
Mr Dragon
After the Sharks and the Cowboys lost, we still have a chance for the 8, but we have to beat the Sharks. I'm not asking i'm begging 🤣
We get it. Ads aren't what you are here for. NZWarriors.com has been up for almost 20 years and relies on ad revenue to help keep the server running.
Please add us to your ad blocker's whitelist or disable to run on our website. Alternatively, click here to upgrade your account to remove all ads.
Lodge for brown. watch the fox panel not even mention our injury toll🤦🏽♂️😂Given our injuries this could be a real banter line up. I’m gonna go full worst case scenario.
Players assumed out: Harris, Katoa, Townsend, Walsh, Aitken, Curran, Fusitu'a, Hiku, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Nikorima.
1. Watene-Zelezniak
2. Pompey
3. Berry
4. Vailea
5. Montoya
6. Tuivasa-Sheck
7. Egan
8. Evans
9. Tevaga
10. Fonua-Blake
11. Murchie
12. Sironen
13. Afoa
14. Otukolo
15. Ah Mau
16. Taunoa-Brown
17. Murdoch-Masila
At least it'd be interesting. For a bit.
![]()
New Zealand Warriors recruit Matt Lodge breaks his silence following rollercoaster Broncos exit
New Zealand Warriors recruit Matt Lodge has opened up on his rollercoaster exit from the Brisbane Broncos, following his release last week.www.sportingnews.com
I like this team.Pretty sure Aitken and Curran can't play yet, the 14 days might be up by the weekend, but they won't have been able to train at all. Even though they followed the rules,
In light of that, the NRL are weak dogs for not stripping the Dragons of competition points for failing to control their players.
1. Walsh (that patch in the middle of the dragons game where we were dominating, he would have killed them off)
2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (looked good)
3. Montoya (playing better than tall Kata)
4. Berry (they can do that thing where Roger comes into center on attack and Berry goes out to the wing)
5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (its not optimal use of players)
6. Nikorima (assume recovered)
7. Sean O'Sullivan (i don't think running openly injured players out there is a responsible way to operate)
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Egan
10. Lodge (throw him in there, front row is now the strength of the team, batter away at the opposition while we can)
11. Sironen (he looked a bit better with more minutes on the edge)
12. Murchie
13. Tevaga
14. Otukolo (surely he can have a dart from dummy half off the back of these props)
15. LAM
16. Afoa/Evans
17. Ben Murdoch-Masila (leave him on the bench, sub with Murchie, or if you get a backline injury, he takes Sironen's place, why is this so complicated?)
18. Pompey
19. Evans/Afoa
Assume Chad, Katoa and Harris are all injured.
Other than the big flashing warning light in the halves, its still an okay side, but the finals is not happening after the last 2 weeks, that's why not bothering to move Walsh into 6, they need to win something like 6 out of 9 to tie for 8th (we haven't had many blow out scorelines so our points diff is okay)
Yeah, that's possible on paper, with an easy draw and a full strength team, but they are never at full strength, and we never win back to back games under any circumstances, so why is that going to change now? Maybe being out of finals contention will cause them to relax a bit like they did late last year.
So let Walsh play fullback, give Berry a go, let Kosi play Q Cup etc.
Yeah look, maybe saying they don't have ticker is the wrong wording. I know they are trying. It's likely they are just not good enough right now. But we're never good enough. We've gone from a what I thought was a pretty strong mid table team to a likely bottom four side. The injuries excuse is very convenient, but every team has injuries.I like this team.
Out of Bunty or Evans I would try Evans this week, go Large with Lodge coming in, just try out what having the bigger pack looks like against the Sharks in particular.
It would be a major achievement if Lodge helps us Bully the Sharks as part of the Addin Fonua-Blake Evans triad.
Evans goes well for the first few minutes in a game, he is quite active and has a good run in him, since our props play long minutes I would slot him in over Bunty.
If he tanks, Bunty next week.
I would be telling these Warriors to forget about the finals, that ship has probably sailed, go out there and have fun, go hard it and enjoy the rest of the season.
