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TeaLeaf

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#230716 9-Mar-2018 17:16

Well its upon us already.

The Warriors have been all talk of being the fittest team in the comp. Kearney has focused on possession and completion in 2017 and despite not making the 8 was successful at both of those. Im predicting he will focus on defense this year, let completion become autonomous and keep attack fairly simple and natural. The team will always score points, but our problems in the past have been completing sets and defending our line, so Im on board his game plan.

Not many fancying our chances of making the playoffs, I remember a year where everybody wrote us off as wooden spoon start of season only to finish in the GF.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/opinion/102018878/head-to-head-will-warriors-break-their-playoff-drought-in-2018

I disagree, I think we will make the playoffs, and anything can happen from there. I predict 2019 to be our Maiden GF win.

"Warriors: 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c), 2 David Fusitua, 3 Peta Hiku, 4 Solomone Kata, 5 Ken Maumalo, 6 Blake Green, 7 Shaun Johnson, 8 James Gavet, 9 Issac Luke, 10 Adam Blair, 11 Isaiah Papali'i, 12 Tohu Harris, 13 Ligi Sao

Interchange: 14 Sam Cook, 15 Leivaha Pulu, 16 Sam Lisone, 17 Bunty Afoa"

"Simon Mannering is out with a shoulder injury. New signings Peta Hiku, Blake Green, Adam Blair and Tohu Harris start, as do young forwards Isaiah Papali'I and Ligi Sao, while hooker Sam Cook will make his NRL debut off the bench."

Thats an impressive team even without Simon, Hiku, Blair and Harris are going to add a lot to the team, especially Harris being exactly the kind of forward we need, high tackle count, best line breaking forward in the game along with being in the top 5 offloaders, I expect to see Fusitua following him around the park.

Warriors have never won in Perth 0-9, Im predicting 22-6 over the Bunnies. Kickoff 9pm NZT, just after we beat England 3-2 in the ODI series :-)

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#1972535 10-Mar-2018 21:41

Bahaha after an extremely bias 9-1 penalty count, the onfield ref calls a ridiculous obstruction from a gorgeous pass, only to have the Bunker over turn the numb nut. Warriors doing so well considering they getting called for penalties Souths arent. I dont believe in this Ref consipiracy, happens to all teams, but is happening this game.

As I suspected the commentators talking about how cut and fit the warriors are looking.

Warriors 16:10

TeaLeaf

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#1972538 10-Mar-2018 21:50

Warriors had 70% of ball due to the penalties.

But its the Rabbitohs that look shot already in the Perth sun. Warriors fitness is just obvious in defense especially.

OMG OMG JOHNSON JOHNSON, 5 sec to go, puts fusitua over the line. 20:10 half time.

Just look so different being fit and not dropping the ball and with Tohu Harris and Blair even without posession. Green is taking pressure of Johnson.

New Trainer/Fitness Alex Corvo looks to have been worth twice what they are paying him.

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#1972540 10-Mar-2018 21:56

I'm sorry to say it, but nothing has really changed at the Warriors, I didn't watch the game, but if they won, you have 4 consecutive losses coming your way very soon. They might even string a couple of wins together, but just when you start to believe, they will implode.

The Warriors, like the Blues, hire big stars expecting it will be a substitute to hard work and cohesive culture. Those big stars become the sole focus and it ends up being to the detriment of the team.

TeaLeaf

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#1972543 10-Mar-2018 22:06

No the big stars arent the focus, they are taking pressure off the big stars so the can finally play as a team. They also complete their sets now and are as fit as .....

Last year was successful in what they were asked to do which was increase completions, finishing in the top 4 was a success.

I agree RE blues, but warriors problem was lack of ownership with little fan base compared to aussie teams. players not completing sets. players being unfit. players not getting back into the line to make tackles. so i think they have addressed a lot of the teams issues.

TeaLeaf

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#1972544 10-Mar-2018 22:16

Not taking the 2 and going for the try is a change in warriors mentality. And it pays off, Maumolo in the corner. Bunnies were hot favs and look shot 30mins to go, if things dont change this will be a blow out and our first win in ten attempts in Perth. I went to the first 2 haha, wow that seems like ages ago.

Kata over, this is turning into a beat up by the warriors.

