Pick Your Team Warriors vs Penrith [Finals , Week 1 2025]

[sup42]

Probably is our only option but Capewell to centre is as conservative a move as it gets, and id also argue a spine containing CHT and CNK doesnt really scream a team thats ever aiming to go "all out attack",
I mean id love if we possessed the players where we could play the expansive game and have points of attack all over the park.....but we simply dont.

Definitely going to be the unpopular view but imo our best chance (as it is in any team) is to play to our strenghts.....which means playing the most boring grindiest game we can......but it has to be the near perfect game in the areas we've let ourselves down lately
- needing probably a 90% completion rate
- fixing our discipline so were not giving away the constant piggy back penalties
- winning the territory battle

For me these areas are far more achievable given the make up of our squad (albeit a massive improvement will still be needed....and even then it may not be enough) as opposed to this near mythical belief that we can play like we have Reece Walsh, Farnsworth, Hammer like qualities in our line up.

As everyone is saying, nothing to lose. So why not try to be perfect in the areas we've been trying to be perfect all season. As i said tho, it'll be the unpopular version and id imagine Webby will get stick regardless what philosiphy he runs with and we lose..

The Kiwis have to do the same job the Warriors face to stand a chance against the Roos, they have to defeat vastly superior men in almost every position.

And using the Kiwis as a predictor of how to beat Penrith, what the Warriors need to do is keep the Panthers to 12 and under by half time. And in the second half play for a defensive shut out.

The Panthers will not let us score many points because we are too easy to contain. We cannot chase them on the score board, we can only stop them at 12 and under and play for some improbable Try's off things like Panthers mistakes on their line or us fluking a Try off a kick etc.

Pretty much Webster ball and Webster ball players are our only hope. Not NSW cup playerss.

If people think Sio Kali or 'Jetthan' Cleary are going to somehow trouble the Panthers defence.....don't make me die laughing puhleeeze......

 

[kos]

The Kiwis have to do the same job the Warriors face to stand a chance against the Roos, they have to defeat vastly superior men in almost every position.

And using the Kiwis as a predictor of how to beat Penrith, what the Warriors need to do is keep the Panthers to 12 and under by half time. And in the second half play for a defensive shut out.

The Panthers will not let us score many points because we are too easy to contain. We cannot chase them on the score board, we can only stop them at 12 and under and play for some improbable Try's off things like Panthers mistakes on their line or us fluking a Try off a kick etc.

Pretty much Webster ball and Webster ball players are our only hope. Not NSW cup playerss.

If people think Sio Kali or 'Jetthan' Cleary are going to somehow trouble the Panthers defence.....don't make me die laughing puhleeeze......

And the NSW cup team has a finals game to play too.
Agree with you on Cleary and Kali -but Kali gotta be given a run in 26 in fg

 

[Warriors55]

I think the team that Webby will select is

CNK
DWZ
Capewell
Pompey
RTS
CHT
Boyd
JFH
Egan
Ford
Halasima
Niukore
Clarke

TMM
Vaimauga
Laban
EIT

Will that team win. Probably not.

What team would I go with

TT (only because I don't want capewell at centre or have to move Leka from his preferred position. If Rocco was playing I would keep CNK at fullback).
DWZ...... sigh
CNK
Pompey
RTS
CHT
Boyd
JFH
Egan
Ford (you could make a case for Niukore instead)
Capewell
Halasima
Clarke

Healey
Vaimauga
EIT/Niukore/Ford
Laban

Will that team win. Probably not. I don't think it matters what team we go with but I am hoping for a miracle or two or three over the next few weeks.

I don't think we need TMM on the bench. We take the risk that a half or back doesn't go down. Having 2 specialist hookers in the 17 with a clever rotation strategy will benefit us more I think. Give Healey the last 30 minutes with the game hopefully close and see what he can spark. If we are chasing points Healey is going to give us the best chance to do that. If the game is a grind and we are ahead we can give Egan more minutes. Potentially we could even bring Healey on 10 minutes before half time and leave him out there for 20 minutes in the second half and then bring Egan back with 20 to go to close out the game depending how many subs we have left.

 

[Inruin]

I said it earlier, we simply aren't going to out grind them. We will struggle to do that

Take the game to them. Defend as strongly as we can, then run hard and straight with support players and let TMM, TT and Healy try and break open the Panthers defense. It's all or nothing.


View: https://youtu.be/aT-SumVTOoA?si=Tt0PZOwYjk04Jtcz

 

[1995warriorsfan]

 

[Dannevegas]

View attachment 14387

This guys quickly becoming the biggest myth. Yes he has 4 premierships, but put Jacko Ford in that panthers side instead of fish, he’d have 4 rings as well.
His biggest highlight for us was his pukana the other week.

 

[Wrighty]

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Sends a shot up my spine

0h captain my captain

 

[1995warriorsfan]

This guys quickly becoming the biggest myth. Yes he has 4 premierships, but put Jacko Ford in that panthers side instead of fish, he’d have 4 rings as well.
His biggest highlight for us was his pukana the other week.

I disagree and so does chatgpt.

Tackles: At the Warriors he’s averaging around 34 tackles a game, compared to about 31 a game at Penrith. That’s actually an increase in defensive work.

Tackle Rate: His tackle efficiency has hit a new career best at 24.6%, higher than the 22.0% he managed at Penrith.

Running Metres: His running numbers are slightly down, 116 metres a game this year versus roughly 123 at Penrith, but still strong and well above average for a prop.

Tries/Attack: He’s scored 2 tries in 18 games, which is pretty much what he’s always done – usually 2 to 4 a season. Add in 26 tackle breaks and 5 offloads, and he’s still contributing with the ball.

Consistency: In total he’s already chalked up more than 2,000 running metres and over 600 tackles this year, plus averaging 45 fantasy points a game. Those are solid, workmanlike numbers that match his career standards.

