NZ Warriors 2022 Round 15 Review: Warriors show slight improvement but not enough against premier Panthers

After their disappointing Round 14 defeat to the Sharks, the Warriors remained at Moreton Daily Stadium for the final time to face the Penrith Panthers. It wasn't the best performance from the reigning premiers, but they barely broke a sweat, strolling to a 40-6 victory handing the Warriors their seventh loss in a row. 

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

Ingers League Wrap-Up Round 15 Match Report

I may have been a little hopeful in my prediction last week, but I ended up only ten points off my guess, so it wasn't too bad. Stacey made some of the changes that I requested, and I thought it was a better-balanced side but I wasnt holding out for a victorious swan song in Redcliffe.

The Warriors made show improvement which is a promising sign moving forward; however, they need more improvement quickly if they want to avoid being the first Warriors side in history to win the Wooden Spoon.

Some decent showings from the pack, a few backs that asked some questions on the Panthers line, and a nice debut from a new half did more than enough to keep me reasonably positive while I watched the match. There were still plenty of times I yelled at the screen, but it sure beats the past five or six weeks where I have almost been despondent while the game was on. If the Warriors didn't switch off defensively for patches in this match, then the result may have been closer, but it wasnt to be, unfortunately.

Overall I felt like more players put the effort in this week and they are becoming a more cohesive unit, so I'm sure better results will come; I just hope my newfound sense of optimism doesn't wind up biting me in the end.

There wasn't much to smile about this week, but I found some glimmers of hope, which leads me to my positives from the match.

Match Positives

Some of the forwards reached my desired running metre target of 100 metres (Jazz Tevaga 137m, Addin Fonua-Blake 134m, Bunty Afoa 133m and Tohu Harris 113m), which was a great sign, especially against a Panthers pack that is known to dominate the middle. The Warriors just need a few more of the pack to up their effort as, besides these four players, most of the pack did not pass 50m. If they do that and start to get the momentum rolling forward, then they will give themselves more scoring opportunites.

I thought Ronald Volkman had a solid debut; facing the Panthers in your first match is a daunting task, but I think it helps take some of the pressure off if you are debuting in a game no one expects you to have a shot of winning. However, Volkman didn't overplay his hand and showed some nice playmaking skills, almost setting up a try for Reece Walsh with a nice inside ball. He also held his own defensively, and I am happy to see him retain his spot and start building combinations with the rest of the spine.

Next is the return to Mount Smart; after last playing at home in August of 2019, the boys are coming home. It will be great for these players to experience a vocal Warriors home crowd again (and many will get to experience it for the first time). However, I am more excited for the fans, who have missed out on so much live footy; I know for myself going to live games has been a significant part of my life, and it's left a massive hole, and I can't wait to get back to my treasured seat in the west stand. 

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

Match Negatives

Those defensive lapses really hurt the Warriors in this match; they ended the game with 30 missed tackles. They were playing one of the best teams in the NRL, but they were communicating and forcing the Panthers to make errors, but they couldn't keep it up consistently. When they stopped talking, that's when the Panthers started to make them look silly, scoring easy tries through defensive misreads. Their defensive attitude has been poor for a long time, and I don't see it improving anytime soon, but if they start talking and trusting each other more, I may get to stop talking about it every week in my negatives.

The attack still needs work; they showed glimpses at times in this match, but too often, they are just not clicking. There were a few instances where they kicked early in the tackle count but there wasnt not any kick chasers rushing after it. A few unforced errors didn't help either, but they were up against the best defensive outfit in the NRL. 

Not to make excuses for the Warriors, though; they need to create more scoring opportunities, I think we will see that get better with Volkman adding some spark once he gets into the rhythm, and I am still betting on Shaun Johnson bouncing back after reuniting with his wife and child.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Reece Walsh.

Walsh just gives his all week in and week out, and this performance was no different, he chanced his arm and made a few errors as a result, but he refused to stop trying. Almost scored a few times and set up the first try after an excellent 40/20 from Chanel Harris-Tavita. He is hands down the most dangerous player in the Warriors squad with the ball in hand, and I expect to see the ball in his hands more now that Stacey has removed the shackles from this side.

I can't wait to watch Walsh live.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Jack Murchie.

Im not sure what has happened with Murchie the impact he had on this team when he first joined the squad is gone, and now he barely makes an impact. He has gone invisible recently, with you only noticing that he is out on the pitch when he makes mistakes.

