 bye, the Warrior's final stretch sees them clash with the Titans, Tigers, Sea Eagles, Dragons and Dolphin which seems like a perfect situation to secure a playoffs spot.

As I mentioned at the start, the NRL ladder is tight, and a few poor performances could really change the Warrior's finals chances, but this year's squad is more resilient, so I don't think they are going to derail. They have built a good foundation, and with the casualty ward starting to empty, they have a great shot at ending the Season with a return to finals. And once they get there, they could rattle a few teams, so the sky is truly the limit in 2023. Can they go all the way and win their first Premiership? 

I am not entirely sure yet, but the way they battle every week means they have a shot.

Update on Brad's Player of the Year Standings

After every match, I have been rating the top three Warriors with a Dally M 3,2,1 points system; I have been slack in sharing the updates this season, so I will include the update here.

12 Players have received points so far this season, and below are the top 5 scorers, with Shaun Johnson currently sitting at the top with a massive lead. The players with points that didn't make the top five are Jazz Tevaga and Marcelo Montoya, with 4 points, and Dylan Walker, Tom Ale, Marata Niukore and Mitch Barnett, all with 1 point each. 

On the other side of the coin, I also keep track of the player I pick each week that needs to improve, and we have had 8 players make that list, with Bunty Afoa currently leading after being picked 4 times. Adam Pompey has been chosen twice, picking no one was also picked twice and Bayley Sironen, Viliame Vailea, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Marata Niukore, Tom Ale and Freddy Lussick all being selected once.

Next Rounds' Thoughts and Prediction

Round 17 sees the Warriors return across the ditch to face the Dragons, who also sat out Round 16 with a bye.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep it the same, except switching Afoa and Barnett around, and if Walker is available, he comes onto the bench for Bayley Sironen. 

I believe everyone is available in the centre spot, but I would give Ali Leiataua another run, as I think he did more than enough to warrant keeping the starting position.

I have not been quiet about my extreme dislike for the Dragons if you watch my show, The Stand-Off, so I can admit I have been happily watching their Season go from one disaster to the next. However, when it comes to their battles with the Warriors, they have the edge, winning 24 of the 34 clashes between the sides (perhaps the reason behind my dislike), so despite how good or bad either side is, the Dragons seem to find a way to get the job done. 

Ben Hunt is the key to the Dragons' success, but I don't see him backing up from Origin on Wednesday for this match on Friday night, so he will be a massive out. 

The Warriors have a basic but effective game plan, and if they stick to that, I see them outrunning the Dragons by the time the final whistle blows, so I am picking the Warriors to get a comfortable 18 points.

So that was my mid-season review, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who has been your player of the year to date?

Who is your player that needs to improve the most?

Where do you see the Warriors finishing on the ladder?

What are your best and worst games for the Season so far?

What is your score prediction against the Dragons?