I disagree with the sentiment that players are not trying, or lack ticker.
I think we are losing close games because some players, especially our seniors like Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tohu Harris, are trying too hard.
There comes the brain farts. uncharacteristic errors from good players is a sign of pressure.
We need to try to play that end of season dead rubber style that goes well for us, like it did last season.
Take the pressure off. We have nothing to lose from here.
Another thing I don't really get, is people raging on Sean O'Sullivan. He is not really meant to be playing out there as frequently as he has, and ultimately we would be in a worse position without him doing his little cameos.
What leads you to believe Ben Murdoch-Masila's preferred position is #13?Have we had Ben Murdoch-Masila in his preferred position of 13 yet this year?
Haha well I got that wrong..
Yeah they look mentally brittle, no resilience, chronic problem.Yeah look, maybe saying they don't have ticker is the wrong wording. I know they are trying. It's likely they are just not good enough right now. But we're never good enough. We've gone from a what I thought was a pretty strong mid table team to a likely bottom four side. The injuries excuse is very convenient, but every team has injuries.
I don't know, to bottle 5 or 6 games in the last 5 mins, is that an attitude thing? As in, do they want to win? Or is it a mental lapse? They probably are trying, but their mental toughness needs to be called into question.
I mean, they are in these games. There not getting blown off the park from the get go, which if they were would suggest they just suck..but they are competitive.Yeah they look mentally brittle, no resilience, chronic problem.
When we have a narrow lead in the last stanza they look like they are panicking instead of playing the numbers.
What they need is a string of success.
Hopefully Brown can convince then that all those narrow losses are a sign they are not far off turning a corner.
All that said, Lodge will be interesting, his recent interview about moving here was all business, rather than the usual platitudes about always wanting to play for the Warriors or the other ones for example I want to try to bring blah blah to the club...be part of the first premiership etc.
In theory with both starting halves out we should get pumped this game.
Across the board the Sharks match up with us, but they have an in form NRL half in Johnson, should be a blood bath on paper.
Hopefully our lot can show some pride and bumble their way through the game without disgracing themselves.
Johnson has been playing at that level for the last few years for the Sharks,I mean, they are in these games. There not getting blown off the park from the get go, which if they were would suggest they just suck..but they are competitive.
Which is why I lean toward there being a lack of mental toughness or as you said, resilience. Having sub par halves wouldn't help, I know. But even with the halves we have we have put ourselves in position to snatch games plenty of times. We just don't have the intestinal fortitude to see it through unfortunately. I believe they had more if it last year.
but yeah, I don't have high hopes for this game. Shaun Johnson was sublime against the Broncs. Maybe the Sharks are running into a poor patch and we can get em.
I actually thought he was trying to transition into a more game managing half in his last few years with us. Particularly after he came back from that bad injury (ACL or Achilles I think?). But when he wasn't scoring length of the field tries or wrong footing players every touch of the ball fans got impatient, myself included. He spoke about it on a podcast not long ago..Johnson has been playing at that level for the last few years for the Sharks,
He really improved out of sight when he left here, which tells you he wasted most of his career not listening to the experts about working on his game controlling.
Every Immortal and every star in this game has spoken about Johnson the Warrior and the missing game control ability.
He would have been the greatest player ever had he worked on it earlier in life instead of using physical ability all the time.
Still the better Shaun Johnson is coming here, so provided he stays fit we are in for a treat.
It is interesting that the Sharks are prepared to let him go, he is their best player.....why they couldn't stretch his offer a bit above 450K I dunno...prolly a repeat of Peter Brown Agent asking for 750K at the start of negotiations...we have seen that movie here already...
Anyway, Shaun Johnson for 450, Lodge for less than 400K (confirmed the man himself said he is getting more than half his 800K Broncos Salary from the Broncos) and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak for half price is some sick dealing.
We need confidence, that is what is missing.
Last year when the season was gone, the team lost its fear of losing and went on a run.
The guys need to chill a bit.