Post Match 2025 Finals Week 1 -Warriors vs Penrith [Round 28, 2025]

[FormerlyJamesW]

This is near the brightest time in the clubs history, only fools would go.

It was difficult to get excited about a season, over that 2013-2022 period.

I'm all for the bandwagon and all that, but it's difficult to think about that time and then get pissy about this years results.

Did I want it all? Yes.
Did I think we'd get it all, this year? No.
Do I think we're on the right path for getting it all? Absolutely.

We need to tweak the playing group. The rest will come.

 

[Zaggo]

It was difficult to get excited about a season, over that 2013-2022 period.

I'm all for the bandwagon and all that, but it's difficult to think about that time and then get pissy about this years results.

Did I want it all? Yes.
Did I think we'd get it all, this year? No.
Do I think we're on the right path for getting it all? Absolutely.

We need to tweak the playing group. The rest will come.

Amen bro.

I'm gutted that we lost and it's natural that we nitpick about why we fell short.

But think how many seasons we were begging for a mathematical chance to make the 8 - now we've had 2 home finals in 3 years. We are on a great trajectory.

 

[Noitall]

Panthers obviously seeing what they could get away with when they were penalised early but that really felt officiated like a normal round robin game. Disappointing score line as I don’t think it’s a true indication of the game.

It was difficult to get excited about a season, over that 2013-2022 period.

I'm all for the bandwagon and all that, but it's difficult to think about that time and then get pissy about this years results.

Did I want it all? Yes.
Did I think we'd get it all, this year? No.
Do I think we're on the right path for getting it all? Absolutely.

We need to tweak the playing group. The rest will come.

I was really excited coming into the 2019 season until the drama with SJ and 2018 turned out a great season, we recruited well. I agree largely though

 

[RustyFT]

How to we think TMM went covering lock? Is that an option for next year? Could he play a role similar to Dylan Walker while still being injury cover?

 

[Warriorsfan92]

How to we think TMM went covering lock? Is that an option for next year? Could he play a role similar to Dylan Walker while still being injury cover?

He went really well imo, but will need to add size if that’s his role moving forward to handle the contacts

 

[Noitall]

Interesting in Cleary’s presser that he says players had told him how hard Halasima is to tackle. I wonder what it is? Obviously true because players just fall off him. I was about to go apeshit when threw that pass and I quickly said to myself, pull your head in, he’s been a revelation

 

[Warriors55]

I got a bit fired up in that game and went too hard at Dallin. Apologies for this.

Overall, we did well to stay in that game and you can see that with a few personnel changes we could have won which is a positive.

 

[Zaggo]

Interesting in Cleary’s presser that he says players had told him how hard Halasima is to tackle. I wonder what it is? Obviously true because players just fall off him. I was about to go apeshit when three that pass and I quickly said to myself, pull your head in, he’s been a revelation

Not an expert but looks to be his combination of agility and power. Rather than running full speed into the defender, he often hits late footwork and shrugs them off while changing direction.

Footwork makes players so much better - look at AFB and how he used to mix it up at the line, compared to a Bunty who has 1 direction and 1 speed.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I got a bit fired up in that game and went too hard at Dallin.

Lol, no you didn't.

DWZ has been horrific, this year.

 

[Dantheman]

Proud of the boys, we punched well above our weight for most of the season before the wheels fell off with the injuries. If a couple of players get the tap on the shoulder and we can sign/develop a genuine game breaker we should go well next year.

 

[Noitall]

Not an expert but looks to be his combination of agility and power. Rather than running full speed into the defender, he often hits late footwork and shrugs them off while changing direction.

Footwork makes players so much better - look at AFB and how he used to mix it up at the line, compared to a Bunty who has 1 direction and 1 speed.

Would imagine playing a lot of tennis growing up has given him different aspects than many players too. Not a sport you hear that a lot of players have played a lot of growing up

 

[Inruin]

Primarily it would be Charnze as it was the last, DWZ was actually tracking back from being in the line.
Both very poor though.

