Team List Warriors vs Manly - [Round 2, 2025]

[kos]

The coaches can’t make Capewell be more athletic or Ford bend the line for a single carry.

Maybe they can take some ownership on not getting Nuikore firing once in his tenure here.

Websters downfall will definitely be his loyalty to poor performers. It’s not like his hands are tied with no viable alternatives.

I was thinking about taking my kids this week.

Anyone sat in these locations and can provide some thoughts?

East stand right up the top
The West Stand in the bottom tier

West Stand I'm more worried about the distance from the field. It isn't that far but it has been a long since I have been in that stand as every other time was corporate boxes.

East stand up the top - be able to read the game.

 

[Noitall]

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@playonsportshow/video/7480437889365560594

Didn’t really know where to put this, but is SJ talking about the storm. I’m not on tiktok so haven’t actually seen it but they speak of him as a good listen on the knights forum

 

[Noitall]

Cool, it played for me posting it. That’s why I reckon this guy could be a handy coach for the way he sees all the subtleties

 

[Canonball]

View: https://www.tiktok.com/@playonsportshow/video/7480437889365560594

Didn’t really know where to put this, but is SJ talking about the storm. I’m not on tiktok so haven’t actually seen it but they speak of him as a good listen on the knights forum

Looked up the play the ball speed - he misquoted it - Storm was 3.7s --- we actually beat that at 3.57s against the Raiders... so, yeah - perhaps it was because the eels were shit ...

 

[Noitall]

Looked up the play the ball speed - he misquoted it - Storm was 3.7s --- we actually beat that at 3.57s against the Raiders... so, yeah - perhaps it was because the eels were shit ...

Maybe some semantics like that, but I think the way he breaks it down, he’s spot on. If he can articulate it so even a simpleton like me can understand it, he’s doing something right

 

[Noitall]

'I'm keen as to take his head off': Tevaga eyes ultimate bragging rights in return to Mt Smart

The new Manly Sea Eagle is already looking forward to the post-match banter with his former teammates.

sportnation.nz

Jazz not holding back here. Watched a video of Dylan Walker on the Warriors instagram page where he said Jazz wanted to catch up, but he said na after the game, he just wants to concentrate on getting the two points. Makes a bit of sense now and think there might be of bragging rights in this one

 

[Canonball]

Maybe some semantics like that, but I think the way he breaks it down, he’s spot on. If he can articulate it so even a simpleton like me can understand it, he’s doing something right

I don't disagree - there should be a place for him at Mt Smart, they kinda implied there would be then no real contact... the play the ball speed thing is interesting tho, we won that stat, and were even in others last game

 

[Worried2Death]

'I'm keen as to take his head off': Tevaga eyes ultimate bragging rights in return to Mt Smart

The new Manly Sea Eagle is already looking forward to the post-match banter with his former teammates.

sportnation.nz

Jazz not holding back here. Watched a video of Dylan Walker on the Warriors instagram page where he said Jazz wanted to catch up, but he said na after the game, he just wants to concentrate on getting the two points. Makes a bit of sense now and think there might be of bragging rights in this one

It's going to be painful watching him celebrate our misery and dance on our graves, but I can't hate him, hope they win the comp.

 

[Noitall]

It's going to be painful watching him celebrate our misery and dance on our graves, but I can't hate him, hope they win the comp.

Walker pretty competitive so I could see them getting a bit grisly if that’s the case. The club has been pretty quiet since Las Vegas so hopefully there’s been a real knuckling down and we see a better performance

 

[Makasene]

I'm finding this week very interesting.

Webster has proven he is incapable of trying anything new (that is not injury forced) but I do get a sense this is one more chance territory.

I expect us to lose this week, possibly convincingly but not beyond us to put up a fight.

I reckon the shuffling out of CNK is nearly here, sad to say but this could go close to his last game as starting fullback. It will mean Harper probably comes into the theam - so there is that...

 

[Ever Hopeful]

This team is so average. We have small forwards who can't bend the line, a 9 that doesn't run, 2nd rowers on the fringes with no creativity or athleticism, the worst halves in the comp and the slowest backline in the comp.

There's nothing to get excited about and we are going to get run through again. Seems like the coach will be making the same selection and tactical errors as last year and we will get similar, if not worse results.

The above part of your post is the most worrying thing to me.

I'm a day one fan, but I can tell already I'm going to struggle to stay engaged this season on the signs of the Vegas game. This is because between the conservative approach and a woefully pedestrian squad we are just going to be painful to watch. I feel the best we can hope for is a series of 50/50 games we win to scrape into the 8, rather than the close losses we had last year. It will take an absolutely stellar season from Metcalf for us to do anything, and that is a longshot and a half, especially if he isn't given parity to work with.

The only exciting thing for me is the young forwards that get 10 minutes a game when the result is decided. Webby will probably build their minutes, but things look ugly right about now. Webby's bench use has not adapted in a very long time, we were banging on about it in the early rounds of last year. I'm not sure the willingness to adapt it is there tbh.

