I've already said that I don't see us making the 8 this year, but the team has to bring the right attitude against the Raiders and replicate what they produced against the Dogs. hey, we did it against all odds and we all know that the Raiders are a very similar grinding outfit.
If we can surprise them and get one over them at a venue where we do have some success, then we do take momentum into what should and has to be wins against the Tigers and Eels at home.
The next block is a trip to Suncorp where we had success against the Panthers and likely to have a strong backing from the local Kiwis in Brisbane. Get that one done and maybe, we take the loss against Manly who will probably be the biggest threat for me away too.
Against Manly, I feel that this will also be the period we
Andrew Webster will have to make a call on what he does with
Shaun Johnson. The timing of a potential return here would have one positive which is his experience in crunch situations.
Eagles, Dogs and Sharks is where a
Shaun Johnson maybe needed.
The last round bye is an interesting one. Clearly the NRL saw a Warriors resurgence and expected them to be playing finals footy in 2024. Giving them the last round bye would mean that they can go into the finals fresh. They are the only team with a bye in Round 27.
At this stage Round 27 is looking like an early finish to their regular season, however, could work wonders if they did manage to make the finals.