What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Warriors Awards 2024

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,346
Jersey Flegg Cup Emerging Player of the Year: Nganatatafu Vake
Jersey Flegg Cup Team Man of the Year: Alvin Chong Nee
Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year: Harry Durbin
New South Wales Cup Players’ Player of the Year | Moala Graham-Taufa
New South Wales Cup Player of the Year | Moala Graham-Taufa
New South Wales Team Man of the Year | Eddie Ieremia
One New Zealand Warriors People’s Choice | Mitchell Barnett
NRL Rookie of the Year | Jacob Laban
NRL Clubman of the Year | Luke Metcalf
NRL Players’ Player of the Year | Addin Fonua-Blake
Simon Mannering Medal | Mitchell Barnett

Wildest one for me is AFB for Players' Player, which means that our players voted for him. Really interesting.

Also that Roger was in the four finalists for the Mannering Medal. Pretty lean field when that's the case.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
32,310
Yeah the AFB choice makes me think a lot of the shit that was being chucked at him here may have been speculation and unwarranted. If he had an attitude problem it certainly wasn’t evident onfield.
Yep, lot of guessing from the outside with an illusion of information’, clearly AFB not viewed as a problem by his peers
 
Last edited:

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
39,925
Yep, lot of guessing from the outside with an illusion of information’, clearly AFB not viewed as a problem by his peers
I feel like there’s been a lot of talk here about player attitudes etc this year that has been taken as fact but is speculation. I think some people overstate their club sources.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,346
Charnze is 3rd in the NRL for run metres of guys who have played more than 4 games (behind Edwards and Kini) - I know a lot of us intelligent league guys see that as being detrimental to the way we play...but surely it's of some significance.

I would have had CNK and Walker ahead of RTS in the POTY list.
 

Meth

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
35,655
Charnze is 3rd in the NRL for run metres of guys who have played more than 4 games (behind Edwards and Kini) - I know a lot of us intelligent league guys see that as being detrimental to the way we play...but surely it's of some significance.

I would have had CNK and Walker ahead of RTS in the POTY list.

Yeah I saw RTS on the POTY list and that was a real WTF?
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
11,084
I feel like there’s been a lot of talk here about player attitudes etc this year that has been taken as fact but is speculation. I think some people overstate their club sources.
Re the AFB award. Can we really use this for much? For example, Lodge was popular with the players too, wasn't he?
 
Messages
2,915
Re the AFB award. Can we really use this for much? For example, Lodge was popular with the players too, wasn't he?
AFB likely has the support of some teammates—there are always those who back you. However, there are probably others who thought he was a liability. The full truth may never come out. Let's not forget that, despite his strong individual form, he caused disruption within the team. In a team sport, we need players who uplift and enable one another for the collective good.

If this were boxing, then this wouldn't be an issue.

Let's see how he goes at the Sharks.
 

Beavers Headgear

First Grade
Messages
9,866
Yeah it’s hard to know, once that June 30 deadline passed as well it wouldn’t have mattered what he did, there wasn’t any option to go to another club. His games that were a bit quieter led up to that deadline
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
39,925
AFB likely has the support of some teammates—there are always those who back you. However, there are probably others who thought he was a liability. The full truth may never come out. Let's not forget that, despite his strong individual form, he caused disruption within the team. In a team sport, we need players who uplift and enable one another for the collective good.
.
But did he really? Like what are our actual sources and evidence for this? A lot of it seems to be assumption and fan speculation, not confirmed fact. I haven’t heard players or coaches bagging him out, though I guess that might come out next season if it’s true.
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,346
But did he really? Like what are our actual sources and evidence for this? A lot of it seems to be assumption and fan speculation, not confirmed fact. I haven’t heard players or coaches bagging him out, though I guess that might come out next season if it’s true.
Yeah, there's really no basis for this that I've been privy to.
 
Messages
2,915
But did he really? Like what are our actual sources and evidence for this? A lot of it seems to be assumption and fan speculation, not confirmed fact. I haven’t heard players or coaches bagging him out, though I guess that might come out next season if it’s true.
Who within the club would challenge AFB? They might simply be ensuring that everyone parts ways on good terms. As outsiders, we'll likely never get definitive proof. However, speculation is understandable given the bombshell AFB dropped earlier this year. The Karen move he pulled at magic round. Being the best player week in week out is a low measure considering our season overall.
 
Messages
2,915
Did AFB help anyone around him improve their game? No, I can't think of a single player he elevated besides himself. We can afford players like that if we had a stronger overall squad, but the reality is we haven't found the right balance yet. JFH joining next year excites me for that reason. He's a galvanizer, not a self-centered alpha
 

Penrose Warrior

First Grade
Messages
9,346
It's all speculation man. We don't know what influence AFB had, at all. Is it his job to improve the games of people around him? Ideally, but equally some people just focus on their own game. Not everyone is a leader. And AFB's performances in the second half of the year were leadership material in terms of 'follow me'.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
39,925
At the end of the day AFB did his job and he did it bloody well all year, apart from 2-3 dud games max. His stats were exceptional measured against the entire competition. And not every player has to be a leader. I think until someone says otherwise he deserves the benefit of the doubt, particularly if he got the players player award, a disruptive self centred player simply isn’t going to achieve that accolade.
 
Messages
2,915
It's all speculation man. We don't know what influence AFB had, at all. Is it his job to improve the games of people around him? Ideally, but equally some people just focus on their own game. Not everyone is a leader. And AFB's performances in the second half of the year were leadership material in terms of 'follow me'.
True, but you can’t deny that his actions might have affected other players.

Sometimes, it's worth considering the perspective of those lower in the pecking order. When they see an elite prop causing drama and the club looking the other way to keep him happy, it can frustrate those waiting for their chance, showing them that different rules apply to the elite. Of course, no one is going to speak up and cause trouble while they're under contract. Webster giving AFB that 1 week break was just to satisfy the external noise, we saw him right back the week after.

I'm sure we all got examples of seeing some people get away with shit just because they are good in their respective positions.

The Sharks chapter surely is going to be interesting to watch. They should be Top 4 and up there with winning the competition, but I have my doubts.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
32,310
It's all speculation man. We don't know what influence AFB had, at all. Is it his job to improve the games of people around him? Ideally, but equally some people just focus on their own game. Not everyone is a leader. And AFB's performances in the second half of the year were leadership material in terms of 'follow me'.
His play certainly helped Barnett, and indeed the halves etc. I agree he might have impacted others negatively but the reality is the players wouldn’t have voted for him if that was the case…. I think you should be looking elsewhere for the problems… the halves were ineffective generally, the backline plod, edge forwards similar, Egan faded, CNK is an energiser bunny but average at this level … and Webster’s selections and gameplan
 
Messages
2,915
At the end of the day AFB did his job and he did it bloody well all year, apart from 2-3 dud games max. His stats were exceptional measured against the entire competition. And not every player has to be a leader. I think until someone says otherwise he deserves the benefit of the doubt, particularly if he got the players player award, a disruptive self centred player simply isn’t going to achieve that accolade.
Well, as you said, we don’t really know if that’s the case either.

Now he’s the Sharks' problem, and just like when he signed with the Warriors, they’re excited, probably thinking the same things we were back then.

The Australian media are way worse than the NZ media, the Sharks should do their best to protect himself from himself when it comes to discretions.
 

Latest posts

Top