I dont care what anyone says, this team looks 500% different to prior years and Ive seen every game.

TeaLeaf

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#1972550 10-Mar-2018 22:54

Isaiah Papali'i 19yo Rookie Man of the Match IMO. Wow our forwards look different so fit.

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Dial111

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#1972615 11-Mar-2018 09:19

networkn:
I'm sorry to say it, but nothing has really changed at the Warriors, I didn't watch the game, but if they won, you have 4 consecutive losses coming your way very soon. They might even string a couple of wins together, but just when you start to believe, they will implode.

The Warriors, like the Blues, hire big stars expecting it will be a substitute to hard work and cohesive culture. Those big stars become the sole focus and it ends up being to the detriment of the team.

first you say nothing has really changed at the Warriors then I didn't watch the game but yet you came to the conclusion nothing has changed, lol doesn't make any sense.

Warriors beating the bunnies (0-5) in Perth (0-9), in the sun wouldn't be easy by a stretch. Team looked fit, in shape and hungry. Forwards looked lean, Luke looked in the best shape since leaving the bunnies, SJ was keen to get his kit dirty, and the backline was firing.

Heaps of room for improvement still but this wasn't the warriors of old, Kearney must be doing something right cos the team looked like one last night.

Early days but I like what I saw.

Bonus point: Blues beat the unbeaten Lions too. Winning

tdgeek

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#1972626 11-Mar-2018 09:51

Dial111:
networkn:

I'm sorry to say it, but nothing has really changed at the Warriors, I didn't watch the game, but if they won, you have 4 consecutive losses coming your way very soon. They might even string a couple of wins together, but just when you start to believe, they will implode.

The Warriors, like the Blues, hire big stars expecting it will be a substitute to hard work and cohesive culture. Those big stars become the sole focus and it ends up being to the detriment of the team.

first you say nothing has really changed at the Warriors then I didn't watch the game but yet you came to the conclusion nothing has changed, lol doesn't make any sense.

Warriors beating the bunnies (0-5) in Perth (0-9), in the sun wouldn't be easy by a stretch. Team looked fit, in shape and hungry. Forwards looked lean, Luke looked in the best shape since leaving the bunnies, SJ was keen to get his kit dirty, and the backline was firing.

Heaps of room for improvement still but this wasn't the warriors of old, Kearney must be doing something right cos the team looked like one last night.

Early days but I like what I saw.

Bonus point: Blues beat the unbeaten Lions too. Winning

I agree with @networkn and I also didnt watch the game. Every year there are positives, upbeat talk, and wins. But every year there are huge losses, giving away huge leads and then losing. Kearney stated was it last year that the players are not good enough. They have had big signings before, but nothing changed. Its a team sport, a big signing wont fix everyone else or the team dynamic.

I do hope its a change. NRL is great to watch, but I haven't watched it for a few years, its too painful! Give me 3 more solid performances, doesnt matter if they are all losses, I want 3 more solid runs to show they are competitive. I dont want to watch a woeful team that has promise but doesnt deliver, like another one I can name.

Dial111

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#1972667 11-Mar-2018 11:41

@tdgeek the thing is if you had watched the game you would of noticed a significant difference in physique and fitness. Granted it's only the first game, the warriors right edge was dangerous and defensive was sound.

Had I not watched the game I would have agreed too, the last 2 years I switched off because as already said, nothing changes. I haven't seen the warriors fit and eager like this in a while.

One game at a time.

darkasdes2

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#1972682 11-Mar-2018 12:21

Dial111: @tdgeek the thing is if you had watched the game you would of noticed a significant difference in physique and fitness. Granted it's only the first game, the warriors right edge was dangerous and defensive was sound.

Had I not watched the game I would have agreed too, the last 2 years I switched off because as already said, nothing changes. I haven't seen the warriors fit and eager like this in a while.

One game at a time.

TeaLeaf

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#1972708 11-Mar-2018 13:45

Dial111: @tdgeek the thing is if you had watched the game you would of noticed a significant difference in physique and fitness. Granted it's only the first game, the warriors right edge was dangerous and defensive was sound.

