New Zealand Warriors have settled back into their gritty footy with consecutive wins vs Tigers and Knights. Winning when not playing their best has become a theme this season, as has their ability to grind through games where their fitness and concentration has seen them win games in the last 10-20 minutes. Many key ideas have been covered across the Niche Cache including our newsletter so tap in with those and ponder these five funky pockets...

The young wave

NZW have had strong contributions from their four young forwards in the last two wins. Meanwhle the NSW Cup team had two wins and is 17-1 with almost half of those teams featuring Under 21 players, which has flowed down to Jersey Flegg Cup where there is a similar number of U19 lads playing in the U21 grade.

vs Tigers: Halasima (80mins), Vaimauga (38mins), Laban (15mins), Stowers-Smith (26mins)
vs Knights: Halasima (67mins), Vaimauga (35mins), Laban (32mins), Stowers-Smith (31mins)

Halasima has played 60+ minutes in nine games this season.

Vaimauga has played 35+ minutes in five consecutive games.

Laban has played 30+ minutes in five games this season - fourth time over 30mins in last five games.

Stowers-Smith hit 30mins for the first game of his career vs Knights.

U21s in NSW Cup

vs Magpies: Sio Kali, Luke Hanson, Jett Cleary, Kayliss Fatialofa, Rodney Tuipulotu-Vea, Jason Salalilo, Alvin Chong Nee (7)
vs Bears: Sio Kali, Jett Cleary, Harry Durbin, Makaia Tafua, Rodney Tuipulotu-Vea, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jason Salalilo, Etuate Fukofuka (8)

Toby Crosby isn't U21 but he's a sneaky young forward that is on the rise. He played one game of NSW Cup while in the U21 team last year and has been a consistent presence on the bench in reserve grade this season...

Toby Crosby in NSW Cup: 16 games, 3 tries, 1.6 tackle breaks/game, 79m/game, 96.5% tackling

U19s in Jersey Flegg Cup

vs Tigers: Joseph Ratcliffe, Maui Winitana-Patelesio, Jack Thompson, Emosi Ravosai, Paea Sikuvea, Gordon Afoa, Tepatasi Laumalili (7)

vs Storm: Joseph Ratcliffe, Maui Winitana-Patelesio, Jack Thompson, Emosi Ravosai, Tepatasi Laumalili, Dezman Laban, Paea Sikuvea, Gordon Afoa, Kahu Capper (9)

Roger Tuivsa-Sheck is in a groove

Peep these crazy numbers for Tuivasa-Sheck in the last two wins...

vs Tigers: 24 runs - 271m @ 11.2m/run, 3 tackles @ 100%
vs Knights: 24 runs - 265m @ 11m/run, 3 tackles @ 100%

It's tricky to assess which NRL season has been Tuivasa-Sheck because he has won Grand Finals and various awards, but the 2025 campaign is among his best. That's pretty crazy considering that he has stayed on the wing this year and is putting up similar mahi to his years as a fullback. Here are three of his best years at NZW and it's also noteworthy that his only years tackling over 80% efficiency in the NRL are 2024 and 2025...

Best seasons with NZW

2017: 23 games, 10 tries, 181m/game, 66.9% tackling
2019: 18 games, 7 tries, 206m/game, 72% tackling
2025: 11 games, 7 tries, 193m/game, 88% tackling

Most metres per game in career

2015: 245m (fullback)
2020: 220m (fullback)
2019: 206m (fullback)
2021: 200m (fullback)
2025: 193m (wing)

Middle forward mahi

The starting middle forward trio aren't catching the headlines but they are doing their jobs and maintaining a hearty middle presence without Mitchell Barnett. James Fisher-Harris is the leader and his mana is the most important aspect of his game. Jackson Ford plays the most minutes and his strength is his work-rate. Erin Clark is the most explosive and is the distribution hub as the main passer of the middle forwards...

