New Zealand Warriors were excellent with four wins across their top four grades last weekend and they now head to Newcastle for NRL/NRLW games, while the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup teams host their Melbourne Storm equivalents in Auckland. Here's how each NZW team is sitting on their ladders compared to their opponents...

(Warriors | Opps)

NRL: 4th (11-5) | 13th (6-11)
NRLW: 8th (1-1) | 6th (1-1)
NSW Cup: 1st (16-1) | 7th (7-10)
Jersey Flegg Cup: 7th (8-8-2) | 1st (14-3-1)

Take a moment to bask in the glow of NZW being a combined 27-6 in NRL and NSW Cup this season. Now that the gratitude has put you in a peaceful zone, here are some key details...

NRL vs Knights

Knights are 2-7 at home this season and dramas are starting to swirl around Newcastle. This could be a moment for the Knights to rally around their coach and the local fanbase, making it a tricky fixture for NZW who should be too good for the Knights.

NZW lead the NRL for completion rate with 82% and Knights are tied with Cowboys on 75% completion rates, with only the Roosters below them on 74%. This flows into the points below because Tanah Boyd's kicking, back three running oomph and middle forwards controlling things are perfect complimentary notes for high completion footy.

As laid out in our Monday newsletter, Boyd was instrumental in all NZW attacking movements. This mainly stemmed from his ability to draw in defenders by running a few steps forward and then firing accurate passes out the back to Taine Tuaupiki on the right and Chanel Harris-Tavita on the left.

As a natural halfback, Boyd also gives space to the play-makers outside him. Harris-Tavita did less mahi on the left edge than he had previously but was more effective in doing less. Expect a wee bit more balance between the halves vs Knights as it was skewed heavily in Boyd's favour and as they get more comfy as a combination, Harris-Tavita will have more chances to be involved.

Boyd is the best kicker at Mt Smart. His kicks are higher and longer than the other halves for NZW, even many NRL halves. This gives NZW a territory boost which is aligned with how the back three can start sets, plus the chasers have more time to compete for kicks when they want to.

Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak all had season highs for run metres vs Tigers. Some of this may have been due to Tigers lacking the kick-chase of other teams but this also showed what is possible when all three of these lads are heavily involved, providing three different running styles which gets harder and harder to control as the fatigue builds.

Tuaupiki had 200+ run metres (223m) for the first time this season. Tuivasa-Sheck has hit 200m exactly in one game this season but his 271m vs Tigers was considerably higher and that was also the case for Watene-Zelezniak who had his second game over 100m in his seven outings this season. Watene-Zelezniak finished with 160m vs Tigers and while he may not repeat this, if he's giving 140m a nudge along with the other two hovering around 200m, then NZW are in a strong position.

The three starting middle forwards didn't come close to season highs in terms of stats, but they dominated the Tigers middles and there is an opportunity for the same vs Knights. It's a tougher match up against the Knights middle forwards but James Fisher-Harris, Jackson Ford and Erin Clark can dictate the flow of this game with their defensive grappling, mobility and skill.

All three played 45+ minutes vs Tigers. Demitric Vaimauga was the most active bench forward with 38mins, followed by 26mins for Tanner Stowers-Smith. Jacob Laban's 15mins were played on the right edge with Marata Niukore have a brief stint in the middle at the end of the game.

Laban's energy gives the right edge extra juice late, while the Vaimauga and Stowers-Smith combo continues to provide more zip through the middle. The way Vaimauga embraced the run it straight action at Mt Smart hyped everyone up and he has quietly become one of the best bench forwards in the NRL.

Watch out for his offloads because Vaimauga has nine offloads in his last five games with at least one offload in each of them. Add in his power/agility combo and Vaimauga always adds to the foundations laid by the starters.

Stowers-Smith had his first offload of the season vs Tigers and offloads always come from winning the collision. Stowers-Smith had season and thus career highs for minutes, post contact metres and run metres for Tigers so he will be eager to build on that vs Knights.

NRLW vs Knights

NZW are first for dummy half runs in NRLW and they have more than twice as many as the next best team. NZW are on 55 dummy half runs after two games and Cowboys are second on 25, which highlights a clear plan from coach Ronald Griffiths who returns to Newcastle where he was a championship winning coach.

NZW account for the top-three dummy half runners in NRLW and have four of the top-seven...