Spot on. I was so furious end of last year I didnt watch the Tri nations or even any Union I was that P'd off. I knew what Kearney was doing, but I just couldnt understand how 80%+ possession week in week out we were still losing. Teams like the Storm play on posession and defense and let their natural talent play offense. Thats what Kearney is doing I think. Bennett taught Bellamy, Bellamy taught Kearney, then Kearney had Bennett as advisors when we were at our best nationally. It kind of makes sense hes using that blue print.

The thing is you cant defend your line if you are fat and slow. The commentary wouldnt stop talking about how fit the warriors looked and how cut Luke is. For me that said a lot.

Then they started talking about how Green has Johnson looking dangerous, and its true, how many times has Johnson looked very average until mid season? He looked dangerous first game in, at the end of summer during a DAY game in PERTH. Not the sort of heat the warriors of old would have handled at all, but conversely it was the Rabbits that were bunching and puffing by half time, and this is their best team since they won the GF.

And this is the biggest change, they did play as a team, it wasnt Johnson or RTS that stood out it was the forwards and their go forward, especially the younger guys.

And lets not forget we played 10 minutes without Kata who got sent off for slowing the play the ball down.

So when Kata was off, we managed the clock by keeping posession. In league the team who has the ball the most usually wins, we started 30:70 due to penalties but by end of game I think it was 55:45 in our favour.

Speaking of penalties, we didnt let some very one sided penalties rattle us (10:1 at one stage)

The other thing I notice is, the huddle they have now after scoring etc, no straight back to your spot, which is clearly a sign of wanting to play as a team, hard to explain unless you watch a game, the deep breaths in etc, some kind of pyschology work?

Yep one game at a time, Im not saying more than last night they looked like a top 4 team not a team who who cant make the 8. Whether they do next week, I dont know, but based on their defense and fitness Im expecting a win next week.

Im not sure why the highlights dont show the RTS tackle, player diving into open line RTS wraps him up with a bone shattering tackle and takes him over the sideline, RTS gets up pumped and the whole team comes in around him, Ive not seen emotion from RTS before but that said it all for me. Best Try saving tackle on the line in history in my opinion, no bias it was nuts.

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wratterus

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#1972728 11-Mar-2018 15:09

It will take me a while to believe there have been any real changes, but they looked the best they've looked for years in that game. Heaps of energy, everyone looked like they actually wanted to be there, SJ taking on the line...etc etc etc.

Last year I honestly had totally lost faith in Kearney's "processes". Sounded like BS excuses. Maybe, just maybe, it will be different this year. If they can bottle the desire, enthusiasm and execution they displayed yesterday and reproduce that week in, week out..... but time will tell. Not holding my breath, that's for sure.

hsvhel

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#1972770 11-Mar-2018 18:56

Was a good game, but I'm not getting too excited, after being punished for years. At least they came back out for the second 40, a rarity for warriors of old

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networkn

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#1972806 11-Mar-2018 19:42

I am more than a little surprised at how quickly some of you are prepared to make big calls on the Warriors one week in. I think you guys are in for a big fall if that's how it is already.

I'll donate $20 to a registered charity of tealeafs choosing if they make the top 8, and $30 if they make the top 4.

Poor Defence and Lack of consistency will again destroy 2018.

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#1972979 12-Mar-2018 10:12

Dial111:
networkn:

I'm sorry to say it, but nothing has really changed at the Warriors, I didn't watch the game, but if they won, you have 4 consecutive losses coming your way very soon. They might even string a couple of wins together, but just when you start to believe, they will implode.

The Warriors, like the Blues, hire big stars expecting it will be a substitute to hard work and cohesive culture. Those big stars become the sole focus and it ends up being to the detriment of the team.

first you say nothing has really changed at the Warriors then I didn't watch the game but yet you came to the conclusion nothing has changed, lol doesn't make any sense.

Warriors beating the bunnies (0-5) in Perth (0-9), in the sun wouldn't be easy by a stretch. Team looked fit, in shape and hungry. Forwards looked lean, Luke looked in the best shape since leaving the bunnies, SJ was keen to get his kit dirty, and the backline was firing.

Heaps of room for improvement still but this wasn't the warriors of old, Kearney must be doing something right cos the team looked like one last night.

Early days but I like what I saw.

Bonus point: Blues beat the unbeaten Lions too. Winning

Sure, I didn't watch the games, but the tries they let in, were from typically weak defense at the Warriors.

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