NRL 2024
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
we never really did a debrief of a very disheartening (even for those of us who have seen this movie over and over) Warriors season. Coming off a prelim, with SJ robbed of a Daly M, and not really losing anyone we wanted to keep, there were dangerous expectations. We didn't even get much in the way of bullshit preseason hype out of Mt Smart. Lots of praise and expectation from Aussie journos though, which was unusual.
And we got delivered a 9 win, 13th place season that was over a few weeks early despite, as usual, you only needing 12 wins to make it, AND an emotional win in our last game against a top 4 side (well, sort of).
Best win was easily the Magic Round downing of the Panthers. Pumping the Cowboys in Townsville was a good one too. Worst loss? fuck there is two ways of looking at it. Getting absolutely destroyed by the Titans was a real WTF result. But that loss to Melbourne after the siren pretty much proved to me we will never ever beat them.
A quick player evaluation
The outside backs were an enormous disappointment. CNK is all heart, but he's slow and his ball playing is very average. On the wings we had DWZ stink the joint out all year. Good for a high energy hit up. Bad for a complete inability to defend. Montoya is just a spud. Tauapiki got rave reviews after the Penrith game, but he looks too small and too slow to me. This area needs a complete overhaul.Centres
Weak. RTS was a complete bust. At the start of the season we never gave him the ball. And then he never worked out how to use it. Berry and Pompey are servicable at the very best. Maybe a future with Leaitaua but he's far from nailed on first grade ready. Even weaker than the outsides.Halves
Eeeesh. SJ fell in to a hole really badly. We played him hurt which didn't help, but that was poor season and a horrible way for the guy to go out. Metcalf got hurt early. Looks like he'll play the running role next year. TMM was terrible next to SJ but did better than expected when given the reins. Kicking depth is going to be a huge problem next year (though i will not miss an uncontested SJ hoik to finish every set). CHT should probably just go find something else to do.Props.
Position of strength! AFB is a fucking weapon who will be hugely missed. His midseason sulk wasn't a good look, but he came back and finished strong. We lost our best try scorer. Barnett made origin. From the Warriors. That's a big deal. Should be captain next year. Bunty was a decent depth prop.Hookers
Egan looked like an Origin chance. And then he got hurt 18 times and looked like he should be in the NSW cup team. Terrible when not running the ball, and his service slipped as well. Lussick is just bog average.Rest of the forwards (back rows and bench)
Harris is cooked. Got even slower, and even more hurt. His passing game is not a weapon when the opposition know he can't run. Capewell made Origin somehow despite being a complete slug for us as well. Ford ran around dropping the ball and giving away penalties. Jazz was the same as every year, all heart and energy and dropped balls and penalties and ineffective hit ups. Walker is a good player who i hope we keep, he is so good off the bench with his ability to run and ball play. Niukore runs so fucking hard, and hits like a truck, but is a complete one trick pony that good teams handle with ease.Coaching
A bit yuck this year Webby. Yes, injuries fucked your spine every week. But our play was not suited to our players. We played a grinding style without the discipline to pull it off. Our attack was one-off hit ups and a high kick. We completed well, but in 2024 NRL you need to throw something at teams from further out to score points.
Has an enormous job on his hands to rebuild this team. We bought lots of old broken rejects from other clubs in the hope of a couple more good years. They've all broken at once. And there aren't great youth signs to take their place.I am incredibly pessimistic about 2025 already. The roster needs a lot of new faces, and i can't see us getting them.
I just hope the crowds stick around.
On player evaluation, agree with the back three
Agree with fullbacks, even RTS in the chances he got played better when in that role. I think there is a place for small FBs read Fuller, Kini, Faalogo, Walsh. Potentially Tuapiki can play like this, ironically I don't think he plays as tough the previously mentioned players. Probably worth persisting with to see if he can develop, but almost needs to find some arrogance and invincibility about him.
Our wingers are tough but seemingly have rocks and diamonds moments at the same time. Rumours that 4 NRL clubs chasing Moses Leo, I just hope the Warriors are one of them. We do need speed though. Montoya player of year last year, both lost form and confidence this year, probably directly related to halves and centres not giving them enough good ball.
Centres - Moala Graham-Taufa showed promise as did Leaitaua late, but agree with your assessment of the centres in general. What worries me is that Pompey is first choice kicker and back up was not good enough. RTS showed he is not a centre.
Halves - The lack of a plan B from our first choice half was alarming and cost us more close games than we won. We also found that TMM with SJ was terrible, but TMM as lead half did a great job. Metcalf needs to stay fit and not get broken. CHT bench at best.