He is a talented player, but something is going on with him at the moment, and I think he will be on the outer; Euan Aitken will take his spot unless he goes out to the centres, and if that happens, I would still give Murchie's spot to another player. WIth some decent forwards joining the squad in 2023, Jack's time at the club could be coming to an end unless he shows a rapid return to his previous form.

Next round thoughts and prediction

The NRL is taking a break this weekend for State of Origin game two and the International matches, but after that, Round 16 sees the Warriors, after 59 games on Australian soil, finally return to Mount Smart to face the Tigers, who went down 36-12 to the Bulldogs in Round 15.

Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep the backline the same except for bringing Aitken in for Pompey in the centres. In the forwards, I would move Afoa into the starting front row, moving Tevaga to lock with, Tohu and Curran playing in the second row. My interchange would stay the same, with the only change being Pride Petterson-Robati taking Afoa's bench spot.

Playing in front of a decent crowd in New Zealand should give a boost to the side, and they are fortunate to be playing another struggling side, so for the first time in a while, I will be coming into the match confident and if the Warriors iron out that defence and click better on attack they should end their losing streak, so I am backing them and picking the Warriors to win by 10.

With no Warriors game this week, I may take a break from writing to enjoy the long weekend and a return of the international game. The past two months have been hard to write about, so a week away will be a welcome recharge for me. I can't wait for the game at Mount Smart, and I know the Warriors are running a member's Captain's run, so if any of you are coming to either the training or the match and want to catch up and chat some footy, just come say hi. 

I will be wearing my Inger League Wrap-Up beanie, so I won't be hard to find.

So that was a not as bad as I imagined Round 15, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Are you going to the game at Mt Smart?

What did you think of Volkman's debut?

Would you make any changes to the gameday 17?

What is your score prediction against the Tigers?

Ingers League Wrap-Up 2022 Round 15 Match Report: Warriors 6 Panthers 40

Scoreboard

New Zealand Warriors 6

Tries: Josh Curran 75

Goals: Reece Walsh 75

Penrith Panthers 40

Tries: Moses Leota 14, Dylan Edwards 20, Taylan May 38, Brian To'o 45, 79, Isaah Yeo 61, Liam Martin 64

Goals: Nathan Cleary 15, 21, 39, 62, 65, Stephen Crichton 80

MATCH REPORT 

First Half

A large and vocal crowd showed up for the Warrior's final home game on Australian soil, the home side will want to end their three years away from their local fans on a high note, but it would be a massive task against the reigning premier Panthers.

The Warriors looked up to the challenge, completing their first two sets before earning another when Brian To'o dropped a Ronald Volkman bomb. The New Zealand side had a few runs at the Panther's line but could not get through, Volkman put another kick through, but Penrith caught it in the in-goal.

The Panthers showed how dangerous their attack is, making easy work of the Warrior's defensive structure and strolling the field's length, but could not convert it into points.

After a few penalties against the Panthers, the Warriors were back in the visitor's red zone, but they continued to struggle to break through the goal-line defence; a Shaun Johnson grubber did not bounce in their favour, going over the dead-ball line. Penrith once again surged up the field and looked to have scored in the corner via To'o; however, the bunker took the try away, deeming that Liam Martin had lost possession into Volkman when passing the ball.

Minutes later, the Panthers would not be denied; after some strong runs up the middle on the back of a six again call, Api Koroisau spied a hole in the Warrior's defensive line and threw a short ball to Leota went over untouched for the first try of the night. During the drive, Adam Pompey suffered an injury and left the field.

Jesse Arthars kept his side in the fight with a big tackle on Viliame Kikau to force a knock-on; however, a few plays later, the Warriors handed the ball back after Jack Murchie threw a wayward pass to Dallin Watene-Zeleaniak.

After another error from the Warriors, the Panthers had a scrum inside the Warrior's half. They showed great execution as Nathan Cleary shifted to the left before flicking and ball back on the inside for Dylan Edwards, who ran twenty metres to the try line with ease for the visitor's second try, pushing their lead out to twelve after Cleary nailed the conversion.

The New Zealand side found themselves back in the Panthers ten metres but struggled with their finishing ability, with Bayley Sironen losing the ball as he crashed over the line. After another let-off, the Panthers were away down the field again. They looked to have scored again when Stephen Crichton offloaded the ball to To'o, who finished the play by diving in the corner. Still, Walsh did enough defensively to push the winger closer to the sideline, which worked as To'o touched the line before attempting to put the ball down.

