Aotearoa Warriors Diary: Alignment and Depth
NZ Warriors grabbed two wins over Parramatta Eels in Sydney on Saturday with a 36-14 win in NSW Cup followed by a 46-10 win in the NRL. Defeating an Eels team missing a few lads does not update Warriors NRL finals mana but both wins highlight key themes in Warriors footy and consistency of style throughout the entire organisation.
Bouncing back from the loss to Rabbitohs started with the back three returning to status-quo mahi. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Marcelo Montoya were all below 120 running metres against Rabbitohs. Against Eels Nicoll-Klokstad had 189m, Watene Zelezniak had 148m and Montoya went large with 204m.
This flowed into the forward pack who rolled down field with ease. Addin Fonua-Blake had 18 runs - 193m @ 10.7m/run in a typically robust performance, while Jackson Ford and Mitchell Barnett averaged over 10m/run on 18 runs each. A key indicator of how hearty the opposition forwards are is whether Tohu Harris can dent the defensive line and after averaging 7.8m/run on 16 runs vs Rabbitohs, Harris enjoyed 9.5m/run on 18 runs against Eels.
Harris can rip through the middle with his late footwork and size, but Warriors don't need Harris making big metres. When Harris is sliding between defenders along with Fonua-Blake and the homies, Warriors folks know they are dominating the middle. Harris didn't hit 10 passes, but his nine passes were aligned with Walker having 12 passes after just a single pass vs Rabbitohs.
These wins are important in providing all players with experience of different roles. Bunty Afoa and Tom Ale had two passes each, even Barnett had four passes as they rolled through the passing forward positions. Harris and Walker are the best passers, Fonua-Blake has sneaky skills with and the others are gaining developing into these roles.
Another feature of this win was how Warriors burst forward before shifting the ball sideways. This engages defenders in the middle which halts their movement across field as they need to worry about tackling a bloke, then Warriors slide passes out the back or short into holes. Against weaker teams this is easy to do and Eels defenders weren't moving forward, so Warriors were able to settle into their quiver of tricks.
None of that was on display in wet-weather losses and the loss to Broncos in Napier. Having seen it laid out so clearly against Rabbitohs, this is less about wet-weather footy and more about battling against aggressive defences. Roosters and Rabbitohs did well to attack with their defence in wet-weather games, but Broncos also did this in dry conditions to stifle Warriors attacking movements.
Luke Metcalf is shining in his role and this makes for intriguing selection decisions for coach Andrew Webster. In the wider context of Warriors footy though, depth is required to absorb injuries and suspensions. Warriors suffered a few injuries during this win over Eels and it seems highly likely that either Barnett or Marata Niukore will get suspended again.
If all top-30 players are available then niggly selection moves need to be made. Players will get injured and suspended though, so stress less about the fantasy and ride the wave of who is available. Warriors have ample depth in every position and having multiple options in every position is a luxury Warriors have built for themselves. Take the centre slot where Adam Pompey, Rocco Berry, Viliami Vailea and Ali Leiataua are battling for selection with Brayden Wiliame offering a solid veteran presence.
The NSW Cup Warriors offer more examples. This set below came after a Warriors try and featured three SG Ball lads as well as Zyon Maiu'u who is just 20-years-old and is dominating NSW Cup…
Tanner Stowers-Smith also played in the NSW Cup win over Eels, giving Warriors four SG Ball forwards in their reserve grade team. Isaiah Vagana is a young prop on the rise as well. Warriors went to Sydney without experienced forwards like James Gavet and Paterika Vaivai, even Solomon Vasuvulagi who is another emerging big bopper, to dominate the Eels forward pack.
Northland's Kalani Going is settling into an impressive groove as a small middle forward. Going started the season mainly playing edge forward but his move to the middle has him playing a similar role to Walker in the NRL team. Both are faster than big boppers and Going's rugby union background provides the same passing skillset as Walker.
Michael Sio can also play this role, well these lads can play any forward role. Sio has played middle, edge and hooker this season. Like Going, Sio is a smaller middle forward and his versatility skews towards hooker while Going skews towards edge forward. Warriors have at least five hungry young middle forwards and also have a couple smaller forwards who can develop into the Walker role.
Taine Tuaupiki is ready to step into an NRL whenever he is required. Warriors have wingers Setu Tu, Moala Graham-Taufa and Sanele Aukusitino brewing as NRL depth. All three came to Warriors from other NRL systems. Tu flirted with a Dolphins squad spot before moving back to Warriors, Graham-Taufa was in the Roosters system while at school in Auckland with his twin brother Lani (currently playing for Marist in Fox Premiership). Wellington's Aukusitino had stints with Raiders and Sea Eagles before moving back to Aotearoa.
Edward Kosi is out injured as a further example of the depth on offer.
Which brings us back around to Metcalf. However you view Metcalf and Te Maire Martin, Warriors have depth that can plug a hole without taking anything away from the team. Ronald Volkman is a back up halfback who didn't even play in the NSW Cup win over Eels. Ben Farr and Eiden Ackland don't have the standout NRL attributes of the young forwards for example, but they bolster the depth and provide hearty contributions.
The most important thing to know about Warriors right now is that the roots run deep. The NSW Cup team are playing a similar style to the NRL team which allows for a smooth transition for anyone being promoted. A bunch of SG Ball lads are also playing against men in Fox Premiership each weekend while the likes of Kosi, Leiatua and Demitric Sifakula are currently injured.
It's lovely to know that Warriors are winning NRL games. It's a whole different equation knowing that NRL results stem from deep roots of a well-tuned development system.
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Peace and love.