The reality is he’s still delivering what he always has. He might not look as dominant without Penrith’s pack around him, but on an individual level his 2025 stats are right in line with his past seasons. The perception that he’s been “poor” for the Warriors is more about the team’s overall platform than his own output.

 

[Inruin]

View attachment 14387

It's not that no one respects us. It's that our performances over the last 8-10 games hasn't warranted any confidence that we will perform. Hopefully we can get up for a single game and then go again but our form would suggest it's more unlikely than likely.

 

[WHB]

Whoever is named.

Our team is already written off.

We were meant to nose dive out of the 8 when Barney and Metcalf were out for the season.

Performances haven't set the world on fire.

Yet your still here at the end of the day brothers,finals footy in your sights.

Thank you for the ride!!! no matter what the result.

Hit the switch,change the script.
Play like its your last.
You can do it!!!

 

[WAH MAN]

We have no logical reason to beat them. Every advantage we could have is gone except underdog status.

We are in the top 8 which is positive and a good marker given our position on the ladder.

Embrace the underdog status and see the opportunity ahead. Challenge = opportunity = Penrith.

We can actually win this game. Of that I am confident. Form disagrees. But if we lose I'll wear it..and if we win. It will be a choice buzz.

 

[John Nick]

We have no logical reason to beat them. Every advantage we could have is gone except underdog status.

We are in the top 8 which is positive and a good marker given our position on the ladder.

Embrace the underdog status and see the opportunity ahead. Challenge = opportunity = Penrith.

We can actually win this game. Of that I am confident. Form disagrees. But if we lose I'll wear it..and if we win. It will be a choice buzz.

Yes mate Unlikely as it seems no sense in giving up. Grind them with up in their face defence and hold them out and hope to get over them late when under fatigue cos we are never going to go through them or around them with our pedestrian attack wide out

 

[Warriors55]

I think the team that Webby will select is

CNK
DWZ
Capewell
Pompey
RTS
CHT
Boyd
JFH
Egan
Ford
Halasima
Niukore
Clarke

TMM
Vaimauga
Laban
EIT

Will that team win. Probably not.

What team would I go with

TT (only because I don't want capewell at centre or have to move Leka from his preferred position. If Rocco was playing I would keep CNK at fullback).
DWZ...... sigh
CNK
Pompey
RTS
CHT
Boyd
JFH
Egan
Ford (you could make a case for Niukore instead)
Capewell
Halasima
Clarke

Healey
Vaimauga
EIT/Niukore/Ford
Laban

Will that team win. Probably not. I don't think it matters what team we go with but I am hoping for a miracle or two or three over the next few weeks.

I don't think we need TMM on the bench. We take the risk that a half or back doesn't go down. Having 2 specialist hookers in the 17 with a clever rotation strategy will benefit us more I think. Give Healey the last 30 minutes with the game hopefully close and see what he can spark. If we are chasing points Healey is going to give us the best chance to do that. If the game is a grind and we are ahead we can give Egan more minutes. Potentially we could even bring Healey on 10 minutes before half time and leave him out there for 20 minutes in the second half and then bring Egan back with 20 to go to close out the game depending how many subs we have left.

Just having a look at that team, if you were to put Metcalf in at 7 all of a sudden the team actually looks dangerous.

You see CHT and Boyd and you think it's a bit mediocre and our backs look mediocre. You see CHT and Metcalf and our halves start looking elite and all of a sudden our backs seem more dangerous because they are not having to create as much and can just play a role.

You put Rocco and Barnett back in as well and we are a genuine premiership contender.

It's fine margins in this competition and it shows how important a creative half is to a teams chances. Looks at the Eels with Moses back.

 

[CWC]

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Is this the Penrith way of strawman trash talking to create the us vs the world mentality for the finals?

I’ve got another - Jett’s been scouting our props, let’s take it to Ivan and show him who’s the boss!

 

[Playdaball]

Apart from Ford coming in and accounting for injuries, coach Webster will not make any changes

 

[Dannevegas]

Apart from Ford coming in and accounting for injuries, coach Webster will not make any changes

Awesome. No Egan then

 

[The Warrior Waka]

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No one gives us hope, Not even the fans! Your performances have been abysmal James! What do you expect?!

But after every loss. At the end of the week, When we've moaned away our disappointment. There is always that little hope deep in our gut , That we know a performance of the year is just around the corner.

We don't have a team of superstars. We just need to be a team united that plays for eachother and trusts in each individual.

Fuck what has happened the past 6 weeks. This is the business end of the season, And we have made the play-offs. That's all that matters. Just give us your all, That's all we ask of you. Make us proud boys.

 

[John Nick]

No one gives us hope, Not even the fans! Your performances have been abysmal James! What do you expect?!

But after every loss. At the end of the week, When we've moaned away our disappointment. There is always that little hope deep in our gut , That we know a performance of the year is just around the corner.

We don't have a team of superstars. We just need to be a team united that plays for eachother and trusts in each individual.

Fuck what has happened the past 6 weeks. This is the business end of the season, And we have made the play-offs. That's all that matters. Just give us your all, That's all we ask of you. Make us proud boys.

Yea lets show some ticker. Some kients have already thrown in the towel.

 

[Noitall]

Yea lets show some ticker. Some kients have already thrown in the towel.

I like this match up more than the roosters. If we can match the lift in intensity that’s going to come, I think it will bode well for us. We’ve been a physical team in our defence and usually in these stages a bit more is let go to create a spectacle. I think we’ve got it in us to shock people here but I think that will be our grand final. I could see us getting over bulldogs if we met them but rest of the top 4 likely not

 

[CWC]

Yup we will have to play at 110% while panthers tries to pace their GF run