Are the 2024 Warriors better than the 2023 Warriors? Can we go all the way?

[Manu Vatuvei]

Last year may have been an outlier for this team based on the talent level. Compare to the Roosters, Broncos and Panthers squad and its not really close, yet we somehow made the top 4.

Yeah, I've heard a lot of comments along the lines of us having a very strong squad but that is massively dependent on the reappraisal of a lot of our players that has occurred over the last 18 months. This is largely the same squad that was seen as a wooden spoon contender at the start of last year.

Guys like DWZ, Montoya, CNK, Metcalf/TMM, Ford, Walker, were not perceived as even above-average first graders prior to the team's resurgence. That's not to say that all those names are in the same category (I rate some of them a lot more than others), it's just a comment on the perceived quality of the squad changing massively because players in good teams become perceived as good players.

Guys like Egan and Barnett are solid players but their stock has skyrocketed in the last year or so.

And then you have the biggest perception shift of all, the completely washed up SJ being seen as an elite half again.

As a natural cynic I also wasn't bullish about RTS coming back to league aged 30 and playing a new position either, and I think that was justified.

It will only take a continuation of this being a bad season, and the squad will look weak again on paper.

 

[Thatwasnthighref]

Broncos’ Walsh to take ‘chill pill’, Gosiewski debuts

Brisbane coach Kevin Walters has told fullback Reece Walsh not to overplay his hand too early in the away clash with Parramatta.

www.smh.com.au

“Jack is covering that Kurt Capewell role from last year - if we lost an outside back last year Kurt filled in and it was very smooth.

- Kevvie talking about what role Jack Gosiewski fills for them this week.

Struggling to think why Webby doesn’t share the same view of Capewell and instead carried Pompey for the last couple of weeks.