The Warriors had several chances to get on the scoreboard in the final stages of the first half, earning repeat sets and regather short drop-outs, but the closest they got was when Walsh was held up after catching an inside ball from Volkman. They had another attempt when Johnson pushed a grubber through, but Josh Curran was beaten to it by Cleary; the Panthers attempted another short drop-out, and this time, they were successful, keeping the home side searching for their first points of the night.

The visitors were in the Warrior's Half once again, and Cleary broke the line and looked sure to score but slipped over. The New Zealand side scrambled to stop Penrith, but they were not quick enough as the Panthers quickly shifted the ball out to the left edge for Taylan May to score in the dying seconds of the first half, seeing the visitors go into the sheds with an 18-0 lead.

HALF-TIME: New Zealand Warriors 0 Penrith Panthers 18

Second Half

The Panthers wasted little time adding to their score tally, taking only five minutes to break Warriors fans' hearts again. Playing simple draw and pass football when Crichton put To'o over untouched in the corner.

The Warrior's lack of execution continued to haunt them; after a few promising runs, Johnson kicked early on the third tackle, but none of his teammates were chasing it, allowing the Panthers to clean it up easily.

The Panthers may have let the lead go to their heads a little as they started to make silly errors, one of these errors led to a brief bit of excitement for Warriors fans as Tohu Harris offloaded to Walsh, who darted through a hole in the defensive line and ran forty metres before losing the ball as he neared the Panthers try-line.

After absorbing several attacking sets from the home side, the Panthers got back into action with Isaah Yeo finishing off a strong set with a devastating run, breaking multiple tackles on the way to score his side's fifth try on the night, displaying the excellent Panthers attack as well as the poor defensive effort from the Warriors.

Penrith continued to pile on the pressure and were rewarded when Walsh dropped a kick defusal. Seeing the home side was on the ropes, the Panthers got back to work with Edwards throwing a short ball to Martin, who burrowed his way over the try-line.

To'o was almost over again after another break from Penrith, but the Warriors held on; the New Zealand side successfully regathered their short drop-out and got themselves into good field position when Chanel Harris-Tavita kicked a 40/20, playing for nothing but pride at this stage, the Warriors showed some excellent structure and finally managed to break through the Panthers wall when Walsh sent a short ball to Josh Curran to score.

An error from Dunamis Lui after scoring handed the ball back to the Panthers with time running out; the Warriors used their Captains Challenge but were unsuccessful. Penrith could not find a way forward, so Jarome Luai resorted to running sideways, skipping from left to right before spying an overlap and getting the ball to Crichton, who then showed his team first mentality, shifting out one more to To'o for the wingers second try of the night and the final play of this game.

A well-deserved win for Penrith but a disappointing loss for the Warriors, who will now be counting down the days until they can return to NZ soil.

FULL-TIME: New Zealand Warriors 6 Penrith Panthers 40

Warrior of the match Points

3 Pts - Reece Walsh,  2 Pts - Josh Curran, 1 Pt - Jazz Tevaga  

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

NZ Warriors 2022 Round 14 Review: New coach, same problems as Sharks pick apart lacklustre Warriors

After their embarrassing Round 13 defeat to the Sea Eagles, the Warriors returned to Moreton Daily Stadium to face the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. After a promising start, it looked like the Warriors were ready to end their five-game losing streak; however, after making a few errors that let the Sharks into the match, Cronulla took control and strolled to a 38-16 victory and the sixth loss in a row for the Warriors. 

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

Ingers League Wrap-Up Round 14 Match Report

Well, another busy week for the Warriors with Nathan Brown's exit and Stacey Jones's promotion into the hot seat as interim Head Coach. Due to the announcement's timing, the Warriors team named for the Sharks clash was essentially the same that we have seen the past month, and it did nothing to improve my low confidence levels for a victory.

The Warriors started the match well but fell into the same patterns we have seen for most of the season. Errors, poor defensive effort, and a general lack of cohesion as a unit saw the side undone again. Some players are out there giving it 100% and trying to get this team back into the winner's circle, but some specific individuals look entirely checked out, and it is dragging the side down.

I said it last week, but it's clear that this team is no longer playing as a unit and changes need to be made, drop the individuals that are clearly not giving it their all and give someone on the fringes a chance to prove their worth because let's face it they cannot do any worse.

