Post Match NRL 2018 - Round 22 - Warriors vs Knights Post Match Discussion

[kurgal]

After that sluggish start my first thought was whether 8 pm NZT is past their bed-time.

Took a long time to get into the swing and both teams looked like they were doing their best to lose at times. But happy for the win.

A solid B performance.

 

[Fazz]

It's a solid B for me. There were too many errors and blown chances for me to go any higher. With that said, I'm very happy with the performance and it gives me hope on the eve of the finals. I think we've starting to find some form. All of our remaining games are very winnable too ... a top four spot may not be entirely out of our reach with some favourable results.

 

[Mr Frank White]

Forwards owe the back 5 a beer and big feed. They are being carried at the moment, and they will need to step it up come finals time

 

[Ref]

Its a good win. Regardless of the oppositions place on the table. Some of the lower placed teams are now playing their best football. So much outstanding defense from every player.

 

[snake77]

I thought we did well shutting down Ponga. Pretty much whenever he had the ball he was hit and put on the ground. Didn't give him much room to move. Hopefully we can shutdown other key players in coming weeks.

Pearce looked good controlling them early. As the game wore on his job became more difficult as we got over the top of them.

 

[Raw Power]

A for me, it was only the officials that kept the Knights in the game and kept the Warriors score at a minimal total... get rid of the Nit Picking Refs!
I thought we showed much patience with matching the Knights with their energy at the start of the game and throughout the game, then sticking to the Process Baby! Sheck the Rodge is just Magic to watch. Green and Johnson well done, Luke Awesome, Paasi, Papali'i and Bunty keep Punching and the Wingers Winning Yards, Mannering Masterful ETC Gladly!

 

[Murraytd]

Well done boys.

Listened to some very biased pro Warriors commentary on fox sports! Ennis dead set wanted to be sandwiched by Fusitua and Johnson.

 

[Aman]

Has Gavet been reading this forum? Ran hard and fast today. I like

 

[Aman]

How awesome if Roger wins Dally M. Would he be the first Warrior?

 

[bruce]

I watched the game at the ground so I haven't heard any commentary except the posts on this thread.

I gave them a B. There were too many missed tackles and errors for anything more.

They were not prepared for the intensity at the start. Newcastle took it to them, especially down our left side.
In the first quarter we had made 14 missed tackles to their 2. It was like they had bloody fleas.

Their try was from a forward pass from what I could see. The women touchie was on that side and I think she was too scared to call it.

Apart from the try the Knights never looked in it at all. As usual the referees seemed to be looking at only one side and they really kept them in the game. FFS Matt Chechin called a try that had to be overruled by the Bunker because it was clearly dropped...FFS

Luke and Blair again led the forward pack with intensity and Jazz topped the tackle count again. Well done Jazz, he has to be kept on. The forwards dominated after the first quarter. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck should get the Dally M, but he isn't, playing for the Rorters anymore.

Some have commented that the score didn't reflect the domination, and it didn't. Some of that was due to poor finishing or pushed passes.

For a million dollar player Shaun Johnson makes too many kicking errors. Out on the full and line kicks going dead but his linking with Blake Green is very impressive and will keep any team on their toes.

It has to be remembered that for that forward pass try against Cronulla the club would now be sitting 4th instead of 6th. They are not a bad side and are playing within themselves. After that hectic opening you could see Blair and Luke settling the forwards into a grind and it wore the Knights down slowly but surely. That was why there was no helter skelter hail mary shite trying to push the scoreline out in the second half. Very Melbourne like.

One worry is we have two Rolls Royce wingers who are not really being fed properly right now. Hiku was the best feeder for Fusitua and we all know about the Ken Maumolo /Kata situation. Championship teams don't waste talent like that. I am sure Kearney is working on it, after all he had to address the forwards first.

Next week could be a key game. We can beat the Dogs over there and if so I reckon 5th or 6th has to be in sight.

 

[bruce]

I thought we did well shutting down Ponga.

Was he on the field?, Pearce was the danger man brother, and the Knights would be much further up the ladder if he hadn't been inured. They might do some damage yet before the end of the season.

 

[AlexM]

"Their try was from a forward pass from what I could see. The women touchie was on that side and I think she was too scared to call it."

Women in league round and all Bruce.....

 

[matiunz]

"Their try was from a forward pass from what I could see. The women touchie was on that side and I think she was too scared to call it."

Women in league round and all Bruce.....

He’s not wrong though...

 

[bruce]

He’s not wrong though...

I have just been to NRL.Com. They called it forward as well. Also checked out the press conferences. SK was very content with the performance and Nathan Brown was in awe of our back three, especially Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. He said the Warriors choked them and could go on to the grand final if they keep their players fit. I have to agree.

 

[AlexM]

Pulu with a foot injury

 

[Mr Frank White]

Pulu with a foot injury

Damn. Jazz picked up an injury too

 

[Run_it_str8]

Damn. Jazz picked up an injury too

Harris for Pulu
Sao for Pulu
Lawton for Jazz
Satae for Jazz
Hiku for Jazz haha

 

[sydneywarrior92]

I gave this game a B as well. We started slow and flat: dropped too much ball, made bad defensive decisions on the edge and horrible attempts at tackle for the Sio try. But as soon as we settled down, we wore them down very well. Best forward domination I've seen since the Roosters game in round 4. Crazy metres by Ken and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Special kudos to Ken, has come in leaps and bounds since his debut year in 2015.

I'm just going to throw this out there. I think Ken could be our Kikau. Just imagine him terrorising little half-backs on the edge. Maloney would shit himself seeing Ken on the edge. He's wasted on the wing IMO. He doesn't have the pace or the positioning to do what Fusitua does. I wouldn't mind testing him as an edge forward, fitting Hiku alongside Kata on the wing. Kata doesn't know how to pass, something that Hiku knows how to do. Crazy suggestion maybe but I think worthy of debate at the least.

Back to the game: the attack is not quite there. We are one pass short of really executing a well-worked try. I'm sure the conditions played a part, but we need to be better at converting that dominance onto the score board. I also feel as though we aren't utilising perhaps our biggest advantage over most teams- contests in the air. We have perhaps the biggest back 3 in the comp, yet we don't effectively compete in the air. Fusitua in particular is an attacking weapon in the air as he showed last week. Something I feel like we could have benefited from in this game.

Another thing that still bugs me though is how susceptible we are to being gang tackled back 10+ metres. South and Roosters did it to us repeatedly at Mt Smart and the Knights did to at the beginning. We need to be better at supporting our man when that happens, so we don't lose so many metres. It kills all momentum in those sets.

Overall though, I think we are progressing nicely. We could very well be played into form by the bottom 8 teams. Hopefully we have a nice dry track at ANZ next week where we can put on a clinic against an improving Dogs team. One week at a time though.

 

[Far North Forever]

Was a cu** of a game, but we won.

Now we're in the finals. Time to believe!

2018, the year we stopped being mud.

Terrible game we were just a tad off in our kicking and ball security. Up the ante in those 2 areas we win by 30+, the Knights were shocking had nothing to throw at us. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck for Dally M award

 

[wizards rage]

Maumalo over 100 post contact meters...

wow!