I can't believe how much things have changed in 14 months.

With a poor roster you need to shake things up tactically to compete.

 

[kos]

At this stage unless cuddles changes his team list watching NSW cup is more interesting.

 

[roguei]

With a poor roster you need to shake things up tactically to compete.

I expect us to lose this week, possibly convincingly but not beyond us to put up a fight

I don't think any change to the current team would result in us having better than a 20% chance of winning this Eagles game. No matter who you listen to, everyone—from Slater and Smith to Mason—is saying this is the best a team has looked in round one. They didn't play against a bad team at all; the Cowboys were nearly at full strength with a much better squad on paper compared to us.

I'd argue this game looks tougher than the magic round panthers game by far. So if there is one positive takeaway here, it's that we are not throwing our youth out to get decimated. Give it to the revved-up current roster so that when changes occur in round three, the newer squad will have a chance.

Only down side i see is metcalf burning out. I really do see him as our future 7 for a long time if he kicked on, because the alternetives are either to old or to aussie and he has such a massive celling. Playing this well after only 27 games is insane to me.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

I don't think any change to the current team would result in us having better than a 20% chance of winning this Eagles game. No matter who you listen to, everyone—from Slater and Smith to Mason—is saying this is the best a team has looked in round one. They didn't play against a bad team at all; the Cowboys were nearly at full strength with a much better squad on paper compared to us.

I'd argue this game looks tougher than the magic round panthers game by far. So if there is one positive takeaway here, it's that we are not throwing our youth out to get decimated. Give it to the revved-up current roster so that when changes occur in round three, the newer squad will have a chance.

Only down side i see is metcalf burning out. I really do see him as our future 7 for a long time if he kicked on, because the alternetives are either to old or to aussie and he has such a massive celling. Playing this well after only 27 games is insane to me.

I admit that this had passed through my mind too at the team naming. I'm just not convinced that shielding them for round 3, nor playing with less than a 100% outlook towards winning is Webby's tactic. An opportunity for redemption - yes. But come round three I still don't expect more than a couple of minor changes. I think Webby will always play experience-heavy teams.

 

[roguei]

I admit that this had passed through my mind too at the team naming. I'm just not convinced that shielding them for round 3, nor playing with less than a 100% outlook towards winning is Webby's tactic.

Oh nah, I'm just pointing out a positive takeaway for the fans; as seeing our one shining light, our pathways, get flung into the sun to lose all cofidence in one game.... Would suck. I think Webby is the kind of person who really believes in second chances. He truly feels they didn’t play to their full potential in Vegas because of X, Y, and Z. So, giving the same squad a second chance—to either prove themselves or lose it—is beneficial for the culture and the staff, in my opinion.

But objectively, I think we would have struggled even with SJ, DWZ, AFB, and Tohu. Without those four, with a fairly new team and new combinations, I think we're fucked against arguably the best team in the comp right now.

On the negative side for the fans, if this squad does well and keeps the margin to 6-8 points, Webby might stick with most (or all) of the current lineup—which I’m sure would have plenty of people in the forum calling for his head for better or worse.

 

[Makasene]

Only down side i see is metcalf burning out. I really do see him as our future 7 for a long time if he kicked on, because the alternetives are either to old or to aussie and he has such a massive celling. Playing this well after only 27 games is insane to me.

He needs to relax, he was so wound up that first game - he put his performance on a pedestal.

He looked a lot more casual in the trials, he needs to get back to that or burn out is inevitable

 

[CWC]

I don’t know about SJ coaching FG team in any capacity right now, he will be the number 1 target if things don’t go well, and we will have warriors coach doing response videos to disgruntled fans on tiktok

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

On SJ to coach, all players need a gap between playing and coaching to shift that relationship between former playing partners.

Start him as a kicking and tactical coach for halves. I don’t see him being head coach material.

 

[Tragic]

My fear is this what they are thinking too and is very much Warriors thinking after a bad loss. "This week let's try to lose by less and at least make it close". I have seen this movie play out plenty of seasons. I want us to try to win and forget about "at least making it close".

I don't think that is actually true Wrighty. I cbf looking at stats but we usually bounce back from a big loss and win the next week from my memory.
Actually that makes it worse because it means it's all in our heads. So we don't have the mental fortitude and our coach isn't good enough or experienced enough or something like that to inspire us to a win - that's where Bellamy and Bennett are next level.

 

[Tragic]

On SJ to coach, all players need a gap between playing and coaching to shift that relationship between former playing partners.

Start him as a kicking and tactical coach for halves. I don’t see him being head coach material.

What do you see in him that would make him a good coach?
Instinctive for most of his career, learnt a bit of game management but not enough. More a joker than a serious bloke. Emotional and prone to a sulk. Rumors of not being the best trainer.

I like him but can't see him being a great coach. Think he should stick to media, he is good at it.