Aotearoa Warriors Diary: Redcliffe Aihe + Niggly Test vs Dragons

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After a narrow loss to Manly Sea Eagles, the 'slightly easier' patch of games for New Zealand Warriors has become the autumn slog. The common factor in Warriors performances to start this season has been a baseline competitive nature and while that was present against Manly, signs of attacking efficiency evident in other games was absent. A backwards step in attack and a low key impressive St George Illawara Dragons team mean that we are now grinding through a few weeks of tough mud.

Coach Nathan Brown has absorbed the loss of David Fusitua by naming Peta Hiku on the wing, maintaining a Adam Pompey/Marcelo Montoya centre duo. No Eliesa Katoa this week as he was apparently dropped, but has not been named in the initial Redcliffe Dolphins team and each week there is a flood of Warriors players dropping down to the Dolphins who weren't named on the Tuesday. Josh Curran was a late inclusion to the Dolphins team last week and he is named on an edge in place of Katoa. The bench is Ben Murdoch-Masila, Bunty Afoa, Kane Evans and Paul Turner.

Curran played 60mins for the Dolphins off the bench with 10 runs for 123m @ 12.3m/run, 2 tackle busts, 3 offloads and 25 tackles @ 100 percent. That is exactly the type of performance that coach Brown would want from Katoa dropping down to Intrust Super Cup level and points to Curran earning his call up.

All the Warriors Aihe were solid in the Dolphins 24-22 win over Central Queensland Capras, led by Hayze Perham who started in the halves and kicked the winning goal. Perham kicked 4 goals @ 100 percent, along with 6 runs for 66m @ 11m/run, 1 linebreak assist, 1 try assist, 1 offload and 17 tackles @ 100 percent. Perham also shared the halves duties nicely with Cameron Cullen; Perham had 38 touches to Cullen's 33 and they had 5 kicks each.

Given that the Warriors have signed Reece Walsh, it's good to see Turner getting a bench spot and Perham playing in the halves in reserve grade. Both Turner and Perham can play fullback, yet everything I've consumed suggests that Warriors decision-makers adore Walsh (kinda hard not to). Turner was part of the transfer mix-up and that was weird, both Turner and Perham are coming off-contract at the end of this season.

Turner and Perham are Warriors kids. They were recruited from outside Auckland (Northland and Rotorua), brought up through the Warriors system and it would be pretty stink if they were chucked out just as they enter the NRL mix. Both have multi-position value and are doing whatever the decision-makers want, without much fuss. Along with Viliami Vailea and Rocco Berry, these are the backs who the Warriors have promoted through their club and I just reckon it would be a bummer to see them depart. Hence what they're doing now is funky.

All Warriors Aihe forwards averaged over 10m/run in that win over CQ Capras. That's Curran, Preston Riki, Pride Peterson-Robati and Jackson Frei. Between those four forwards, 2 missed tackles were registered. At the very least, that's all pretty solid.

Also of note here is the Warriors Aihe Hastings Deering Colts (Under 21) team. They torched CQ Capras 72-4 with a bunch of Warriors juniors, the funkiest of whom are dummy half duo Taniela Otukolo and Temple Kalepo. Otukolo is getting some extended bench love with the NRL Warriors but is yet to play ISC reserve grade, so it would be a pretty crazy jump up from U21s to NRL.

On the topic of Warriors juniors, Perham's Rotorua Boys High School homie Tom Ale made his debut vs Manly and showed encouraging signs. In the first round of ISC, Ale played 80mins with 16 runs for 150m @ 9.37m/run, 4 tackle busts, 2 offloads and 16 tackle @ 80 percent.

Against Manly, Ale played 23mins with 10 runs for 89m @ 8.9m/run, 1 offload and 9 tackles @ 100 percent. Ale isn't a big dude, but is quick-footed and powerful which feels suited to a dynamic bench role in the current NRL. Named on the extended bench this week, Ale makes way for Bunty Afoa's return.

The Warriors were limited vs Manly by Jack Murchie and Kane Evans coughing up 2 errors each. This was Evans' first NRL appearance of the year and Murchie's first 80min game of the year after being eased in with 30mins, 60mins and a full banger. These errors were crucial and far from ideal, although one would hope that these two are more acquainted with the tempo of NRL footy.

With a back three of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, David Fusitua and Ken Maumalo, the Warriors are 11th in kick return metres. The whole point of having these three together is to start sets off nicely and while they put in plenty of mahi in early tackles, a lack of kick return metres means that these three are taking carries against a defence that has probably won the first tackle.

Who are the best kick returning teams? Storm, Panthers, Eels, Roosters, Rabbitohs and Dragons all have over 900m (first four are over 1000m) while the Warriors have 870m. Fairly easy to see that the best NRL teams make the most kick return metres to start their sets with momentum and despite a hefty back three, the Warriors don't quite do that.

The Dragons have been impressive this season, perhaps the most surprising team. This is mainly due to the energy, vigour and intensity they play with. Their last two games have seen them blow Newcastle Knights away physically at Newcastle, then they steam-rolled Parramatta Eels at Parramatta. None of which feels encouraging for the Warriors.

One issue could be plugging up the middle. The Warriors aren’t a big missed tackles team (11th - 26 per game) and Kodi Nikorima is the only Warrior in the top-50 for missed tackles, but there does seem to be an issue through the middle. Jazz Tevaga and Tohu Harris combined to miss 10 tackles last week. Now the Warriors face a Dragons team that leads the NRL in dummy half runs, averaging 18 per game. One team plows through the ruck, the other team is coming off a loss in which the middles missed plenty of tackles.

This patch of games is where we found out more about Warriors depth and their mental fortitude. The Dragons will be fizzing to show off in front of a home crowd and any lapse in Warriors intensity will see them lose this game. There are some structural things in attack that didn't work vs Manly and defensive dips in the middle, yet this game vs Dragons is all about attitude. Perfect game for us to learn a thing or two about this Warriors group.

Peace and love.