Post Match NZ Warriors v Newcastle Knights - [Round 3, 2026]

[Canonball]

Guessing the bits before and after aren't just noise?

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Obviously the main bit is as you posted.....that bit sticks in your head too......

Smashing those pepsi cans together is iconic

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Not a bad post for someone who just started following rugby league

Lowkey think that @Wrighty might know his stuff.

 

[Canonball]

Wrighty's review - 7 observations this week.

1) Is it a bird, it is a plane? No in an even rarer sight than spotting Superman I spotted Ali doing one percenters in this game. At first I shook my head and dismissed it but it kept happening throughout the game. Decoy runs, useful cover defence, generally scrambling around. He just might have a future in the NRL. We all know he can score tries but he looked like a 360 degree player in this match. Let's see if he can do it again next week before I conclude he has turned over a new leaf.
2) Jackson Ford has conceded one penalty and 3 six again offences over the first 3 games. What remarkable discipline given the volume of minutes he has played.
3) Our edge defence has improved. I am not going to say how on the open Internet as I don't want to give the Warriors IP to opposition analysts.
4) Well done to Wizards and all the posters who had the Kahuna's to say we would comfortably beat the Knights. You were right !! And perhaps Wizards was right about the reason they didn't chance Sharpe. Maybe they figured the Warriors of 2026 were too good for him to make a difference. Certainly in past years star players miraculously recovered just in time to play the Warriors.
5) My complaint about the match is that after Trey Mooney took a run at Tannah Boyd we got into handbags with them. That was not enough of a reaction from the Warriors enforcers as far as I am concerned. If you watch the replay Mooney really tried a cheap shot take out hit on Boyd that could have knocked him unconscious as he aimed to nail him with an illegal shoulder charge. We should have thrown hands/fists at Mooney for that and taken a suspension ourselves. We need to draw a line in the sand and protect our halves from people taking runs at them. Who cares if you get banned for a game. As coach I would be addressing this behind closed doors. NO ONE should get away with taking a run at Boyd or Metcalf or CHT period.
6) The next observation is just my take. So cool your jets if you watched the game and simply didn't see this. You are allowed to have your view, I am just typing up my view. Feel free to ignore therefore. The warriors in 2026 have radically changed their tackle technique. In past years circa 2020 and 2021 and 2019 we used to do big hits. And bone crunching tackles. And sometimes we would tackle someone and frogmarch them 10 metres back. These big hits didn't really get us anywhere as we would finish 10th or 14th overall in the standings but in all likelihood we were the biggest bone jarring tackling team in the league. For whatever that was worth. In this game vs the Knights it really looked like we just wanted to bring the Knight player safely to the ground rather than splitting him in two with a big hit. We almost carefully and almost gently were wrestling the opposition to the ground. However we were also surgical about it as we left the tackled player invariably on his back so he absolutely couldn't do a quick PTB. 2026 more effective tackling but less spectacular.
7) Tannah Boyd is second only to Cleary on form for halfbacks in the NRL at the moment.

the control in the tackle and the ruck is the biggest stand out for me - it's not new though: what we seeing now is the result of really concentrating on the fundamentals of speed in the ruck/wrestle, which started when we engaged kai kara-france as a coach. It's looking amazing now but as an evolution rather than an immediate change - part of a long term strategy which is now bearing fruit - means that we're probably 2-3 years ahead of the curve of most teams who are likely to notice and adopt similar tactics -- one of those things in this game, skills on the otherside of the ball aren't so much as ignored as they are much more difficult to integrate as habits, takes longer than attack side adjustments imo

 

[Garry Saloon]

Wrighty's review - 7 observations this week.

1) Is it a bird, it is a plane? No in an even rarer sight than spotting Superman I spotted Ali doing one percenters in this game. At first I shook my head and dismissed it but it kept happening throughout the game. Decoy runs, useful cover defence, generally scrambling around. He just might have a future in the NRL. We all know he can score tries but he looked like a 360 degree player in this match. Let's see if he can do it again next week before I conclude he has turned over a new leaf.
2) Jackson Ford has conceded one penalty and 3 six again offences over the first 3 games. What remarkable discipline given the volume of minutes he has played.
3) Our edge defence has improved. I am not going to say how on the open Internet as I don't want to give the Warriors IP to opposition analysts.
4) Well done to Wizards and all the posters who had the Kahuna's to say we would comfortably beat the Knights. You were right !! And perhaps Wizards was right about the reason they didn't chance Sharpe. Maybe they figured the Warriors of 2026 were too good for him to make a difference. Certainly in past years star players miraculously recovered just in time to play the Warriors.
5) My complaint about the match is that after Trey Mooney took a run at Tannah Boyd we got into handbags with them. That was not enough of a reaction from the Warriors enforcers as far as I am concerned. If you watch the replay Mooney really tried a cheap shot take out hit on Boyd that could have knocked him unconscious as he aimed to nail him with an illegal shoulder charge. We should have thrown hands/fists at Mooney for that and taken a suspension ourselves. We need to draw a line in the sand and protect our halves from people taking runs at them. Who cares if you get banned for a game. As coach I would be addressing this behind closed doors. NO ONE should get away with taking a run at Boyd or Metcalf or CHT period.
6) The next observation is just my take. So cool your jets if you watched the game and simply didn't see this. You are allowed to have your view, I am just typing up my view. Feel free to ignore therefore. The warriors in 2026 have radically changed their tackle technique. In past years circa 2020 and 2021 and 2019 we used to do big hits. And bone crunching tackles. And sometimes we would tackle someone and frogmarch them 10 metres back. These big hits didn't really get us anywhere as we would finish 10th or 14th overall in the standings but in all likelihood we were the biggest bone jarring tackling team in the league. For whatever that was worth. In this game vs the Knights it really looked like we just wanted to bring the Knight player safely to the ground rather than splitting him in two with a big hit. We almost carefully and almost gently were wrestling the opposition to the ground. However we were also surgical about it as we left the tackled player invariably on his back so he absolutely couldn't do a quick PTB. 2026 more effective tackling but less spectacular.
7) Tannah Boyd is second only to Cleary on form for halfbacks in the NRL at the moment.

