In their second game of the season, Aotearoa Warriors face Newcastle Knights and coming up against this Knights forward pack will enlighten Warriors folk and fans alike. The Warriors haven't made any changes to their forward pack and there's some funky stuff going on there, while Euan Aitken's absence is covered by Adam Pompey slotting in to left centre. There are some preview notes to break down for this game, but first there is a hefty dose of wider Warriors business to suss out.

Queensland's Intrust Super Cup starts this weekend and this gives us our first team list of the Redcliffe Aihe (maori for dolphin) season. Hayze Perham is named at fullback, while the Warriors provide the centre duo for Redcliffe with Rocco Berry and Viliami Vailea starting in the centres. Paul Turner starts at halfback.

There is also an all-Warriors middle forward trio named for Redcliffe with Jackson Frei, Kane Evans and Pride Petterson-Robati starting. Petterson-Robati was recently signed for a couple years after impressing in the summer training block and this points to nifty Warriors recruitment as they picked up Jamayne Taunoa-Brown straight out of ISC to then start a bunch of games in 2020, now they'll bring Petterson-Robati through.

Coming off the bench for Redcliffe is Preston Riki, who has toiled away with the Warriors for a few seasons and has clearly been identified as a forward prospect. Tom Ale's the next up forward prospect from Aotearoa, Riki is a couple steps behind him.

There is now a trend in Warriors recruitment as they are signing players who have spent a few years around a professional system. For some, this means experience playing in the NRL as recent signings Addin Fonua-Blake, Euan Aitken, Kane Evans and Marcelo Montoya have all stacked up years of NRL experience. Bayley Sironen has only played 25 games, although he made his debut in 2017 and the Warriors are his third club. Sean Sullivan has only played 9 games, having made his debut in 2018 and he's also with his third club.

The likes of Taunoa-Brown and Petterson-Robati both started in the Melbourne Storm system before falling out of the NRL bracket. They've been on the grind to get back to the NRL level and of course, this can be viewed negatively as one would ask why the Warriors are signing blokes who could crack consistent NRL footy elsewhere?

My view is that the Warriors are making efficient moves to bolster their roster with NRL experience, or blokes who were kicked to the curb and fought their way back. This type of player (all but Fonua-Blake) offers salary cap value and the Warriors don't really need young up and comers as they've now sussed out their junior pipelines. The Warriors need cheap-ish depth and that's what they're hunting.

Hence, Karl Lawton is now with Manly Sea Eagles.

I'm not sure what Manly's up to, who cares?

From a Warriors perspective; Lawton was offered a better deal and the Warriors obviously didn't stand in his way. Lawton wasn't going to support Wayde Egan as Lawton's out injured and looking through the Warriors lens, I reckon that if they desperately need to, they can chuck Jazz Tevaga and/or Bayley Sironen in at hooker for a game or 25 minutes. An Egan/Tevaga/Sironen depth chart is not a long-term solution though.

The Warriors have two excessively dynamic dummy halves in Temple Kalepo and Taniela Otukolo in their system. One of these two will soon (maybe later this year) get a bench spot, adding x-factor off the bench and the Warriors will be hoping that Egan can get the team to that point, or that the Tevaga/Sironen type of fix can plug the hole to that point.

Interestingly, Kalepo and Otukolo are no where to be found in the Queensland team lists - former Warrior and possible job-doer Manaia Cherrington is at hooker for Redcliffe Aihe. The Hastings Deering Colts (Qld Under 20s) doesn't start until mid-April and this may be where we see a few more Warriors players come through. Kalepo started at hooker for the Warriors Canterbury Cup (NSW reserve grade) team last year, so he's likely to slot in for Redcliffe Aihe soon enough.

There may be some insights available as to how coach Nathan Brown views Hayze Perham and Rocco Berry in their Redcliffe Aihe roles. Last year Berry started at fullback for the Warriors Canterbury Cup team and Perham got some NRL time at centre, now Perham is starting fullback and Berry is at centre. Also, shout out to this Viliami Vailea kid.

Vailea played 3 games of Warriors SG Ball (Under 18) last year, while playing 1st 15 rugby for Aorere College in Auckland where High School Top 200 had Vailea ranked as the 8th best 1st 15 player in Aotearoa. Vailea played fullback in 1st 15 and has graduated to NRL reserve grade straight out of 1st 15 rugby.

For context, compare Vailea's swift rise to some of his 2020 Warriors SG Ball homies...

Sebastyan Jack and Eric Vaafusuaga: Redcliffe Aihe Under 18.

Sione Moala: Canberra Raiders Under 18.

Jarney Proctor-Harwood, Tamehana Pururu, Tray Lolesio: Wests Tigers Under 18.

Ali Leaitaua, Zyon Maiu'u, Carlos Tarawhiti, Tony Tafa: Auckland Under 20s.

Vailea went straight to reserve grade while his former team mates are still in the age-group level and many of these lads would have played against Vailea in 1st 15 rugby.

The Warriors still have Jack and Vaafusuaga in the Redcliffe Under 18 team for this week; Vaafusuaga is starting centre and Jack starting halfback. I'm also intrigued by Wynnum Manly having Nathaniel Tangimataiti (centre) and Cassius Cowley (halfback) in their starting team in the Under 18 competition. Both have history with the Warriors, although Wynnum definitely isn't aligned with the Warriors.

The Warriors had 15 offloads vs Gold Coast Titans and only three teams had more offloads; Eels and Knights.

While the Knights forwards rolled out a powerful performance vs Bulldogs, four of their starting forwards had 3 offloads each. For the Warriors to have some control in this game, they will need to limit those offloads and slow the Knights middles down.

Tohu Harris may spend more time on the edge. Remember that Bayley Sironen started in the middle with Harris at right edge last week and as the Knights have excellent edge forwards in Tyson Frizell and Mitchell Barnett.

Connor Watson vs Jazz Tevaga? Same idea, two very different players.

Standard Tevaga performance last week: 59mins, 10 runs for 101m @ 10.1m/run, 1 offload, 37 tackles @ 92%.

Chuck a big old target on Mitchell Pearce.

Tackles Made Last week

Mann: 7

Pearce: 14.

Nikorima: 23

Harris-Tavita: 23.

Kicking Splits Last Week

Mann: 1 | Pearce: 13.

Nikorima: 13 | Harris-Tavita: 10.

The Knights halves barely had to tackle last week and Pearce did all the kicking. At the very least, the Warriors can make the Knights uncomfortable by ramping up the tackle count and isolating the kick-pressure on Pearce. Best case scenario is Pearce is consistently nailed - hopefully by Harris-Tavita at some point.

The Knights conceded no penalties last week.

While the Warriors will face a step up in the quality of the Knights forward pack and greater attacking threat from the Knights, the Knights weren't challenged by the Bulldogs last week. The Knights will also need to step up in different ways to what the Warriors are doing and I'm eager to see what the Warriors do to rattle the Knights, whether physically or tactically.

Peace and love.