What's wrong with the Warriors this year?

[One Warrior]

For me i think its a combination of a bunch of players out of form and a lack of evolution in attack

AFB and Mitch Barnett are going pretty well, but their bench middles havent had the impact you'd expect. Afoa and Tevega arent having great seasons imo.
Capewell has been a bit of a bust signing and others in the back row havent stood up. Jackson Ford hasnt played particularly well. Tohu Harris looks like father time might be coming for him. Nikoure has been hurt and they've missed him.
Wayde Egan is awesome but it feels like he's constantly carrying niggling injuries

The outside backs are in really poor form. RTS tries hard and has a high workrate but doesnt get a lot of good ball since Metcalf got hurt. Montoya isnt very good to begin with, Rocco Berry is having a down year and DWZ too. CNK is giving me Canberra CNK vibes with his reluctance to pass the football on sweep plays right now.
Not sure if it's a confidence issue or their timing is just off but he's eating too much ball and not giving him outside backs opportunities (which granted they'd just spill based on recent form)

Add to that, as someone mentioned above, they really only ran a few different things last year, but they ran them exceptionally well. The double face ball was a cheat code for a while and the sweep to DWZ was clockwork. But teams have sort of figured them out now in the red zone, they know how to defend those plays and the Warriors havent found the counter to the counter, so they're struggling to create points.

The form thing will eventually fix itself. These are good players who will get back to being good players. SJ will probably get healthier and they'll improve, but if they want to challenge for the premiership, which was the expectations coming into this year, they also need to evolve a little in the red and bring new stuff to the table to put defensive decision makers under pressure

Tevega just back from injury last game, barely played, was good at the weekend.

 

[Nuke]

The problem with the Warriors this year is that they're doing what the Warriors do best. They have themselves a great season, then drop right off the following season. I can't recall them ever having two great seasons in a row. Like, ever.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

The problem with the Warriors this year is that they're doing what the Warriors do best. They have themselves a great season, then drop right off the following season. I can't recall them ever having two great seasons in a row. Like, ever.

All it takes it a simple search to fill that head with knowledge or have a look at my previous post for some forgotten moments

 

[Matiunz]

For me i think its a combination of a bunch of players out of form and a lack of evolution in attack

AFB and Mitch Barnett are going pretty well, but their bench middles havent had the impact you'd expect. Afoa and Tevega arent having great seasons imo.
Capewell has been a bit of a bust signing and others in the back row havent stood up. Jackson Ford hasnt played particularly well. Tohu Harris looks like father time might be coming for him. Nikoure has been hurt and they've missed him.
Wayde Egan is awesome but it feels like he's constantly carrying niggling injuries

The outside backs are in really poor form. RTS tries hard and has a high workrate but doesnt get a lot of good ball since Metcalf got hurt. Montoya isnt very good to begin with, Rocco Berry is having a down year and DWZ too. CNK is giving me Canberra CNK vibes with his reluctance to pass the football on sweep plays right now.
Not sure if it's a confidence issue or their timing is just off but he's eating too much ball and not giving him outside backs opportunities (which granted they'd just spill based on recent form)

Add to that, as someone mentioned above, they really only ran a few different things last year, but they ran them exceptionally well. The double face ball was a cheat code for a while and the sweep to DWZ was clockwork. But teams have sort of figured them out now in the red zone, they know how to defend those plays and the Warriors havent found the counter to the counter, so they're struggling to create points.

The form thing will eventually fix itself. These are good players who will get back to being good players. SJ will probably get healthier and they'll improve, but if they want to challenge for the premiership, which was the expectations coming into this year, they also need to evolve a little in the red and bring new stuff to the table to put defensive decision makers under pressure

I think you’ve pretty much hit the nail on the head here.
A couple of points I’ve noticed is last year the whole team really focused on the 1% effort plays, it showed in our scramble defence and our resilience in particular and each of our players improved because of it. Sharks comeback win game in particular instilled belief in the players that if they stuck to the plan things would work out more often than not.
This year both those things have slipped, I think the first 2 games in particular did a lot to dent our confidence in the plan, we looked like we were continuing on from last year but suddenly the wins didn’t happen. Hindsight has shown the Sharks and the Storm to be top teams this year and we very nearly won both games. However you can see the confidence is down and some things aren’t clicking, seeds of doubt have been sewn.
The other big factor is a large part of our game plan was pinning the opposition in their half with the non contested kicks on the line. This year more often than not teams are getting piggybacked out of their end negating this tactic

 

[Rising from the Ashes]

They got ahead of themselves, they come into this season thinking they were competition heavyweights which they never were.

 

[Penrith fan]

They are a great bunch of individual players but do the Warriors play as a team?

 

[Evil_Mush]

As per the Rugby League Eye Test article from a week or so back, we have had no issues getting to the try line, just haven't been able take advantage to actually get over it and score.

There have been a number of games now where we've been camped on oppositions goal line to no result (some being tries that were denied by the ref or the bunker, not an excuse just is what has happened), and that has got to be a bit demoralising.

The Roosters and Dragons games were blowouts, but every other loss have been by 6 or less points, so our defense in general hasn't been too bad.

Team has looked sluggish in games all year (whether it's starting slow and playing catchup, or getting early tries then turning off) and hard to say why.

Hope the forced changes through injury spark some joy this weekend

It was this time last year we turned our fortunes around going from 11th in R10 to 4th at years end, can lightning strike twice?

 

[Canard]

They were going fine until they played us. We infected them with our awfulness.