Halasima has been doing it all in all three games. Not sure he's ever been just a highlights guy, honestly.

 

[Beastmode]

He’s picking his moments superbly I reckon and used to think he got a bit predictable that he would have a snipe close to the line. His service has been really strong too and defensively strong

Is he ?

I feel he’s lost a step or two

His dummy half runs and pump fakes aren’t anywhere near as fast or effective than a couple of years ago. He’s not barrowing for the line either

Healey’s darts were more impact but he needs to run straighter and punch through the hole


What position was Egan playing towards the second half end? I saw Healey was still on with Luke and Tannah as well

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

7) Tannah Boyd is second only to Cleary on form for halfbacks in the NRL at the moment.

Great observations Wrighty.

In the game there are very few good young halfbacks. Most superstars are 30+ except Cleary. After him I propose we have the next 2 best of the current bunch.

Current under 30 halfbacks on form:

1 - Cleary
2 - Boyd
3 - Metcalf (assuming 2025 form)
4 - Katoa
5 - Sanders
6 - Hynes
7 - Walker
8 - Galvin
Etc, etc

Without fussing over the exact order, is this wrong that we are stacked!


(Fogarty, DCE, Moses, Hughes, etc are 30+)

 

[CWC]

Is he ?

I feel he’s lost a step or two

His dummy half runs and pump fakes aren’t anywhere near as fast or effective than a couple of years ago. He’s not barrowing for the line either

Healey’s darts were more impact but he needs to run straighter and punch through the hole


What position was Egan playing towards the second half end? I saw Healey was still on with Luke and Tannah as well

Healey pushed out to second row or lock when Egan returned

 

[CWC]

Egan’s actually our de facto dally m playmaker so far. I don’t know what happens without him

Notice we lost our shape when he came off, at least in 2 games the other team threatened a come back when he was off and when he returned we put them on the back foot again

And I thought he ran a lot in the first game, and continued to draw penalties and pinch metres after. I don’t think Healey’s ready but this is good learning for him while conditioning Egan for the entire season

Our 6/7/9 are actually running a lot and taking contacts this year compared to SJ/Metcalf (who either passes or runs 50m through a hole )

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

It sounds like he's counting. And the number he says is how many times they respond. It might be Tongan but it's not te reo Maori (Maori language). Perhaps someone who knows better can help out.

It is Samoan. He is asking for the to boys to come to him and counting

 

[CWC]

According to Fox league, Grant Anderson is in the contract negotiation stage with the club, and it’s now a matter of if we get him for this season or next season.

Would be hilarious if he comes and becomes an origin player/dally m leader

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Would be hilarious if he comes and becomes an origin player/dally m leader

Wrong thread still dusty from last night

 

[Ref]

I have been no fan of Niukore.
However yesterday he turned back the clock.
He had to though.
Tanner and Capewell have been epic.

 

[Beastmode]

I have been no fan of Niukore.
However yesterday he turned back the clock.
He had to though.
Tanner and Capewell have been epic.

Yeah full credit to Marata

last week cup highlights he looked too bulky. Really thought he would struggle with the speed and pace. first tackle he actually gave away a 6 again. My eyes I was thinking here we go…. but that was the last of it and he did some barnstorming runs.

Barney too

Old fellas proved me WRONG which is really hard to do.

 

[CWC]

Marata should be given a try assist for Clark’s first Warriors try lol

 

[Beastmode]

Really can’t fault anything yesterday

How many of youse would be calling for Ali to do cup time if the miracle try he caught was given???

 

[ShaunJohnson7]

I will start by saying I am very happy with our start this year like everyone else.

However I will die on the hill or Ali and Boyd not being first grade standard. So far we are getting through but the keep Boyd over Metcalf theme is outrageous. Its early rounds and definitive structures are easily tore apart. Knights were shockingly bad on our backrowers today

Have you watched all 3 games? Your takeaway is seriously Boyd not being first grade standard?

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Really can’t fault anything yesterday

How many of youse would be calling for Ali to do cup time if the miracle try he caught was given???

It's really tough for me to give that much of a shit.

We're letting in less points per game than the storm and scoring more points per game than anyone else.

 

[Beastmode]

It's really tough for me to give that much of a shit.

We're letting in less points per game than the storm and scoring more points per game than anyone else.

Is that your way of saying you agree ? thumbs up is enough

 

[Rick O’Shay]

It sounds like he's counting. And the number he says is how many times they respond. It might be Tongan but it's not te reo Maori (Maori language). Perhaps someone who knows better can help out.

It's not Gaelic

 

[Rick O’Shay]

Healey pushed out to second row or lock when Egan returned

Still think he's a 13 or 6