James Fisher-Harris

vs Tigers: 49mins, 13 runs - 113m @ 8.6m/run, 2 passes, 27 tackles @ 96.4%
vs Knights: 52mins, 14 runs - 112m @ 8m/run, 27 tackles @ 96.4%

Jackson Ford

vs Tigers: 65mins, 18 runs - 165m @ 9.1m/run, 1 pass, 48 tackles @ 94.1%
vs Knights: 62mins, 12 runs - 116m @ 9.6m/run, 2 passes, 30 tackles @ 90.9%

Erin Clark

vs Tigers: 58mins, 13 runs - 119m @ 9.1m/run, 17 passes, 38 tackles @ 95%
vs Knights: 60mins, 15 runs - 155m @ 10.3m/run, 10 passes, 28 tackles @ 90.3%

Adapting to Tanah Boyd at halfback

Boyd is 15-0 this year across NRL and NSW Cup so he is clearly doing something right. Boyd lacks the running game of Luke Metcalf but he is more of a classical halfback who steers the team around, with higher/longer kicks than Metcalf which suits the NZW style of grit and grind.

Boyd has a notably better goal-conversion rate than Metcalf as well, kicking at 81.8% this year to Metcalf's 68.4%. Boyd has a try assist and a forced drop out in both his wins as the NRL halfback, while doing the majority of the general play kicking.

This has impacted Chanel Harris-Tavita's mahi as Boyd's halves partner. The most notable difference is Harris-Tavita's kicking involvement as he kicked less than 100m vs Tigers and Knights, which only happened in one game this season before that. Harris-Tavita had 39 receipts in the two games with Boyd and that is at the lower end of his involvements this season, yet he had less than 40 receipts in each of the four games prior playing with Metcalf.

Same with Harris-Tavita's running mahi as 39m and 49m are at the lower end of his season antics, but he has less than 50m in consecutive games on two other occasions this season when playing alongside Metcalf. Harris-Tavita had one of his best games of the year vs Tigers and that's probably due to Tigers being a mediocre defensive team, while Knights are pretty solid. Titans are the worst of these three teams and they are the next visitors to Mt Smart...

Tigers: 456 points conceded | 25.3 per game
Knights: 356 points conceded | 19.7 per game
Titans: 503 points conceded | 29.5 per game

Tanah Boyd

vs Tigers: 55 receipts, 39 passes, 10 runs, 1 try assist, 407 kick metres, 1 forced drop out
vs Knights: 66 receipts, 44 passes, 4 runs, 1 try assist, 537 kick metres, 1 forced drop out

Chanel Harris-Tavita

vs Tigers: 39 receipts, 29 passes, 5 runs 1 try assist, 69 kick metres, 1 forced drop out
vs Knights: 39 receipts, 29 passes, 7 runs, 50 kick metres

Wayde Egan is still active from dummy half

There is a clear increase in Egan's mahi over the two Andys era (per games)...

2023: 65.9mins, 51m
2024: 67.3mins, 49m
2025: 76.1mins, 68m

This is aligned with how NZW dummy half running has developed during the two Andys era (DHR per game)...

2023: 6.4
2024: 7.16
2025: 9.3

He didn't need to be as busy vs Tigers and Egan was back into his baggy vs Knights.

vs Tigers: 5 DHR - 35m @ 7m/run
vs Knights: 9 DHR - 88m @ 9.7m/run

Egan isn't explosive around the ruck but his slow-mo style is highly effective and stacks up well against the other leading dummy half runners in the NRL. Harry Grant averages the most dummy half runs per game in the NRL but Egan has the most general play run metres per game of the leading dummy halves, while Blayke Brailey is more of an attacking spark for Sharks.

The NZW attacking system features Egan's passing craft but they don't rely on his for try assists or as the key play-maker. His mahi is all about working over middle defenders, making metres and sending crisp, accurate passes both sides of the ruck.

Here are the most dummy half runs per game in the NRL with their metres per game

Harry Grant: 6.9 DHR | 61m
Wayde Egan: 6.1 DHR | 68m
Blakye Brailey: 5.9 DHR | 50m

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Peace and love.