Monday Morning Dummy Half: NZ Warriors Roster and Jackson Ferris' Debut
Fresh off a nice win over Wests Tigers, Aotearoa Warriors need some clarity in their roster to wiggle through the rest of the 2019 season and that's a rather different spot to where Shaun Johnson's chillin' with Cronulla Sharks. There was a #KiwiNRL debut for Jackson Ferris in that Sharks win over Brisbane Broncos and I'll also put a focus on Aotearoa Kiwis hooker Brandon Smith, along with the grubber.
Having slid away from Warriors matters over the past few weeks to fall back into a bigger picture perspective, my footy brain tends to wander back around to Blake Green more often than not. There have been numerous times when I've pondered Green's lacklustre performances, yet assessing a halfback in a team that has usually been a step or two behind the better NRL teams is tricky; especially a stereotypical halfback who requires a tempo through the middle.
For example, I'd love to not see Green kicking the footy straight down the throat of an opposition fullback on repeat. That's a product of Green getting the footy on the last tackle, 40m off his own tryline and with minimal momentum to spark anything and I now view Green as a microcosm of the Warriors as it's less about a good or bad performance and more about what Green offers the Warriors moving forward.
Green, specifically is interesting because he is the most senior/influential player coming off-contract. Also playing for a new contract are: Gerrard Beale, Lachlan Burr, Jackson Frei, Patrick Herbert, Peta Hiku, Adam Keighran, Taane Milne, Isaiah Papali'i, Leivaha Pulu and Nathaniel Roache. Of that group, I would focus my retention efforts on Herbert, Hiku, Papali'i and Roache, then opening things up depending on the mystery that is salary cap space.
These are merely opinion based and everyone will have a different feeling about this. I really wouldn't mind if Beale took another team-first contract to offer his experience and versatility, while Frei and Milne have been non-factors via injury and the club may want to stick by them. Green's the most influential of this group, a straight up halfback who isn't in a position to demand another bumper deal that his agent twisted the club into, along with the likes of Beale and Adam Blair.
To the best of my knowledge, Blair has an option for next year and now's the time to chuck in all that noise offered by Warriors staff and ownership about their player's futures. It would be rather arrogant to think that your club doesn't need what Blair or Green can offer moving into 2020, especially if they aren't replaced with similar experience. The context is most important here and I'm definitely not suggesting that Blair and Green are mandatory re-ups, they do have value … at the right cap-value.
The Warriors have some decent half depth, all of a young-ish variety though and there is value in having Green around to steer the play-makers forward. Kodi Nikorima, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Adam Keighran are in or around the NRL, Paul Turner's waiting for his chance on the fringe and Sione Moala is a talented prospect making his way up the grades. That is a group that would probably do best with someone like Green being there, helping out and growing the play-making stocks.
If Green wants a new deal that is anything similar to his old deal, then that's an issue.
If Green wants to keep his whanau in Auckland, help the club move forward and take a smaller deal, then there is value.
The doosra here is the Warriors recruitment strategy. The forward pack will be more dynamic next season even without Toby Rudolf, with Ben Murdoch-Masila joining a possible back-row of Tohu Harris and Eliesa Katoa. Don't forget about Bunty Afoa, Leeson Ah Mau and Agnatius Paasi, plus another off-season for Jamayne Taunoa-Brown. The Warriors must decide if they want to pivot and challenge top-eight spots next year, or go full hundies on a rebuild.
There is an avenue for the Warriors to then pursue a play-maker via letting most of those off-contract players go, yet I don't think there is the type of half that the club needs. They have young halves, so why sign yet another one? The Warriors need to either bring in a half who can help the club develop, or swallow their pride and see how Green feels about a team-first deal.
Much of which started with the Warriors parting ways with Shaun Johnson. Johnson didn't grab a try assist vs Broncos, although he is still 1st in try assists with 16 and the next best is Luke Keary with 12. Johnson didn't register a try assist, he did play a key role in setting up two tries on the weekend though and his week's effort was notable as the Sharks had young play-makers Connor Tracey and Braydon Trindall in their 17.
No Chad Townsend and another game without Andrew Fifita, Matt Moylan and Josh Dugan. Jackson Ferris got his chance through the absence of Jesse Ramien and suddenly Johnson isn't one of a few key players, he is the key player. Johnson had 65 touches vs Broncos, while fullback William Kennedy had 29 and Johnson's halves partner Trindall had 42 touches. Johnson also had 12 kicks, while no other Shark had more than 2 kicks.
Here are Johnson's try involvements...
First is a simple second man play, in which Johnson takes the ball to the line with two options and sells the short ball to feed Kennedy out the back. Super nerdy note: Briton Nikora is always there for the short ball and if a defender doesn't respect that, then Nikora steams through as we've seen plenty:
Then Johnson had a swift catch and pass, again to Kennedy who is out of the snap below. Apart of the nek level hands, both these plays are Johnson basics and better defensive teams may do a better job, still nice examples of Johnson's play-making:
Ferris got injured in his debut, playing 66 minutes at right centre and this low key gave the Sharks an all-#KiwiNRL right edge of Johnson, Nikora, Ferris and Hamilton-born Sione Katoa. Ferris is a Kia Ora Warriors junior and Palmerston North Boys High School 1st 15 joker, scouted by the Sharks and bought over to their junior system where he played alongside much of this current Sharks crew.