It's 100% CNK there. RTS and DWZ were where they were supposed to be, tracking back and preventing a 20/40 opportunity. CNK should have been on the 30m. He was so out of position the ball bounced a number of times and they reclaimed it and went forward and he still wasn't in the frame. Complete brain snap. DWZ was been poor this season in a number of areas but this one I can't pin on him. By the time he would have realized CNK wasn't where he was supposed to be and then the lucky bounce for the Panthers it was too late.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

It's 100% CNK there. RTS and DWZ were where they were supposed to be, tracking back and preventing a 20/40 opportunity. CNK should have been on the 30m. He was so out of position the ball bounced a number of times and they reclaimed it and went forward and he still wasn't in the frame. Complete brain snap. DWZ was been poor this season in a number of areas but this one I can't pin on him. By the time he would have realized CNK wasn't where he was supposed to be and then the lucky bounce for the Panthers it was too late.

To me thats a case of not my job. Its everyones job to display a sense of urgency. DWZ was tracking to cover the 40/20 but he should have been watching the ball to react to something like we saw.

 

[Damo]

To me thats a case of not my job. Its everyones job to display a sense of urgency. DWZ was tracking to cover the 40/20 but he should have been watching the ball to react to something like we saw.

Its literally a fullbacks core role to catch that ball. It should have been taken on the full by CNK. Cleary wasn't kicking it anywhere near where Charnze was waiting

 

[Jeetz]

CNK never breaks the line, can’t throw a cut out pass, doesn’t have a step or speed. He’s just good for hit ups and the past two years his defence has been in decline. Anytime we go out the back to him in attack the play always just dies.

It’s time to find someone else or give Taine a shot.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Its literally a fullbacks core role to catch that ball. It should have been taken on the full by CNK. Cleary wasn't kicking it anywhere near where Charnze was waiting

Granted and thats on him for not being in position, but that can happen for multiple reasons. IMHO DWZ had an opportunity to make a play there and didnt.

 

[Tragic]

The kick that bounced, Cleary shamked it so it didnt go as far as it normally would and bounced, the problem was that both DWZ and CNK didnt react quickly, they waited back to defend it once Pentrith got to it rather than attacking the ball and competing for it. Thats a mental state, maybe exacerbated by the fact they know they are not as quick as the Penrith runners. A quick player who believed in himself would have seen that falling in no mans land and attacked it seeing an opportunity as well as a threat.

 

[Wrighty]

Having watched it again (because I'm a sucker for punishment)

I'm even more perplexed at wtf CNK was doing for 'that kick'

Cleary kicks on his 20m, CNK is on our 20m. It makes no sense whatsoever.

60m back?!?? In a swirling wind. DWZ & RTS are covering the 20/40.

Just really odd positioning for him. He had a shocker.

I was really cross with CNK when it happened. He is very experienced and we picked him over Tuapiki precisely because we thought XNK would make safe good experienced decisions. I hope Webster picked up on this moment.

However despite the loss still a warm glow from the match. I was proud of all of them including CNK. Big Shout at to Marata who had his best game as a warrior. He made dominant runs on his edge and was causing havoc.

Boyd's goal kicking under immense pressure stood up. None of those kicks were easy. CHT played with good poise for someone playing his first play off game.

 

[John Nick]

I was really cross with CNK when it happened. He is very experienced and we picked him over Tuapiki precisely because we thought XNK would make safe good experienced decisions. I hope Webster picked up on this moment.

However despite the loss still a warm glow from the match. I was proud of all of them including CNK. Big Shout at to Marata who had his best game as a warrior. He made dominant runs on his edge and was causing havoc.

Boyd's goal kicking under immense pressure stood up. None of those kicks were easy. CHT played with good poise for someone playing his first play off game.

Loved the effort for sure but the result came as no great surprise

 

[Canadian_Warriors_Fan]