Post Match NZ Warriors v Melbourne Storm - [Round 6, 2026]

The Warrior Waka · Apr 12, 2026

Inruin said:
Injuries definitely a part of it. Eli and Kamikamica big losses in rhe pack.

I think the big one that is missing is Paps at fullback.

They didn't look like they had their usual bag of set trick plays either.

Paps & Coates. They set up a lot of last plays that involve coates. Either bombs or set plays. Hes a freak and somehow finds a way to score. Plus he makes a shit load of metres for them. Having Katoa set up on his side helps.
At least they get Coates back soon.

Assyrian-Warrior · Apr 13, 2026

Cces said:
Logistically how would that have worked? Would Healey not have played or would we have run one less forward?
I see Webster as having had 2 options. One was to bring Metcalf straight back in (under minimal pressure to win because of our 4 & 0 start) or to bring him back via Cup. In hindsight he chose the wrong one but I don't see how a third option of drip feeding him minutes, in a position that he didn't play once in 2025, at the expense of a hooker or a forward was one

He just came back from acl! I don’t care about “logistically” traditionally players that come back from that kind of injury they get eased in.

sydneywarrior92 · Apr 13, 2026

One can never watch this game enough times. Truly glorious stuff working out to this at the gym all weekend.

If there was one downside though (and this is being really picky), it's that we did leave pts on the table in the second half. I do think we kind of put the queue in the rack in the second half as we had enough chances to put the half century on the scum. But it was almost like we were happy to give them the ball so that we could bash them into oblivion. 12 years of pain, anger, humiliation and heartbreak rolled into one 20 minute bash session.

Still think it's too early to dance on the grave of the scum though. They still have the best spine in the comp. They'll be back in a couple of weeks imo.

j_p · Apr 13, 2026

This comment on a video gave me a chuckle. Was pretty accurate.

warriors got to 24pts ahead and said let's just put some hits on for the last 30 minutes lol

sup42 · Apr 13, 2026

WAH MAN said:
View: https://youtu.be/jcz7FlxFhnI?si=Jz_400JvaFttia0p

I don't much care if this has been said but watching from 8min 30sec in you will see:

Leka nails Hughes.
Chitty nails King.
Roger nails War Brick.
Demi nails Clarke.

I am happy.

*Edit. I forgot.

Fish eats Munster alive.

A lot of neutrals across the NRL loved that game.

So many comments on media platforms about how delighted people were to see a team could still play 90's era rugby league with the smash.

That is how you build a brand and a support base. Do something different, bring back something old, almost forgotten in this sterile environment of slick over production and Vegas tournaments.

It is the NZ way. Big hits. The Kiwis are bringing it back too.

Andrew Webster is on to something special here. The ball movement is creeping back in NZ baller style, the shots 'on Francis' Meli, Awen, Guttenbiel style.

I know Webster and the players keep banging on about our style being one of "Going after them with our defence" (Tanah mentioned it in recent weeks, JFH said it defensively (no pun intended) to a reporter in the post Storm presser "That is just how we play, we always go after them" - but the reporter could have easily retorted 'why didn't you go after them last week?' and that would have been fair - the point I want to make it that in that second half we really did 'go after them'.

sup42 · Apr 13, 2026

Noitall said:
You can see Demitric genuinely loves the physicality and a future captain the way he speaks, seems a hard case too. Poor old Laban seems to attract shit with Horsbrough clocking him and Utoikamanu deciding to go for him. I think Laban had Utoikamanu’s jersey dragging him out of the scuffle initially and Utoikamanu went looking for him amid the kerfuffle

Yeah Clark was the one who rag dolled Utoikamanu out of the mele when he spun on Laban.

Gives me ptsd watching Laban get singled out, like true story, I was Laban for decades, I used to stoop my shoulders and round my back to try to look less - well less like a hit me first Laban face lol.

I hope Laban has a good counsellor he talks to, that unlucky guy always being picked on stuff really affects you, hell I am an old man still affected by it and I haven't had a fight in nine years now.

sydneywarrior92 · Apr 13, 2026

I remember back in the Anderson days, there was that stat that teams would always lose the week after playing us. They were that sore from the physical battering we gave them that they basically had to concede the next game. Hope those days are coming back.

sup42 said:
A lot of neutrals across the NRL loved that game.

So many comments on media platforms about how delighted people were to see a team could still play 90's era rugby league with the smash.

That is how you build a brand and a support base. Do something different, bring back something old, almost forgotten in this sterile environment of slick over production and Vegas tournaments.

It is the NZ way. Big hits. The Kiwis are bringing it back too.

Andrew Webster is on to something special here. The ball movement is creeping back in NZ baller style, the shots 'on Francis' Meli, Awen, Guttenbiel style.

I know Webster and the players keep banging on about our style being one of "Going after them with our defence" (Tanah mentioned it in recent weeks, JFH said it defensively (no pun intended) to a reporter in the post Storm presser "That is just how we play, we always go after them" - but the reporter could have easily retorted 'why didn't you go after them last week?' and that would have been fair - the point I want to make it that in that second half we really did 'go after them'.

BangBro's (still banging) · Apr 13, 2026

Inruin said:
LM had the preseason last year and our pack was dominant for majority of games. Our attack was clunky for a huge percentage of the time. The results masked the underlying issues a fair amount.

