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#3246320 8-Jun-2024 21:29

Strong win. Same game style as most of 2023 as Ive been saying all along. Its clearly not "that" important who plays and who is out, given the depth we have. Obviously we wan't as many key players as we can, but the last 3 games shows the depth. Of course we cannot afford any slip-ups, we need to win all the games we (as IMO are top 4) should win, and one of the big boys games to scrape into the top 8

Play 2023 style, the scores will look after themselves.

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TeaLeaf

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#3246321 8-Jun-2024 21:36

Satisfied enough with that.

amazing what not gifting 2-4 tries in the first 20 minutes but instead put on 4.

So Cowboys chose to play the SoO players in the end and they looked FLaT. I think that helped the Warriors more than hurt them.

Defense wins games and given the Drinkwater 80m try just happens, could easily ended up 42-6.

Intensity = line speed. Intensity = errors from top grade defense.

Rocco Berry is fast becoming one of the form Centres in the game. He is scary on defense and scary on offense.

Im loving TMM more on the other side at 7. Id be so tempted to play SJ at 6 despite being the reigning top Half Back of the NRL. ask Shaun to turn back the clock and run like he did at 19yo. CHT to play 14 which was the plan once Metcalf got the serious injury.

Every single player, played to what you should expect from a team regaining this many Marquees players with two of the top in SJ next week and maybe RTS the week after.

What a dunce the Ref with those sin bins, Townsend actually was striking and connected one to CHT's body in the tackle over the side line, so I think CHT dropping the ball on his head was ironic to be sin binned. Then Val Homes, was attempting a tackle according to the bunker, but with no arms just the shoulder, over turns the refs shoulder charge on Marcelo. Kinda opened the game up though the 12 on 12.

Warriors top players showing the difference in what fitness makes to intensity.

TeaLeaf

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#3246328 8-Jun-2024 22:04

Really the NRL should drop all its top players and no salary cap, just ask the NSW and Qld cup to be the pinnacle of club League rofl. ;-p

Same strategy and same style as last year. Much, very much changed this week with that 80% return of starting 13, with two more to come. (ignoring metcalf given the unlikely chance to play this year).

Extremely professional players put on an as expected return to how they should be performing given the Roster. No surprises.

Given we were in same position last year, there is still an expectation of making the top 4, but also contender potential, which that performance was at the minimum level required to reach that ambition.

Losing to Melb with some real 50/50 stuff by that single try really hurt, it happens, but winning in another SELL out next week at home they have the chance to rectify that failure to Ice that close one. But beating top 4 and 8 teams now, win or lose next week, provided its not an epic loss, we should be able to take 3 from the next 4 with both Melb and the Sharks (away) in that 4 matches (who we also failed to ice a by 4 pt loss earlier in season) then another bye, should have the team fully fit for the run into Finals.

But sure would be nice to win next week to likely reenter the top 8 with #4 spot only 1pt in front of us with a traffic jam 4-8 on 7wins vs our 6 and 1pt draw. Manly face Penrith in their next match. Tonights second game has a big impact with Bris in 7th vs the Sharks, (but Bris currently in front by 8).

Given that, the team should be expecting high quality skills from themselves and as a team to this second half of season and ambition to go all the way.

JPNZ

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#3247243 11-Jun-2024 09:21

I see at the request of Auckland/Sky NZ the Hurricanes shifted their semi final to 4:30pm to avoid a clash with the warriors v storm game on saturday. First time I have heard of NZR acting proactively to avoid clashes.

Man this week's game v the storm is huge and I see the storm are favs at the TAB just...

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#3247840 12-Jun-2024 12:18

JPNZ:

I see at the request of Auckland/Sky NZ the Hurricanes shifted their semi final to 4:30pm to avoid a clash with the warriors v storm game on saturday. First time I have heard of NZR acting proactively to avoid clashes.

Man this week's game v the storm is huge and I see the storm are favs at the TAB just...

