Pre-season 2023.

[Rich102]

Sonny Fai tribute.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Nice. Now I hope they got flogged up and down the sand dunes afterwards!

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

I saw a pic of SJ doing some mahi in Pre Season.
There were a few comments from his team mates saying he is training the house down and has never trained harder.
I got pissed when i read that, has he never trained hard before???
Wouldnt even have him n the top 30
past it

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I saw a pic of SJ doing some mahi in Pre Season.
There were a few comments from his team mates saying he is training the house down and has never trained harder.
I got pissed when i read that, has he never trained hard before???
Wouldnt even have him n the top 30
past it

Haha, right? Pre-season is the time for the dumbest quotes. I dunno whether UV rays warp footballers' minds, but having worked in the media, you get the stupdiest shit this time of year. And some of it is so revealing. Check this out:

The Warrior who has impressed the most during pre-season training

The Warriors kick off their 2023 season against the Knights in Wellington.

www.sen.com.au

“The one who’s really surprised me is Shaun Johnson,” Tevaga told SEN 1170 The Run Home.

“He’s always sort of played the veteran card when things get hard, he sort of sits on the side, but you know, Shauny this year … he’s really impressed me.”

It's probably truth in jest, if we're honest. No one would have ever said that about Micheal Luck, for example. A guy who has been a nigh-on $1m a season player before (I know he isn't now) surprises people by being fit. Wowee. Apologies for being cynical, but it isn't a good sign for any club when you have to exclaim how fit someone, or anyone is. That's what you need to do year-in-year out. It's not remarkable. It's your job. It's hard, but it is.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Shaun will be so fit he can run away from contact for the full 80 comfortably now

 

[Fufu Andronez]

First team list of the year for trial 1

ONE NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
1 TAINE TUAUPIKI
2 MARCELO MONTOYA
3 BRAYDEN WILIAME
4 VILIAMI VAILEA
5 EDWARD KOSI
6 LUKE METCALF
7 TE MAIRE MARTIN
8 BUNTY AFOA
9 FREDDY LUSSICK
10 TOM ALE
11 JACKSON FORD
12 DEMITRIC SIFAKULA
13 MICHAEL SIO
Interchange:
14 ZYON MAIUU
15 SANELE AUKUSITINO
16 ALI LEIATAUA
17 JACOB LABAN
18 MOALA GRAHAM-TAUFA
20 KALANI GOING
21 EIDEN ACKLAND
22 BEN FARR
23 ISAIAH VAGANA
24 SOLOMON VASUVULAGI
25 PAUL ROACHE

Head coach | ANDREW WEBSTER

 

[BLN2]

Looks like a classic first trial of the season squad, mostly NSW Cup guys with a sprinkling of first graders/guys pushing for starts.

Still excited to watch, plenty of questions around the squad/team make up this year. I'm really looking forward to seeing the spine, TMM, Metcalf and Tuaupiki should produce some exciting play. Also hoping we get a dominant foundation set by Afoa and Ale, who I guess will be 2 of our 3 props this season. Can Vailea and Kosi step up to NRL full time?

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Seems the following spots have been decided based off what Webster has said and who's is rested from trial 1. Numbers on the back may be different though

1. CNK
2. DWZ
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. Johnson
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11. Niukore
12. Curran
13. Harris
14. Walker
15. ?
16. ?
17. ?

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Seems the following spots have been decided based off what Webster has said and who's is rested from trial 1. Numbers on the back may be different though

1. CNK
2. DWZ
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. Johnson
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11. Niukore
12. Curran
13. Harris
14. Walker
15. ?
16. ?
17. ?

17. Tevaga

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

3. Pompey

 

[Benek]

6. TMM

 

[Meth]

Good watch this. Montoya, Williame, Metcalf and Ale impressing.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

My thoughts on some of the players from what I can remember. Any one else?

