Aotearoa Warriors Diary: Surely Not Winning In Melbourne On Anzac Day?
Anzac footy for Aotearoa Warriors has them up against Storm in Melbourne on Tuesday evening while the NSW Cup Warriors host Eels in Auckland on Sunday. Both teams had wins last weekend with the NRL crew showcasing their mana by defeating Cowboys with just 44% possession. NSW Cup Warriors defeated Sea Eagles 40-30 and along with Warriors somehow winning an NRL game with such little footy, the reserve grade win featured another Warriors gem.
Allow these nuggets to stack up and build sensible optimism. 19-year-old Demitric Sifakula was sitting on the bench vs Cowboys as 18th-lad, soaking up the mana of Mt Smart. Whether Sifakula flew to Sydney that evening or the following morning, he showed up to face Sea Eagles on Sunday where he played 80 minutes and scored two tries.
This is aligned with Selumiela (Leka) Halasima churning out NSW Cup mahi as a 17-year-old. Halasima played 52mins vs Sea Eagles and is now named to start as an edge forward for this weekend's encounter with Eels. Along with Zyon Maiu'u, Paul Roache, Kalani Going and Isaiah Vagana, these blokes fill out a forward pack jam-packed with hearty youngsters.
Which is the same in the backline. Taine Tuaupiki, Moala Graham-Taufa, Viliami Vailea, Ali Leiataua and Sanele Aukusitino fill all five outside back positions. Warriors are 2nd on the NSW Cup ladder with a 5-2 record and Eels are 8th with 3-3-1 record. Warriors have scored 100 more points than Eels this season.
Now that SG Ball footy has finished, those lads are starting to appear in Auckland premier blokes footy. Thankfully not all these youngsters are playing for Pt Chevalier, a club with strong connections to Warriors who win on Saturdays but don't produce as much NRL talent as other development clubs. Pt Chev do however have Etuate Fukofuka named to start at hooker and Tanner Stowers-Smith is named on the bench for their game vs Manukau this afternoon.
Who knows how each team will actually line up as this is being written on Saturday morning, based off the players named via Auckland Rugby League. Sefanaia Cowley-Lupo is named in Bay Roskill's squad. Makaia Tafua and Ben Peni are named in Otahuhu's squad. Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea and Eddie Ieremia are named in Otara's squad with Kayliss Fatialofa listed as playing last week for Otara.
That's a bunch of SG Ball youngsters now battling against men in local Auckland footy. Given how we have already seen Sifakula quickly impress and the rise of Halasima, this is an intriguing wrinkle that could bolster the development process.
Sure, Warriors usually don't win this Anzac fixture vs Storm and this is a tough patch of footy coming up. But let's focus on getting the win.
Mid-way through this round of footy, Warriors are tied with Cowboys and Panthers for the best completion rate in the NRL (81%). Storm are on 80% which is typical Storm mahi, although Storm are also 5th for missed tackles while Warriors are 13th. Warriors missed half as many (16) tackles as Cowboys (37) last round and there is a chance, regardless of how strange it may feel, that Warriors are the better defensive team in Melbourne.
Part of that could involve Dylan Walker on the left edge where he will be defending against Eliesa Katoa. Cowboys gave Jeremiah Nanai many opportunities to steamroll Walker but as one half of the baldies, Walker ate up that challenge. Walker has previously been playing as a middle forward, hitting it up at kick-off time and he is at least ready for the battle against edge attacks.
The stats match the vibe for how Warriors concede their tries. Against Cowboys Murray Taulagi was a steady threat down the Warriors right edge and they have conceded 52% of their tries down that edge. The Mangere mountain Marata Niukore returns this week which could help tighten up that edge. More chemistry between Adam Pompey and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak could also help.
Tohu Harris is the focal point of Warriors attack. Don't sleep on Harris being as useful as the trendier middle forwards like Isaah Yeo and Cameron Murray as his distribution shuffles his opponents side to side, also putting blokes into holes. Harris had a try assist for Addin Fonua-Blake's try vs Cowboys and he had 21 passes, while Jason Taumalolo had nine passes and the busiest passing forward for Cowboys was Jake Granville on 15 passes (Granville dabbled in dummy half mahi).
Harris and Fonua-Blake are really good. Here's their statline vs Cowboys...
Addin Fonua-Blake: 45mins, 1 try, 12 runs - 141m @ 11.75m/run, 5 tackle busts, 23 tackles @ 92%.
Tohu Harris: 62mins, 1 try assist, 16 runs - 112m @ 7m/run, 1 tackle bust, 33 tackles @ 97%.
Keep track of the dummy half rotation as well. Freddy Lussick played 52mins vs Cowboys and Bayley Sironen plugged that hole when Lussick as off the field. Neither was busy scooting out of dummy half with a combined 3 DHR for 13m, but Lussick was just as hearty as Egan with 31 tackles @ 94%. Lussick has made 67 tackles @ 97% this season and played 76mins vs Bulldogs. He's capable of big minutes which would free up Sironen to add his funk anywhere else.
And incase you didn't know: Tom Ale is pretty good.
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Peace and love.