Yeh its new age huh. I guess its a win/win situation (well hopefully literally lol). Yes the odds are odd given Storm are on top. I suppose given they are one of our close 4 point losses this year. So with SJ returning (But RTS still not over the slight twinge in the hammy, no twinge at all) and one of the number of Sold Out games this season, it might be precaution from punters, especially after a good chunk of our Marquees players returning to slaughter a SoO star studded team last week and two wins against top 4 teams the prior couple. I will be happy win or lose provided we put in a professional first grade level performance like last week. Im a bit nervous wit SJ returning as TMM has shown to have woken up moving from 6 to 7, showing that even in the modern game the difference vs the classic use of 6 being the running half, 7 being the game manager. But, the 6 still needs silky hands, which is TMM's best quality, he can draw and pass and has exceptional timing to that pass. CHT showed how much better a kicker he is with the bomb timing/distance along with a better distance in the clearing kick than either TMM or SJ. Of the 4 current halves, Metcalf has by far the longest boot, but we never used him for it or 40/20s unfortunately.

I think Webby is being bias toward the Warriors with this SI based second NZ team being fast tracked to join by ex NRL boss Moffat. There has never been a lack of League in NZ, nor fans. The problem has been aussie NRL clubs vacuuming up very young NZ players at a rapid rate. The number of NZ born NRL players easily justifies another NZ team, where teen kids wont have to leave their families, to play for a NZ club they love.

I thought Redcliffe should have been a NZ team, a 3rd (GC is close enough to be a satellite of Bris) Brisbane team made no sense to me, even though I have a lot of fond memories of Redcliffe and if any Bris club deserved it they do so Im being anti bias there.

I think Webby is showing either extreme bias or a lack of understanding of RL in NZ and just how footy crazy CCH is with both codes. The lack of success by the Warriors should not be a barometer for RL in NZ, besides which, even a Rubbish location and lots of rubbish seasons, the Warriors supporters were always there in numbers, I expect no less, if not more, from a CCH based club.

2026 would be rapid though :-)

Andrew Webster cautions against rush for second New Zealand-based NRL team - NZ Herald

JPNZ

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#3247850 12-Jun-2024 12:55

Yes Webby a bit biased and rightfully so, but the SI NRL venture has tonnes of merit. Another team to put into the news stadium is a win/win.

Bring it on 2026 or 2028.

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#3247858 12-Jun-2024 13:06

JPNZ:

Yes Webby a bit biased and rightfully so, but the SI NRL venture has tonnes of merit. Another team to put into the news stadium is a win/win.

Bring it on 2026 or 2028.

I think he is recognising his thought by saying others will say it haha. It will weaken australian teams too, if anything making it even more close a comp.

We havnt had a weak comp for decades. But if you were like me a member of a club that was "amalgamated" and now sees nothing from it, you would feel a bit pissed at all these new teams that have come along, but it is better for the game to have a Vic team, multiple Qld teams, NZ team or two.

There was talk a while back of the Warriors playing in the "Las Vegas" opening game next season.

The LA roosters US development might become the flavour of the month for other teams, until it really takes off and all NZ/aus players end up in a USA comp haha. Jks

NRL 2024: Sydney Roosters, United States, Los Angeles Roosters, sponsor, Michael Woolridge, Liz Tafuna; Roosters invest in US growth | NRL.com

TeaLeaf

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#3249360 15-Jun-2024 12:50

Warriors can leap frog all the way up the ladder to 5th should they win, just 1pt outside the top 8 with the dolphins 1pt ahead but are playing the Storm themselves next week at home, so should our win streak continue we quite likely will end up in 4th, a deservved 4th too, with the run into september starts in earnest in a few weeks.

Good to see some focus on SJ taking 7 over and TMM moving back to 6, it worries me. SJ is a good game manager but hes also a lethal stepper, he is far better than he thinks he is due to his age. Id love TMM stay at 7 and havee SJ game manage from 6 but run the ball on the last around that 30m mark. especially if a swing wide right to left.

