After their frustrating loss to the Knights, the Warriors remained across the ditch to face the Sydney Roosters. After a barnstorming 20 minutes, the Roosters held a dominant lead and, despite getting a few wobbles in the second half, held it together to hand the Warriors their fourth loss in a row, 38-18.
What Went Down
It only took the Roosters 3 minutes to kick off the scoring in this match; after Luke Keary charged down a Shaun Johnson kick, the Roosters made it look easy after a few steadying hit-ups before shifting right for Dominic Young to cross in the corner untouched. Young was heavily involved again on the next set, breaking the Warrior's defensive line before Angus Crichton finished off the drive by diving over the line. The Warriors made an error on their next set, which saw the Roosters score another easy try through Young of a scrum set play. The Pain for the Warriors wasnt over just yet as Crichton crossed for his second try on the next set to see the Roosters hold a dominant 22-0 lead after only 14 minutes. The Warriors managed to stop the floodgates and started to trade sets with the Roosters but struggled to get out of their own half, with only three sets being in the Roosters' red zone, with two ending with a 5th tackle crash ball and one ending with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak knocking on a Johnson grubber. The Warriors looked to have finished the first half on a positive note after getting good field possession due to a Roosters error when Johnson crossed to score. However, the Bunker denied the try because Jackson Ford took out a defender while running his line. The Roosters surged down the field on the back of a Rocco Berry stripping penalty and looked to have given Crichton a first half hattrick, but the Bunker ruled a knock-on in the play, which saw the score remain 22-0 as the sides went into the sheds.
The Warriors looked to start the second half on a positive note, but that quickly changed when Mitchell Barnett dropped a Johnson pass, which was scooped up by Sam Walker. This sent Young down the field, who was only stopped by a tremendous defensive effort from DWZ. However, it was only a slight reprieve as Walker put up a crossfield kick to an open Daniel Tupou for their fifth try of the afternoon. The Warriors finally got themselves on the scoreboard a few minutes later when Johnson threw a harbour bridge pass to Ed Kosi, who dived over in the corner. The Roosters quickly took back control a few sets later when James Tedesco scored after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii broke the line and sent his skipper across. The home side let their standards slip by giving away back-to-back silly penalties, which saw the Warriors get some decent time in their red zone and eventually find some rewards when Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad crashed over for the Warrior's second try. Johnson exited the game early after injuring his pec in the first half, and not long after, the Roosters looked to have scored again when Suaalii crossed, but the Bunker denied it due to an obstruction. After being gifted a few penalties and a timely six again, the Warriors reset and scored again when Addin Fonua-Blake barged over in the 68th minute. The game settled into a grind for a few sets before the Roosters added another try to their tally when they put up a chip kick before Walker scooped it up to score. With time running out, the Warriors had one more chance to score, but Barnett dropped the pass in the match's final play as the Roosters ended the deserved winners 38-18.
My Thoughts
Well, for the first time this season, I got my score prediction right after saying the Warriors would lose by 20. However, this was not the prediction I was hoping to get right.
I had slim hopes of an upset before kickoff, but they were well and truly dashed after the first 12 minutes. The Warriors continued their trend of collapsing after adversity, which in this match was the Keary charge down; after that, the floodgates opened, and it took some time for them to slow down the onslaught. They showed slight improvements in the second half, but by then, it was too little too late, as the match was already over. It was a brutal watch, with the Warriors looking very amateur at stages and then lacking the confidence and ability to get themselves out of the hole they got in. I'm still lost for words about what has happened to this side. Is it the injuries, is it fatigue, is the team just simply not good enough, or is it a combination of all of the above?
There is a long way to go this season, and with some tough matches on the horizon, the pain is far from over. The club has a lot of work to do to turn things around, but I just don't know if they will be able to.
Once again, there wasnt much to smile about this week, but I found one, which brings me to my positive.
In Round 11, The Warriors remain in Australia, heading to Magic Round to face the Penrith Panthers, who defeated the Bulldogs 16-10 in Round 10.