A 2018 Junior Kiwi, Ferris is an example of the Aotearoa side of NRL clubs' recruitment and the Sharks have balanced this nicely with their recruitment in Australia. The Sharks bought Jamayne Isaako over from Christchurch, they also recruited Briton Nikora from the Gold Coast region and snared Braden Hamlin-Uele from the Cowboys; three different #KiwiNRL recruitment angles.
The Sharks also have 2019 (Under 19) Junior Kiwis centre Vito Tevaga in their Jersey Flegg group and he was an Aotearoa Under 16 rep in 2016, then Aotearoa Under 18 Residents in 2017 before moving to the Sharks. Ferris' emergence with the Sharks reinforces the Sharks' general junior recruitment and development, as well as specifically the players they target form Aotearoa.
Melbourne Storm unfortunately saw Cameron Smith suffer a shoulder injury and that's great news for Brandon Smith, more from an Aotearoa Kiwis perspective as Brandon Smith is the best hooker eligible for Aotearoa. Smith started the game as a middle forward on the bench, then moved into hooker after 27 minutes and that makes it tricky to fully gauge his stats, he did have 7 dummy half runs for 52m and pounced on an offload from Christian Welch to help set up the barnstorming Tino Fa'asuamaleaui - who himself was bonkers with 19 runs for 199m @ 10.47m/run, 34 tackles @ 91.9%!.
Smith scoops up the offload and darts across field, straight towards a large hole in the Knights defensive line:
Remember that this is eyes up footy from an offload and the Storm's structure presents Smith with two options at the line with a player running under and Fa'asuamaleaui hitting the hole:
The injury to Cameron Smith should see Brandon get decent game time at hooker and while I was hyped to see Brandon playing as a middle forward in the NRL and hooker for Aotearoa, that transition has now been helped along. Smith has already played eight Tests for Aotearoa and prior to his first Test, Kiwis coach Michael Maguire rolled out Issac Luke and Slade Griffin (the infamous Denver Test vs England) while last year Maguire put Kodi Nikorima in at hooker in Smith's absence in the first Test at Eden Park vs Great Britain.
Other than those instances, the Kiwis hooker job is all Smith's and here are some of his stats from those eight Tests…
2018
vs Australia (win): 52mins, 3 runs for 8m, 4tb, 1 offload, 33 tackles @ 89.2 percent.
vs England (loss): 50mins, 3 runs for 42m, 1 offload, 33 tackles @ 89.2 percent.
vs England (loss): 47mins, 7 runs for 68m, 6tb, 1 offload, 35 tackles @ 94.6 percent.
vs England (win): 42mins, 5 runs for 44m, 1 tb, 28 tackles @ 96.6 percent.
2019
vs Tonga (win): 60min, 1 try, 6 runs for 127m, 10tb, 40 tackles @ 75.5 percent.
vs Australia (loss): 61mins, 5 runs for 55m, 2tb, 37 tackles @ 88.1 percent.
vs GB (win): 47mins, 7 runs for 59m, 1 offload, 24 tackles @ 77.4 percent.
The Grubber
Sitili Tupouniua played 80mins at centre for the Roosters, after two games starting on an edge and the rest primarily through the middle.
Corey Harawira-Naera's first Raiders appearance coming off the bench, playing middle forward: 31mins, 3 runs for 31m @ 10.33m/run, 13 tackles @ 92.9 percent.
Young forwards highlights...
James Fisher-Harris vs Sea Eagles: 17 runs for 165m @ 9.70m/run, 1 tackle bust, 30 tackles @ 85.7 percent.
Ofahiki Ogden vs Eels (Tonga eligible): 27mins, 8 runs for 97m @ 12.12m/run, 1tb, 1 offload, 18 tackles @ 90 percent.
Marata Niukore vs Bulldogs: 45mins, 11 runs for 110m @ 10m/run, 23 tackles @ 95.8 percent.
Braden Hamlin-Uele vs Broncos: 51mins, 1 try, 18 runs for 190m @ 10.55m/run, 6tb, 2 offloads, 26 tackles @ 89.7 percent.
Josh Aloiai vs Warriors: 55mins, 16 runs for 146m @ 9.12m/run, 1tb, 38 tackles @ 90.5 percent.
#KiwiNRL Post Contact Metres Rankings
Jason Taumalolo (Papakura Sea Eagles/Otahuhu Leopards) - 1st.
Siosiua Taukeiaho (Otara Scorpions) - 5th.
James Fisher-Harris (Whangarei Marist) - 6th.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Otahuhu College) - 9th.
Tohu Harris (Tamatea Rugby Club) - 13th.
Josh Aloiai (Glenora Bears) - 21st.
Marata Niukore (Mangere East Hawks) - 27th.
Here are some more video highlights for #KiwiNRL youngsters…
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Peace and love.