That's funny, I was comparing him to Crowe in my head earlier. Crowe was playing on one leg at the end, a shadow of his former self. It didn't change the fact that he was a NZ legend and deserved to go out on his terms.
Lauiti'iti is my favourite ever Warriors player, Jones 2nd. SJ's highlights...
You and I were singing from the same song sheet about RTS in his last stint on the pre-Turk version of the site. His effort, metreage, and shimmy made people blind to his limitations, and blind to the fact that all his exploits weren't actually moving the needle for the team in a way that...
I do feel for coaches a little in this age. Player agents and reporters go on a rampage when a senior player is dropped. The age of outrage.
Players that ordinarily might not feel entitled to a spot are told by all and sundry that they have been grievously wronged, and it is everyone else's...
His 2023 off season was something else. SJ was in peak condition, like he had put everything into it as one last hurrah. His lack of soft tissue injuries were probably a result of that work. I think everyone felt he was bulletproof again, and assumed that he could go on forever.
This year those...
Nah, good.
Boot stealing is hilarious, but it also dirty cheating that gives a team a massive advantage. I can remember some Warriors players having their boots hurled into the crowd a few years back that should have resulted in penalties to us rather than disadvantage - I think one caused a...
I genuinely think the general skill level of the whole competition is down. It makes the Warrior's form even more hard to take, because this competition is there to be taken by the balls right now.
Afghanistan have beaten Australia.
Both teams that NZ lost to, now in with a fair shot of being in the last 4.
The start of this comp was a real ambush for the Kiwis.
I think a few people are going to be pretty angry come Tuesday.
Webster does not strike me as a person who is going to change much week to week. He is a micro-changer, and the bottom line is he backs experience above all.
I'm a huge SJ fan
but:
Last year's tackle efficiency 91%. This year 83%. He is two missed tackles away from his season's worst since 2018. He has played 11 games this year.
Add to that a body that is troubling him.
I think he goes at the end of the season; on his terms.
I know, I am highlighting these stats for those inferring a hiding like this doesn't fall on a half because they need a platform. SJs defence was a contributing factor in this lack of a platform. 8 runs for 1 post contact metre is a crazy stat too.
TMM 21 tackles for 1 miss.
SJ is usually a...
SJ's had chronic injuries for a few years now. I think we got really lucky last year, and he was good enough to stand up and deliver. it was magic.
Body says no, as much as anything else that is happening. He'll call it, I'm sure of it.
I hope he does, because he has been such an awesome part...
Is this the first "I'm out guys" post in Webster's tenure? It is a night of milestones.
I'd be okay with SJ at 7 next week if not for his defence. He just wasn't good enough in that regard, and that is really, really concerning. TMM is a much better defender as things stand.
It was obvious...
Baby Broncos means speed, agility and a lack of structure: The Warriors Achilles heel. Just like last time we played the Baby Broncos. The likes of Walsh, Mariner and even Sailor are the types of players the Warriors can't handle right now.
It is a sad day to be a Warrior's fan. It would be...
A massive red flag on Tuesday at team naming.
Two massive red flags at the start of the game
1. letting a winger sneak in in the corner and watching him run around behind the sticks. WTF!!
2. Some of the one on one tackle misses were beyond reserve grade. U18 stuff. Walker and SJ especially...
He has been all season. We could do worse than bring him back home.
He is Brandon Smith if Smith had accepted he wasn't a 9 and turned up each week to compete and take his career seriously.