This time last season we had 3 wins, 2 losses, bye 98 for, 118 against. This year 4 wins 2 losses, 194 for, 118 against - our attack has improved significantly and defence slightly which is exactly what we needed from last season

I was not on the Boyd train at all at the beginning of this season but I can't remember a warriors side being this dominant in a group of wins. Our wins are averaging around 40 for and 18 against or something like that.

CHT interview after the game- 'we stayed connected'

Our two losses we looked very disconnected.

Boyd is going to have some average games but he is a true 7 and his organizing of the team is very good.

Boyd and CHT need to be the halves combo until form and results require a change. Unfortunately i fear Cuddle s has shown his hand already.

Need to be #ruthless

#CHocolaTe_chip_cookies_not_raisins

I agree 100 percent! We have shown Metcalf great faith and he's not returning the favor. Im sorry Metcalf but you must put the team first and get in line.

BangBro's (still banging) · Apr 13, 2026

Noitall said:
36K views · 1.5K reactions | Melbourne Storm your nothing 😂😂 THANK YOU WEBBY ❤️💚💙 | Peter T-power

Melbourne Storm your nothing 😂😂 THANK YOU WEBBY ❤️💚💙

www.facebook.com

This anyone on here?

Boot it on mother fuckers!!!!

fucken love this guy!

WAH MAN · Apr 13, 2026

Fish

BangBro's (still banging) said:
I agree 100 percent! We have shown Metcalf great faith and he's not returning the favor. Im sorry Metcalf but you must put the team first and get in line.

I disagree for now. This long season is still months to go. It will take a fit and in form and properly minded Metcalf to get us as far as we can go as a collective. I think though we are not absolutely dependent on only him anymore. Nice aye?

FormerlyJamesW · Apr 13, 2026

WAH MAN said:
I disagree for now. This long season is still months to go. It will take a fit and in form and properly minded Metcalf to get us as far as we can go as a collective.

I agree that it clearly isn't an issue with him being dedicated to the cause.

We gain alot if we can get him operating well.

CHT has to be in that 6 spot. His defense is brutal.

So we're basically forced with him being the 7/super sub, right? It's early days, but whatever reason, our attack looks clean under Boyd. If it looks better under Metcalf, you could be right.

But the injury history of Metcalf... holy moly. That's something to be frightened of.

BangBro's (still banging) · Apr 13, 2026

WAH MAN said:
Fish

I disagree for now. This long season is still months to go. It will take a fit and in form and properly minded Metcalf to get us as far as we can go as a collective. I think though we are not absolutely dependent on only him anymore. Nice aye?

It is nice! I just want the club to go in Boyds Direction more. Weather it's CHT or Metcalf at 6 I don't care. To me though, it's not metcalfs team anymore.

Cces · Apr 13, 2026

Assyrian-Warrior said:
He just came back from acl! I don’t care about “logistically” traditionally players that come back from that kind of injury they get eased in.

Halves don't tend to get drip feed minutes on their return to the NRL. That does occur in reserve grade though. Just use your words & explain whether Metcalf off the bench, on his return, would be at the expense of Healey or a forward rather than getting defensive?

3rdstriker · Apr 13, 2026

FormerlyJamesW said:
I agree that it clearly isn't an issue with him being dedicated to the cause.

We gain alot if we can get him operating well.

CHT has to be in that 6 spot. His defense is brutal.

So we're basically forced with him being the 7/super sub, right? It's early days, but whatever reason, our attack looks clean under Boyd. If it looks better under Metcalf, you could be right.

But the injury history of Metcalf... holy moly. That's something to be frightened of.

Cht has to be one of the most inform and underrated 6s out there.
He's a must have in our team, he just complements Tanah's lead and Jfh D alike.

Brightman · Apr 13, 2026

WAH MAN said:
Stefano's mouth got him in trouble and he never backed it up

I wouldn't discount him so quickly, he's not a natural enforcer and early in his career had a similar demeanor to Laban but is growing into a senior and origin prop.
Unfortunately for him the Storm pack is sliding while ours is climbing, so like the US he's lashed out..

Noitall · Apr 13, 2026

3rdstriker said:
Cht has to be one of the most inform and underrated 6s out there.
He's a must have in our team, he just complements Tanah's lead and Jfh D alike.

I think it was round 4 or 5 and CHT hadn’t played 1 or 2 games this season and nrl still had him as the 3rd top performing five eighths of the comp

Noitall · Apr 13, 2026

View: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GqnBREGyM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Brightman · Apr 13, 2026

Thought TT was quite the ball hog and the bombed try to get DWZ a hat trick exemplified this although he still had a good game with great effort.
However, perhaps Metcalf needs to be managed back into the team as a super sub. He can play in the halves and fullback, wing and at a pinch at centre.

Metcalf probably has as much experience at fullback as TT..

Hitro · Apr 13, 2026

Noitall said:
I think it was round 4 or 5 and CHT hadn’t played 1 or 2 games this season and nrl still had him as the 3rd top performing five eighths of the comp

And off contract! Lock him up!

Sammyw · Apr 13, 2026

metcalf drip fed off the bench just doesnt really work, egan doesnt go for 80 so if we drop healey off and its metcalf on the bench that involves shuffling the spine during the game which is never good. if the theory is to put him at 18 or 19, that means we save an interchange in the event we can give him small minutes late which doesnt work either. imo, either thrust him in at 7 or he gets runs on the board in cup. my preference at the moment is the cup route, but take it one week at a time. by the time he is fit again our makeup could look totally different.