1 TAINE TUAUPIKI
Great first half, not much bigger than Reece Walsh if at all, but he runs hard and isn't afraid of contact, ate up the high balls and even made a 1 on 1 tackle on a linebreaking tigers forward. 5 tackle breaks.
2 MARCELO MONTOYA
Immense, probably has a round 1 spot locked up. Got a Hattrick.
3 BRAYDEN WILIAME
Fed Montoya all night, good to have a centre who can set up his winger and can pass. I reckon he'll see a fair bit of first grade this year. 3 try assists.
4 VILIAMI VAILEA
Showed speed, played on both sides of the field, scored a couple tries and showed good instincts taking an intercept. Not much to do in defence. Passes the eye test.
5 EDWARD KOSI
Made a couple of errors but really strong backfield carries. I'd have Montoya ahead of him based on this trial.
6 LUKE METCALF
Very very silky in the halves, don't recall much defensive issues. He will end the season as our first choice half I reckon. Put up some nice kicks, took the line on and passed really well. 15 runs, 139 metres, 350 kick metres.
7 TE MAIRE MARTIN
Pretty quiet. 50 run metres 50 kick metres.
8 BUNTY AFOA
Solid 4th prop 100 run metres.
9 FREDDY LUSSICK
Remember a fair few tigers boys either running over him or getting a quick play the ball on him. Will do a job as a back up but Egan's spot is safe. 5 missed tackles.
10 TOM ALE
Looked fit and quick and agile for a prop. Great call re-signing him. 160 run metres, definitely one of our main props this year.
11 JACKSON FORD
Set up for a walk over try by Williame, but quiet otherwise, 49 run metres.
12 DEMITRIC SIFAKULA
100 run metres, 20 tackles, passed the eye test.
13 MICHAEL SIO
Solid, no frills worker. 100 metres and 20 tackles too.
Interchange:
14 ZYON MAIUU
Looked explosive, but only got low minutes.
15 SANELE AUKUSITINO
Can't remember
16 ALI LEIATAUA
Not a lot of minutes, don't remember much
17 JACOB LABAN
90 run metres, 30 odd tackles. He's a goer.
18 MOALA GRAHAM-TAUFA
Nice try at the end
20 KALANI GOING
21 EIDEN ACKLAND
22 BEN FARR
23 ISAIAH VAGANA
24 SOLOMON VASUVULAGI
Nice try at the end.
25 PAUL ROACHE

Just a trial but always rather win by 40 then lose by 40.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Thought Ackland looked good in his stint at the end, very assured end of set option taking.
It’d only a trial, but sone very good signs there.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Defence looked to be actually talking and working together.

Montoya's 2nd try showed the shoulder charge is alive and well in attack!
He looked hungry, just wanted it!

Bye SJ hello Metcalf!

Nice win for confidence more than anything.

But its only a trial, we have been here before and it was against last years wooden spooners.

 

[Campion]

yeah feels like you can read literally nothing into trial match results (...haven't watched them to know if it's shedding sufficient light on individual players though)

 

[SpaceMonkey]

For us I’m pleased because it achieved exactly what a trial match should- allow fringe players to press a case for selection, get some combinations and structures going, and for a side coming off a poor season, install some confidence with a win or at least a good performance. The problem for the Tigers is that they achieved none of those things. It’s fine to get your reserve graders belted by 50 if you’re someone like Penrith who’re coming into the comp with a well oiled championship side, not so much when you’re coming off a wooden spoon.

 

[Scott]

Thought Vailea looked really good in the first half. Theres something about him.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Thought Vailea looked really good in the first half. Theres something about him.

Yep I reckon too. I think its the way he moves, just has a bit of class about him and a lethal right foot step. Looks alot better at right centre imo.

Williame looked good on the left too, interested to see how Pompey goes on Saturday. They are probably equal speed and strength wise, however in one game Williame has already shown a solid passing game which I havent seen yet from Pompey. Once Berry is ready he and Vailea definitely look like our long term centres.

Pretty solid spine depth too.

FB - CNK, Taupiki
FE - TMM, Metcalf
HB - SJ, Volkman, Ackland
HK - Egan, Lussick

 

[sup42]

The trials have been brilliant for the Warriors. So many new faces in SG ball and our B side NSW cup players.

Main concerns leading into this season were the lack of go forward options, the halves, fullback, and the three quarter line with center being a big concern. Not to mention hooker, basically a whole team with issues except for reasonable back row forwards and bench utility being the only strengths.

There is something happening at the club with the players defence. They are keen to tackle, it started with the SG kids, and continued last night. We have dropped the jamming in and umbrella defence and look far more settled working inside out.

Lots of energy and hustle on D. Adam Blair is doing an amazing job there, and Webster is too with the big boys.

Halves look much better having seen Metcalfe and TMM pair up. Starting to think Johnson is a good fill in option....let the new blood take the stage.

Williame looks great distributing for his outside, but for some unknown reason he started jogging the ball back and looked awful after a promising start?

The halves were obviously good all round, especially some nice kicks which is their main weakness, and they tackled well which is their other Achilles heel.

Where I was worried about our props, last night you could see we have recruited a lot of hard running big fast young potential stars of tomorrow.

We might have lost Katoa, but I think we gained so much more. Even though it was a weak Tigers middle, I thought our new kids hit the line hard and had some really nice footwork, Ale was the stand out of a very good crop of new kids.

In the immediate term, this first new coach season, I am always looking for a repeat of 2001 our space odyssey, when Daniel Anderson took a bunch of very raw kids and coached them to struggle their way to 8th only to get flogged by fifty plus in the finals. What I would give for a similar script this year, any kind of top eight finish with these exciting new faces would be amazing.

Anyway ranted enough, any day we are allowed to be happy is a good day.