Just hope the weather holds out, I think the due will be out under lights.

tdgeek

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#3249444 15-Jun-2024 19:22

TAB has Warriors as favourites, so a win is expected and needed.

tdgeek

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#3249457 15-Jun-2024 20:22

Defence a little lacking.

tdgeek

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#3249460 15-Jun-2024 20:33

half time stats were relatively even except Storm spent 65% of the match in their own half, us 35%, yet they scored more. We obviously looked good early and we were, but defence wasnt the best then we spent more time going up the middle for not many metres each tackle

JPNZ

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#3249673 16-Jun-2024 15:49

SJ was passive at best. If he’s carrying an injury he shouldn’t be out there. Felt the warriors copped some bad calls along the way too. Disappointing loss

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#3249685 16-Jun-2024 16:51

Disappointing but there are positives.

The start was great, running and passing. We got results. Later it was solid and reliable and up the middle with less creative play, less results. At the end they played catchup

Like most tier 1 sports you need to trust yourself, solid and reliable usually doesnt cut it

TAB had Warriors favourites, not my much, and a bias there as TAB protects itself from Warriors fan punters, but it still shows Warriors were seen as VERY competitive against the top of the table

Play creative for 80 minutes, thats the key

TeaLeaf

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#3251886 22-Jun-2024 14:00

JPNZ: SJ was passive at best.

Did SJ play, I didnt notice him out there. This was why I said we should play him at 6 given his footwork in the running back role, TMM has been fairly passive at 6 but when we moved him to 7 out of share necessity he has been managing the games great. It felt like Shaun was back to the bomb on the 5th with nobody contesting yet again. Both have been in and out a bit but SJ is a shadow of the #1 HB and Player in the NRL like he was last year. CHT is also a better kicker than either of them imo. I still think RTS with his footwork and ball handling would make a beast 6 like CNK did 4 games back Which makes me less concerned if SJ resigns next year or not, but it would be season changing if he got back to that form.

Great game last night, but the Storm are the masters of composure winning yet another single try game again, vs our 5 or so losses that we should have clutched (including them who we were up by 8 with two mins left on the clock and that freaks try by Coates in the corner to beat us with no time on the clock)

It was about this time last year we kicked on, but this is obviously a near must win.

Sucks losing DWZ and Berry but these things happen, to compound that two of our best forwards losing Barnett (irreplaceable this year) and a surprise call up to me for Capewell both to SoO. RTS is back is about the only consolidation there. Kosi imo needs to show what he is capable of and not come up with an error that turns the tide of the match.

TeaLeaf

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#3251947 22-Jun-2024 15:26

Oops, meant to post this, Webster also saying last weak hes not concerned with the TMM-SJ mix in the halves. I get Webster wants Johnson to play percentage football, which is why he bombs on the 5th and the idea our defense smashes them so they have to kick from their 30 (or we force an error deep in their half), giving us likely a tackle or two inside their 20 on our return set.

But SJ has to be doing more than putting up an uncontested bomb on the 5th. He has to provide some unstructured magic when we are within 35m, meaning running the ball, chipping, cross field kick to the winger (defense is compressed giving the wing a chance to be unmarked). Worst case we end up on their 20m, provided our defense holds that is a par for course set. So chance it that close. If we are putting up a bomb on the 5th, contest it on occasion not just wait for the player to land and smash him on the 5-10m to pin them, being the percentage football, which you do need some of for sure, all good teams do it, but gotta chance it on occasion within their 35-40m to keep them guessing. There is just so much variablity a good 7 provides that SJ just looked like a Ghost last week, to be fair first game back etc, but we have to win ~60% of our matches to be assured a place in the 8.

Warriors v Titans: Why Shaun Johnson is still the key man for Andrew Webster - NZ Herald

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