Props - agree strongest area enough said
Hooker - Egan needs a long rest, he is a really good attacking half, but cant stay fit enough to stay on. Thankfully most injuries were not head knocks this yearRest of forwards - apart from Nuikore, Im probably more upset (apart from halves) in this area than any else. Nuikore ran and tackled hard, the decision to give him the ball always is more of a halves problem than his problem so don't agree with any critical points here. Decision to let go tackle monster Curran over some of our other journeymen annoyed me too, at least he did have that component as an asset. Ford has feet for hands and Capewell showed glimpses but largely went missing. Tohu busted early and no one really filled that gap well. Expected more from our junior players coming through and even potentially one of Maiuu, Laban or Sifakula stepping up. Maybe its because some are so young, but needed the glimpses we saw from them to be delivered week in week out. Erin Clark for Jazz wont change much unfortunately (open to be surprised)
Coaching - great assessment, there is an element of trusting your players and the process, but if you cant change have plan midway through a game, sometimes you're in trouble.
They need to find a kicker and back up kicker who needs to be practicing all offseason who is going to always be in starting 13. Cant win games going up in multiples of four in 2024. This is also a coaching problem to fix
I don't rate us for next year, but Cowboys made finals, then shit the bed and made finals again this year, so there is hope. We will probably play better when know one thinks we will win anyway.
And yes hope the crowds stay, that was the best element of 2024, incredible turnout (even if for no result)
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@bayimports said in NRL 2024:
And yes hope the crowds stay, that was the best element of 2024, incredible turnout (even if for no result)
I'm not sure they will, in every sell out this year there were lots of empty areas. I don't think the fairweathers will hang around (but hope I'm wrong).
@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
Even in a cabbage year DWZ still managed to get 15 tries in 22 matches. Also needs to cut that fucking Maori bogan mop of hair, it's not 1987 and he's not from Ruatoria.
when you are letting in 44 the opposition are taking that deal.
also the constant diving wrecked momentum at bad times. yes he milked a few penalties, but not every time, and it's a fucking horrible look.
My post wasn't an argument against your comments, I just found it weird that he still got a decent amount of tries.
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Stacey Jones says off-field issues contributed to Warriors' poor season
The Warriors assistant coach said there were players having problems away from the game who probably weren't in the right headspace.
As if we didn't have enough problems, some of the players weren't right in the head
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that article pissed me off
the warriors are not a serious organisation
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
that article pissed me off
the warriors are not a serious organisation
yep, thats not good enough
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And..
Jazz Tevaga signs with Manly for 2025
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@bayimports said in NRL 2024:
And..
Jazz Tevaga signs with Manly for 2025
Manly are going to love the minutes where they have Josh Aloiai and Jazz in the middle. Comedy show
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
@bayimports said in NRL 2024:
And..
Jazz Tevaga signs with Manly for 2025
Manly are going to love the minutes where they have Josh Aloiai and Jazz in the middle. Comedy show
Jazz Tevaga will play NSW Cup lets be honest haha.
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@bayimports said in NRL 2024:
Rumours that 4 NRL clubs chasing Moses Leo, I just hope the Warriors are one of them
aaaaand
he's off to the Storm
We have signed a Cronulla NSW-Cup hooker
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
@bayimports said in NRL 2024:
Rumours that 4 NRL clubs chasing Moses Leo, I just hope the Warriors are one of them
aaaaand
he's off to the Storm
We have signed a Cronulla NSW-Cup hooker
seriously how do our "pathways" not pick this up, serious potential talent, look at the beast Will Warbrick has become
Dont know much about the hooker, what we do know is that Egan is always injured and Lussick while he does his job, is hardly threatening
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Roache is always hurt as well
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Fun game because both teams sucked
Sharks should have won by 40 but blew so many opportunities. Cowboys were awful. Drinkwater with an all-time stinker. Just think the cows chose him over hammer
Cronulla are going to he destroyed by Penrith next week. The NRL is broken
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Also Todd Payton is a complete fraud who should lose his job
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Two Manly players knocked out in the first 20 seconds of the game. Both won’t return me thinks.
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And so the Top 4 play the prelims.
The Roosters showed more than i expected against an admittedly very average Manly side, and just maybe they can finally win against melbourne and break the expected GF.
Cronulla would have to go up several levels to beat play-offs Panthers. -
To be fair on Manly, those early head knocks do impact the team, but still, was almost like last week was their final.
If Penrith allow the Sharks to get off to their regular fast start it will be interesting, else likely business as usual.
Who would have thought a possible Sydney team winning AFL and Melbourne team winning NRL in the same year. Both a good shot.
Expected NRL final still looking likely
