Post Match NZ Warriors v Penrith Panthers - [Round 13, 2026]

[Zarjaz]

Impressive enough game, just lacking the finishing nous, if we were a bit more switched on we nail those 2 botched tries from the 1st half. Think Webby would be encouraged by the performance but facing a Panthers side with Cleary driving them down field will be a different matter altogether.
Forwards were outstanding, halves and backs were a bit lackadaisical in places. TT top marks. TSS continues to impress eh.

 

[KiwiinJapan]

Pompey was OK. Kicked the goals at least.

Niukore is an absolute spud. Incredible how such a big bloke can have such little physicality.

He can kick, but he doesn’t pass the ball.

 

[snake77]

Massive shoutout to TSS stepped up big time tonight just quiet and a workhorse the wraps we give Demi should go to him imo

He's really impressed this year. Tonight he was getting through the line in the second half causing the Panthers a lot of problems.

I love that offload late in the second half, inside their 20 off the set restart. I was screaming the pass before to hold it. Loved his settler, then offload as it didn't seem risky. He came out pissed off that no one took advantage of it.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

That was a high quality game. If we just tidied up a few things I think we could have won that by 12. The lads know where they need to get to now.

Will not blame the ref as that is what losing Bulldog coaches do. I didn't think he was that bad apart from the not keeping the 10 for both sides.

Laban has shown he can be a high quality edge player. Just needs to get the fitness higher but at times he was immense.

Clark, Ford and Fish were men of the match for me. Fuck I hope they all stay heathy for the finals.

 

[Bay39er]

The team stats are insanely close between the teams

 

[Canonball]

I love our team - but when you know you have them shot with short interchange passing and running halves, plus second rowers - why go away from that ? my only other complaint was the slight lack of organisation on the later tackles in the set ... other than that a mighty effort really - personnel wise I don't know where you go to from here... there's something missing (a long kicking game or just more gumption to run ? Usual suspects : Linnane, Metcalf, Fatilofa?) Penrith were lucky to win that and had the luck engineered for them at times, but the actual difference were bad defensive reads at crucial times... imagine what sort of chaos would've broken out if we got out to a double figure lead ... why didn't Laban just roll that ball out to an unmarked AKP??

 

[Tragic]

What happened to Leka? Only played 41 minutes and did sweet F.A

I think he hurt his hand in the first 10 minutes

 

[Zaggo]

It's already been spoken about but I seriously cannot stand Niukore. Look at the comparison between him on 800k and TSS on sweet FA:

Niukore: 40 minutes, 40m, 14 tackles, 3 missed
TSS: 40 minutes, 86m, 34 tackles, 0 missed

Absolute waste of space and money, and up there with the likes of Adam Blair when it comes to deadset dud signings.

 

[the WARs]

Getting so fucking angry watch some of Laban highlights ..seeing are outside back near the line not getting the ball when they don;t have clear markers ...I hope the team are forced to watch how many potential tries were butchered,,,,

clearest CLusterfk https://www.nrl.com/news/2026/05/31...ry-saver/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=onebox

 

[snake77]

The conditions underfoot helped add to the game. Adding intrigue with guys slipping over.

If it was dry underfoot the times they had us stretched out wide would have been harder to deal with.

For us it would have helped with our passing in the middle. Or how we work over the middle after a quick play the ball.

 

[Bay39er]

I love our team - but when you know you have them shot with short interchange passing and running halves, plus second rowers - why go away from that ? my only other complaint was the slight lack of organisation on the later tackles in the set ... other than that a mighty effort really - personnel wise I don't know where you go to from here... there's something missing (a long kicking game or just more gumption to run ? Usual suspects : Linnane, Metcalf, Fatilofa?) Penrith were lucky to win that and had the luck engineered for them at times, but the actual difference were bad defensive reads at crucial times... imagine what sort of chaos would've broken out if we got out to a double figure lead ... why didn't Laban just roll that ball out to an unmarked AKP??

Wasn’t Pompey the closest? I didn’t see AKP in the picture

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

The team stats are insanely close between the teams

Literally a game of inches.

 

[Warriorsfan92]

Great to see Rocco back in cup. We won’t be a force with Pompey as our centre unfortunately. I also think jye linnane could be a Smokey to come into the line up at centre, he’s a game breaking quick outside back, one to keep an eye on in cup. Swap marata with Barnett, and Laban/leka/demetric with capes, & that’s one hell of a side. I feel like Tanner has jumped Demetric just quietly.

 

[Emerald]

Truly great to watch, edge of the set stuff, and the team played with an intensity that would win most NRL games. Our strength through the middle, TSS in particular, was phenomenal, and we never let up in defence either. Was it four tries we had disallowed?

Watching this match, you’d never know that we have the fastest winger in the comp. Outside of his hitups, AKP never had the ball.

But where’s the match winning flair? Out of our players, I think I only saw TT step it, but he did look mercurial. Whichever side showed some razzle dazzle would have tipped it their way. As it was, 2 points is nothing. The Panthers got the points, but it was so even it looked like a draw to me.

 

[Five&Last]

Can't wait to see Rocco feeding AKP after the bye.

 

[the WARs]

It's already been spoken about but I seriously cannot stand Niukore. Look at the comparison between him on 800k and TSS on sweet FA:

Niukore: 40 minutes, 40m, 14 tackles, 3 missed
TSS: 40 minutes, 86m, 34 tackles, 0 missed

Absolute waste of space and money, and up there with the likes of Adam Blair when it comes to deadset dud signings.

Completely agree Niukore was a liability wouldn't play him in NSW cup ... should have held onto ICE ... fucking legend player

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

Looking at the post match H2H stats, absolutely nothing separated either team. We finished with a 89% completion rate and the Panthers at 93%. That is as elite as it gets by both teams.

 

[Hman]

AKP jamming in was working ok with RTS inside him who could get to the winger. Doesn’t work with a slower centre inside him.

 

[CWC]

Laban and TSS stepped up tonight

People pissed at Pomps, Linnane is probably playing cup centre for a reason

Kicking seemed to not hurt us too much

 

[KPWarrior]

Impressive enough game, just lacking the finishing nous, if we were a bit more switched on we nail those 2 botched tries from the 1st half. Think Webby would be encouraged by the performance but facing a Panthers side with Cleary driving them down field will be a different matter altogether.
Forwards were outstanding, halves and backs were a bit lackadaisical in places. TT top marks. TSS continues to impress eh.

100%, only thing we lacked here was a bit of polish in our execution.