Match Positive
I thought the Warriors showed improvement in the final 60 minutes; as I already said, it was too little too late, but they improved the defensive structure, which forced the Roosters to make some errors, which, in turn, allowed the Warriors to get some good field position and while the attack was rusty with several sets ending with crash ball attempts on the last tackle but right now that is pretty much the only play the Warriors have and eventually the Roosters defence let them through. If they had started in the way they performed in the second half, then they may have made a game out of this. It may just be the desperate optimist in me, but I hope they see this as the kick in the pants they need to wake up and start improving.
However, I did have plenty of concerns, which brings me to my negatives from the game.
Match Negatives
That last 60 minutes may have been an improvement, but the first 20 minutes were embarrassing; it looked like a New South Wales Cup side attempting to play first grade. The defence was in tatters, and the Warriors struggled to get anything going with the ball in hand, with schoolboy errors letting the Roosters off the hook. It doesn't matter who you face in the NRL. If you start a match as poorly as they did here, you will get punished, which is precisely what we witnessed, and fingers crossed, it's the last time.
Just as they get closer to getting some troops back, it looks like the Warriors have added to their casualty ward with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck being ruled out before kickoff, Shaun Johnson hurting his pec, Freddy Lussick being knocked into next week, and Dylan Walker looking worse for wear by the time they blew the final whistle. Now, while the team may be struggling to deliver on the pitch. They have not been helped with the number of injuries they have had this season. I'm not making excuses for them, but I want to see if this side will show improvement once everyone is fit and healthy.
Lastly, once again, Webster bench rotation; against a big, dangerous pack like the Roosters, the Warriors needed fresh legs in the middle to stay in the fight, and instead, Webby pushed his middles to play long stretches (besides Bunty Afoa who only got 17 minutes), which saw them struggle to contain the Roosters. When Tevaga and Ale joined the match in the second half, there was a visible lift in the team's energy, and if one of them had been brought on around the 20-30-minute mark, they could have made a difference. Again, it may just be the optimist in me clinging to anything positive, but I think a few smarter rotation options would help the Warriors out.
Warrior of the Match
My Warrior of the Match goes to Addin Fonua-Blake.
I may have to name this section after AFB with his fourth selection in a row, but once again, he was over of a select few players that could hold their heads high. He led the Warriors with 171 running metres, including 71 post-contact metres. He also had a line break and a try, his fifth for the season. He is going to be a massive loss, and it's just a shame that his teammates are not performing to send him out on a high.
Warrior to Improve
My Player to improve is Freddy Lussick.
He was curiously moved into the starting lineup and given 20 minutes in his first game back after his suspension. He really struggled against the Rooster's middles, missing a team-high 6 tackles (tied with Shaun Johnson), showed some issues with his passes out of the ruck and failed to stamp his mark on the contest. Did return to the match in the second half but lasted less than a minute after coming over second-best in a tackle. He would be better suited to come into the match against tired middles, but he may need a few reserve-grade games to get back into the groove.
Next Round Thoughts and Prediction
Regarding the team I would pick, I would keep the backs together. I thought Pompey and Kosi would start to get into the groove in the second half, so I would give them another shot. In the halves, we don't know how bad Johnson's pec is, but I would sit him out to get healthy; Webster said that Chanel Harris-Tavita may be ready to go, so if he is ready I would bring him in; if not then I would give Taine Tuaupiki a chance since he has been doing the lion share of the kicking duties in NSW Cup. In the pack, I would move Barnett back to the middle and either move Jacob Laban to Jazz Tevaga to the second row. With my bench, I would have Dylan Walker (if fit), Tom Ale, Zyon Maiu'u and Bunty Afoa.
The Panthers will be without Nathan Cleary, but as we have already seen this season, the Panthers know how to perform without him, so this will be another tough match for the Warriors. The Warriors must start better and keep that Panthers pack from getting a roll on. It will be a tough ask, but if the Warriors improve their defence and play some positive football with the ball in hand, then they have a fighter's chance of walking away with a win. I just don't see it happening, so I'm going with a Panthers win by 12.
So, that was a disappointing Round 10, but as usual, I will leave you with some questions.
What would your gameday 17 be?
Would you rest SJ?
Have you ruled out the Warrior's final chances?
What is your score prediction against the Panthers?
This post first appeared on Nz Warriors 2017 Season Preview : Above The Line - The Kearney Era Begins, please read the originial post: here