Never fear mate, my mob will play your boys back into form this weekend.

Count on it.

 

[Matua]

The Blues have had a ‘superstar’ team with plenty of ABs for years, but with varying levels of buzz that usually correlates to how they're performing. What's driving the current interest in them is the same thing that drove it for the Warriors - winning.

I posted in another thread last week that if the Blues keep winning and the Warriors keep sliding that'd start reflecting in crowd numbers for both teams.

We've already seen one side of that equation play out with the Blues getting their biggest crowd of the year last weekend, and if the Warriors struggle against the Panthers this week, we may see the other side play out when we host the Dolphins next week.

Aside from having to win to attract/retain crowds, both teams also have to deal with fickle Auckland sports fans who are notoriously apathetic. Unless the team is winning and there's a bandwagon to hitch themselves to, they just don't give much of a shit.

Aren't the Warriors games already sold out (or am I falling for the B/S of tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber on the NZ2 thread)? So will be interested to see if they all turn up to see a losing team.

But, I definitely think the hype train is wobbling though as you say the fans can be fickle.

On the general theme, I 100% expected us to turn to type this year so am less disappointed to many other fans. My big error was I thought AFB would be the cause of it because he'd pack a sad about not being able to leave, but he's basically carried the team this year.

 

[Fangs]

It was this time last year we turned our fortunes around going from 11th in R10 to 4th at years end, can lightning strike twice?

It certainly can.

The spine injuries are the big problem. Very difficult to improve your attack without those players on the park.

The Warriors recruited well for 2024 and 2025 looks good as well. I'm expecting them to turn things around.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The problem with the Warriors this year is that they're doing what the Warriors do best. They have themselves a great season, then drop right off the following season. I can't recall them ever having two great seasons in a row. Like, ever.

2002-2003
2007-2208
2010-2011

 

[Matiunz]

Aren't the Warriors games already sold out (or am I falling for the B/S of tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber on the NZ2 thread)? So will be interested to see if they all turn up to see a losing team.

But, I definitely think the hype train is wobbling though as you say the fans can be fickle.

On the general theme, I 100% expected us to turn to type this year so am less disappointed to many other fans. My big error was I thought AFB would be the cause of it because he'd pack a sad about not being able to leave, but he's basically carried the team this year.

I was hoping we’d get another year at least before reverting to type. Had hoped SJ swan song,AFB going out strong and RTS coming home may have helped us continue momentum (the NRL loves it’s storyline’s I’d hope they’d help us ‘manage’ one) but it’s starting to look unlikely- certainly not the dynasty old mate tik tok was smugly predicting.
Still a glimmer of hope the new pathways may start to pay dividends in the next 5 years or so though

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Aren't the Warriors games already sold out (or am I falling for the B/S of tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber on the NZ2 thread)? So will be interested to see if they all turn up to see a losing team.

Yep, either sold out already or very close to it, but as you say, its how many of those who've already bought tickets will show up on the day.

I dont know how official crowd numbers are reported either; is it tickets sold incl. presales or tickets actually redeemed at the ground?

On the general theme, I 100% expected us to turn to type this year so am less disappointed to many other fans. My big error was I thought AFB would be the cause of it because he'd pack a sad about not being able to leave, but he's basically carried the team this year.

Yea I was similarly wary, but my rationale couldn't have been more off the mark.

I thought while top 4 again was a long shot, making the 8 was doable and more realistic - but only because I couldn't see the likes of Souths, Parra and NQ missing out on the 8 again and therefore pushing us down the ladder.

But fk me I've got that all completely wrong so far. No more multis.

 

[Matiunz]

Yep, either sold out already or very close to it, but as you say, its how many of those who've already bought tickets will show up on the day.

I dont know how official crowd numbers are reported either; is it tickets sold incl. presales or tickets actually redeemed at the ground?


Yea I was similarly wary, but my rationale couldn't have been more off the mark.

I thought while top 4 again was a long shot, making the 8 was doable and more realistic - but only because I couldn't see the likes of Souths, Parra and NQ missing out on the 8 again and therefore pushing us down the ladder.

But fk me I've got that all completely wrong so far. No more multis.

I believe the figures are sales, there’s been patches of empty seats at sellout games so you’d have to assume the likes of sponsor tickets not used perhaps?

 

[Pjf04b]

Could've, Should've, Haven't, Wont!

 

[SpaceMonkey]

9 first grade players out injured this week, seven of whom are first choice starters. I doubt many sides wouldn’t struggle in that situation.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

2007-2208

That was a memorable 201 years wasn't it?

 

[Fangs]

So where do Warriors fans rate that win? Top 5 at least.

They had good shape in attack despite a host of injuries. Put on 22 against the best defensive team of the century. Forwards and senior players all stood up.

Their run to the grand final starts here.

 

[captainwarrior]

So where do Warriors fans rate that win? Top 5 at least.

They had good shape in attack despite a host of injuries. Put on 22 against the best defensive team of the century. Forwards and senior players all stood up.

Their run to the grand final starts here.

Top 5 regular season wins of all time for mine. With the amount of players out, the opposition and current form, plus losing our most important player today early in the game. Couple of others in HIA at other periods too.

If that win can’t turn our season around then I don’t know what will

 

[yakstorm]

A gusty win and one that will hopefully go a long way to correcting the side's trajectory.

Next five weeks are Dolphins (H), Bye, Cowboys (A), Storm (H), Titans (A). There is no reason why after today's win the side can't pick up 8pts in that period which would put them at least at 7-1-7 and on 17pts.