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

Match Positives

The first ten minutes were a complete turnaround from what we have had to stomach the past five weeks. They were playing simple footy, and it was working. The passes were sticking, and questions were being asked of the Shark's defence, which led to their first two tries. Defensively they looked better, also keeping the Sharks contained. They just could not keep it going consistently; if they could replicate that first ten minutes and make that a 70 or even 80-minute effort, they could start turning their performances around.

There is only one game left before the Warriors make their return to Mount Smart Stadium. This club needs to come home; I know it is not going to magically fix the problems that are going on within the organisation. 

Still, a chance to return home, see friends and family and play in front of crowds that have been desperate for live footy should hopefully give the players a much-needed boost. I may be selfish, but I just miss watching the boys from the comfort of the seat I have had for the past 17 years, and I have felt very disconnected from this club that I love, and I want to get that feeling that live footy gives me back. 

Lastly, Addin Fonua-Blake should hopefully be back this week, and this side needs him more now than ever. He is key to setting the platform, and the other forwards have not stepped up in his absence. He can't do it alone, but hopefully, with him back on the park, it will kick the other players around him into gear and get this side rolling forward to hopefully give the halves the time needed to create scoring opportunities.

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

Match Negatives

The Warriors were undone by their errors; while only making six of them, the Sharks turned most of those mistakes into points, thanks mainly to some poor defensive reads, which saw the Warriors miss thirty tackles. The basic errors and poor defence boil down to attitude; mistakes do happen, but when they do, the team needs to back that error up with a lift in intensity on defence to ensure they either get the ball back or stop themselves from standing under the goalposts again. The final try the Sharks scored was off a poor pass from Reece Walsh that went to the ground instead of hitting Shaun Johnson, and instead of chasing after Sione Katoa, Johnson started yelling at Walsh. It's good to hold players accountable (although SJ may need to look in the mirror first), but the play wasnt over, and he should have tried to stop Katoa in his tracks.

Flowing on from that, the attack was horrible in the final 70 minutes of this match. There were times when it looked like the Warriors were piecing attacking phases together, but they all came crashing down with either poor last tackle options or errors. There was just not a lot of talking going on, and with most of the sides just doing their own thing, it made for a clunky attacking structure, and unless they start working together and communicating, the losses will continue.

The injury to Ben Murdoch-Masila is another devastating blow to the Warrior's campaign. I'm biased as a massive BMM fan, but it's just more bad luck for the Warriors to lose another big body. He hasn't been playing well this year, but I was hoping he could step up a level playing alongside AFB. His dislocated elbow will see him missing at least six to eight weeks, so my optimistic prediction of his improvement will have to go on the back burner.

Warrior of the Match

My Warrior of the match goes to Wayde Egan.

It was another weekend that was hard to select a player to highlight, but I thought Egan was one of a few individuals that could leave the field with his head held high. He set up the first try before scoring a try of his own and was delivering the Warrior's quick ball out of the ruck. He also led the side with 37 tackles and only missed three. He has taken the frustrating parts of his game that I didn't care for away, and I have liked the growth we have seen from Egan; and hopefully, we will continue to see him improve.

Warrior to Improve

My Warrior to improve goes to Rocco Berry.

A few players could have taken this spot this week, but I have gone with the young centre; I think he has a lot of upsides, but he is showing that he is not up to the level of playing week in week out first grade just yet. He made a few poor defensive reads, but I was more concerned with his attacking plays, getting tackled on the last tackle without looking like he was a chance of scoring, with one of those times leaving a certain try for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak begging, which just can't happen. Give him time to develop in reserve grade as if he continues to have to learn on the job in first grade; it could derail his career before it even gets a chance to really start. 

And please, Berry, remember you're not playing Union anymore, and on the fifth tackle, you cant just hold onto it.

Next round thoughts and prediction

Round 15 sees the Warriors stay at Moreton Daily Stadium to face the Panthers, who dominated the Knights 42-6 in Round 14.

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

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

I hope the Little General is thinking along the same lines and makes a few changes.

Predicting the match this week isn't about if the Warriors would win or lose but by how much the Panthers will beat them by, if I am brutally honest. The Panthers will have plenty of players out due to State of Origin game 2, but as they showed in the week leading up to SoO1, they can still put a cricket score on their opposition with their stars missing. I want to see an attitude adjustment from the Warriors, but I think they will be in trouble, so I am picking the Panthers to win by 24.

So that was a disappointing  Round 14, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Do you see Stacey making some tough calls and changing the gameday 17?

Who would you like to become the Warriors 2023 Head Coach?

Are you looking forward to the Warriors returning to Mt Smart?

What is your score prediction against the Panthers?