Diary Of An Aotearoa Warriors Fan: Player Debriefs (Forwards)
After rocking through the Aotearoa Warriors player debriefs for the backs, we now move into the forwards. Check out the backline player debriefs here and in pondering an overall, forward pack vibe, it's hard not to be impressed by the improvements made this season, especially in their wrestle and ability to control the speed of the ruck.
Simon Mannering
Big dawg Lord Mannering bowed out of his NRL career in typical Mannering fashion. Some games required Mannering to play on the edge, others through the middle and averaging 63mins/game. In reflecting on Mannering's greatness I kept coming back to how people are, or should be judged on how they leave something and in a round-a-bout way, Mannering leaves the Warriors with the club in the best position it's ever been in. There is some coincidence to that, but the future is bright for the Warriors and it is bright because of what Mannering has put into the club for a long time; the future is bright in Mannering's honour.
Adam Blair
I'm not relying on too many stats for these debriefs, just my gut feel and meditations on individual players. Blair offered next to nothing stats-wise, other than offloads, but Blair came to the Warriors with a clear objective of leading a culture and bringing an already established relationship with Stephen Kearney and Alex Corvo to the Warriors. That means bringing experience at top clubs like Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos to Mt Smart and Blair's impact was fairly obvious in the Warriors improvements.
Tohu Harris
17 games for Harris this season and we would have all loved to have Harris play 22+ games, that could have been the difference between finishing 8th and 4th. Harris quickly established a sublime combination with Shaun Johnson, Peta Hiku and David Fusitu'a on the right edge, which showcased Harris' unique skillset; footwork, skill, size, work-rate. I have a feeling that Harris will be a key figure in further Warriors improvements for 2019.
Agnatius Paasi
The return of Paasi to Mt Smart gave the Warriors a serious dose of oomph through the middle, or more importantly aggression. It's Paasi who has taken on the Iafeta Paleaasina role of no hand-brake hit ups, which has a huge impact on the vibe of Mt Smart as fans froth at such vigour. Paasi was strong as a Gold Coast Titan and carried that form, which saw him establish himself as an NRL forward, into the Warriors as his career continues to trend north.
James Gavet
In a rather small Warriors forward pack, Gavet is the bloke who offers a bigger frame and Gavet thrived in a starting role. Starting in 17 of his 19 games this season, Gavet has become a reliable figure through the middle and averaged 37.5mins/game, often playing more than 40mins as the other, perhaps more impactful forwards are rotated around Gavet.
Isaiah Papalii
How old is Isaiah Papali'i? He just turned 20, was 19 throughout the season and genuinely established himself as a starting edge forward. Things did change slightly as the Warriors had Mannering, Blair and Harris in their team for the last few games, forcing Papali'i to come off the bench, but Papali'i starting 21 of his 25 games on the edge. Steady, job-doing and we all know Papali'i will only get better, hence we as Warriors fans should be excited because the Warriors cracked the top-8 and relied on heavy workloads for guys like Papali'i, who can only get better.
Bunty Afoa
Like Papali'i, Afoa flourished with consistent game time in the same position. Afoa had previously been used as a middle and edge forward, this season he was strictly used as a middle forward and made up for his lack of size, with immense vigour and mobility in his work. Being able to build on top of this season, knowing that his future lies in the middle is certain to see Afoa come back even better.
Issac Luke
The work of Luke at dummy half was crucial to the Warriors this season as he was a key figure in the Warriors style of play. Luke would scoot and then pass, or offload late which would force further efforts from the defence as the ball kept shifting to the edges. A slick kicking game also helped the Warriors peg their opposition deep in their territory and Luke showcased his unique, all-round skillset throughout the year.
Jazz Tevaga
No one knew what Tevaga was prior to this season and in settling into a bench middle forward role, Tevaga found his niche. Like Papali'i and Afoa, Tevaga found a role and enjoyed great consistency in that role, which if he re-signs with the Warriors, could open up a few funky avenues for his play in 2019.
Leivaha Pulu
Didn't quite see as much of Pulu as I'd like and that stunted his growth through the season. Pulu played edge and middle, showing glimpses of his skill and mobility, but we'll have to wait until next season to suss out what Pulu genuinely offers this Warriors group. He's a top-17 player for sure, I'm just intrigued about how he's going to develop.
Tevita Satae
Considering how coach Kearney has developed Satae, 2018 was merely another step forward. Satae came from Auckland club footy to play three games last season and stepped up to play 10 games this season, adding size and power to the middle group. Expect another level-up next season.
Sam Lisone
Having been a frequent presence in Warriors forward packs of previous years, Lisone went missing in action this season and understandably so. Lisone didn't show anything to suggest that he should be selected ahead of Paasi, Pulu, Satae, Tevaga or Afoa and I don't think this is a case of Lisone being exposed, more a case of the Warriors simply having better players.
Joseph Vuna
Another youngster to get opportunities this season, Vuna was used through the middle and on an edge. Only four games, three of which were losses, but Vuna will be better for this little taster of NRL footy.
Ligi Sao
Who was the most prolific offloader for the Warriors this season? Ligi Sao. In his five games, Sao averaged 1.8 offloads/game and only played one game after winning the first four games of the season. I've got Sao ranked ahead of Lisone in the middle forward group and Sao has to now show that his work can translate into consistent NRL game time.
Hit an ad to support the Diary Of An Aotearoa Warriors Fan.
Or jump on Patreon and support the Niche Cache directly, we drop bonus stuff for the Patrons and take care of the homies.
Peace and love 27.