Tysha Ikenasio: 1st - 15
Michaela Brake: 2nd - 13
Capri Paekau: 3rd - 10
Patricia Maliepo: 7th - 8

Brake also leads the NRLW for tackle breaks on 19 and this is perfect when scooting from dummy half.

NZW have 55 dummy half runs and Knights have 11 so there is a clear difference between the two teams. One other stat zone with a significant difference is missed tackles as NZW are second with 80 and Knights are 12th with 38. NZW haven't been close to their best so far and have a stinky completion rate of 67% for example, but against Eels they showed that they have ample gritty mana to keep showing up without the footy and shut down opposition raids.

Apii Nicholls went from nothing in the following stats vs Roosters to one try assist, six tackle breaks and one offload vs Eels. She finished with 14 runs - 141m @ 10m/run in a classy performance at fullback vs Eels in which her leadership helps steer NZW around defensively.

Nicholls is part of a rugby league core that can't be overlooked for the wahine. Emily Curtain was better at halfback in her second game and the forward pack is full of hearty rugby league talent. Paekau, Harata Butler, Lavinia Kitai, Kaiyah Atai and Laishon Albert-Jones are all experienced rugby league forwards and all four bench players in Lydia Turua-Quedley, Maarire Puketapu, Ashlee Matapo and Matekino Gray have rugby league backgrounds.

With Shakira Baker on the right edge, Atai is a notable undercover player on the left edge. Both have played every minute so far and Atai made an impressive jump from her first to second NRLW game. The local junior from Richmond went from 16 tackles @ 74% vs Roosters to 32 tackles @ 94% vs Eels and while she isn't as powerful a runner as Baker, Atai is an impressive hard-mahi edge forward who will continue to creep under the radar.

The bench added plenty to NZW vs Eels and along with their rugby league experience, they are all younger wahine who roll through the middle.

Lydia Turua-Quedley: 26yrs | 28mins, 25mins
Maarire Puketapu: 23yrs | 40mins, 35mins
Ashlee Matapo: 18yrs | 19mins, 19mins
Matekino Gray: 20yrs | 23mins, 23mins

NSW Cup & Jersey Flegg Cup vs North Sydney Bears/Storm

Another round in these levels means another round of NZW halves depth on show. Luke Hanson and Jett Cleary are the halves combo again in NSW Cup as Under 21s, while Maui Winitana-Patelesio and Jack Thompson are the U21 halves combo once again as U19 players.

Aussies named in these grades this week...

Luke Hanson: Asquith (Sydney)
Jett Cleary: Penrith (Sydney)
Samuel Healey: Engadine (Sydney)
Freddy Lussick: Beacon Hill (Sydney)
Brandon Norris: Northern Sharks (Darwin)
Tallan Egan: Lithgow (NSW)

Papanui junior Jason Salalio is thriving after moving up from U21s to NSW Cup. He has played 30+ minutes in nine of his 12 games and has at least three tackle breaks in each of his last four games.

Mangere East junior Rodney Tuipulotu-Vea has played 40+ minutes as a starting middle forward in his last two games and is back in U21s this week.

There seems to be some rotation across these squads to help manage the development of NZW juniors. Most movement between these teams flows down from NRL selections but Tuipulotu-Vea is an example of how players may get a taste of the higher grade and then settle back down in U21s. Makaia Tafua has been up and down even though Healey has stayed as the dummy half in NSW Cup and Alvin Chong Nee was the latest U21s player to get a taste of NSW Cup with a recent bench appearance.

Sio Kali is named on the wing again in NSW Cup where he will probably continue his combo with Ali Leiataua. Keep in mid that Kali had a crazy try on the left wing and last week he was on the right wing...

Motu Pasikala is back, named on the wing in U21s. Along with Patrick Moimoi and Etuate Fukofuka, these three have already played NSW Cup and have settled in U21s this year. This could be viewed as them dipping out of favour but they were probably either injured and need consistent reps, or in Fukofuka's case he is building weekly experience in a specific role.

U21s named in NSW Cup: Sio Kali, Luke Hanson, Jett Cleary, Kayliss Fatialofa, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Makaia Tafua, Jason Salalilo.

U19s named in Jersey Flegg Cup: Joseph Ratcliffe, Maui Winitana-Patelesio, Jack Thompson, Paea Sikuvea, Emosi Ravosai, Tepatasi Laumalili, Gordon Afoa - Dezman Laban, Ezekiel Davidson-Faaiuso (extended bench).

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Peace and love.