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

[Matiunz]

Long kicking game is missing from the team at the moment, makes it hard to build pressure when the opposition are getting tackle 1-2 on the 30/40m mark at times.
Support play needs to be addressed, there’s been a few occasions this year it’s been missing.
Our scramble D has improved out of sight, there were 2-3+ tries we stopped last night that previous warriors teams would have conceded.
A couple of positions we are seeing our depth tested a bit and we need to be backing our guys, the class of our missing troops not withstanding the next man up is doing their best.
A few clamouring for a Berry return- don’t think he’s the answer but give him a couple more games in cup to get the confidence back and see how he goes.
Usually teams need Penrith to have an off day to get the win, we almost got it when they were on

 

[sydneywarrior92]

it's probably too late but I would have moved the rd 23 rematch at MSS to Eden Park. That revenge game is going to be epic.

 

[sup42]

Metcalf is not a team player. He would burnt a few more team mates after yesterday’s display. Selfish.

Pompey aka the new Bunty

Yes he could have passed to Akp a couple of times - that pissed me off

But his kicking 3 out of 3 kept us on the game
And 177 run metres.
Hmmm


Great game
We can hold our heads high

Was good to see Metcalf is fully fit.

He was flying. Speeds back. No problem with keeping up with the pace of the game.

If he does come back in, there is no question he has the same preparedness that TMM had coming in V the Broncos.

As Webster pointed out, we have been using all of our halves in preseason, so there really will be no excuses about rustiness etc if you fairly compare like for like (TMM hits the ground running is the standard).

The extra time off looks to have been better for his NRL readiness (physically) than had he been training.

Metcalf is still a six eh bro, that game yesterday was like watching a Stand off on Amphetamines LOL.

Bit disspointing that he never seemed to understand that his mates were playing against the top of the table and that the win was more important.

Still, they did amazing to come back by taking the keys back.

 

[John Nick]

Long kicking game is missing from the team at the moment, makes it hard to build pressure when the opposition are getting tackle 1-2 on the 30/40m mark at times.
Support play needs to be addressed, there’s been a few occasions this year it’s been missing.
Our scramble D has improved out of sight, there were 2-3+ tries we stopped last night that previous warriors teams would have conceded.
A couple of positions we are seeing our depth tested a bit and we need to be backing our guys, the class of our missing troops not withstanding the next man up is doing their best.
A few clamouring for a Berry return- don’t think he’s the answer but give him a couple more games in cup to get the confidence back and see how he goes.
Usually teams need Penrith to have an off day to get the win, we almost got it when they were on

Yeah our long kicking game not there but neither was theirs last night luckily.
Thought TT was good & Ali is looking more comfortable now.Both will be better when Capes is back.

McLean is really a talent.Could be the best Kiwi centre since R.Bailey.Big statement but he seems to never be rushed & always takes the right option.

TSS is getting better every outing. Looking forward to Linnane getting a run.(need some X factor)
Great game that with a bit of luck could have been ours
I am sure our guys will take a lot of confidence out of the game & be better for it.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

TMM doesn't deserve to be dropped on that performance. His running game was tearing the riff ruck a new one at times. Better execution (ahem Laban) and that TMM run would have led to a 24-16 lead and we probs go on to win that game. If he can do that against the best defense in the comp, his running game will cause problems for any team.

Nothing in the cup performance screamed a Mets recall anytime soon.

 

[sup42]

TMM doesn't deserve to be dropped on that performance. His running game was tearing the riff ruck a new one at times. Better execution (ahem Laban) and that TMM run would have led to a 24-16 lead and we probs go on to win that game. If he can do that against the best defense in the comp, his running game will cause problems for any team.

Nothing in the cup performance screamed a Mets recall anytime soon.

Te Maire is now head and shoulders the most accomplished vs the Riff.

One win, one close loss is as good as anyone has done with the keys to this team.

Our best chance in the finals are clearly with him.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

You'd have to assume that CHT or TMM are going to be punching out mad long kicking reps at practice.

If we can get even close to Boyds boots, we're in a really good spot.

 

[Bluecat]

I'm good with last night's result. Disappointed because we had the game but we weren't good enough to capitalise.
They converted their opportunities and we missed 3 or 4.
They've been doing what they did for nearly a decade and it showed. We're learning.
And learning quickly. It was so good to see our guys playing on an even footing with the best in the business. We have improvement in us. They are at the top of their game
Good times

 

[sup42]

67 days.

That is the time that Penrith have left to breath the air of the Green Mile.

Two months, no stay of execution, two months one week, and ole Sparky will be warmed up, a dry sponge at the ready "Dead Man Walking!"

Can't bloody wait.

Lets do this all again.

Every game in between will be like Jaffas and Ice cream during intermission.

 

[1995warriorsfan]

it's probably too late but I would have moved the rd 23 rematch at MSS to Eden Park. That revenge game is going to be epic.

Unfortunately for those who dont already have tickets the game is already sold out.

 

[sup42]

Unfortunately for those who dont already have tickets the game is already sold.

I wonder what understanding Mt Smart has with the NRL about the finals this year.

The NRL will greedily be wishing they had of factored in Eden park perhaps.

Winning the GF could be a double edged sword for Mt Smart lovers.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Despite the loss, our premiership odds actually improved: we were originally $11, behind Penrith ($2.50) and Roosters ($8.00ish) as the third favorites. Now after 7 straight weeks (2months) of being 2nd on the ladder, we've finally displaced the roosters as the 2nd favorite, moving into $9 and Chooks drifting out to $10 and Broncos getting shorter by the day.

So rather than create doubts, that performance seems to have reinforced opinion that we are the 2nd team in the comp behind Penrith. Minor prem is looking tough but a top 2 finish is still very much ours to lose at this stage.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

I wonder what understanding Mt Smart has with the NRL about the finals this year.

The NRL will greedily be wishing they had of factored in Eden park perhaps.

Winning the GF could be a double edged sword for Mt Smart lovers.

I would play any home finals we get at Eden Park. I'm confident we could pack out any such game with the way we are going atm. IMO, moving to larger stadiums is more costly for suburban Sydney teams. If Sharks get a home semi against the Roosters and play at Accor, there's really no home ground advantage. Conversely whether we play at Eden Park/MSS, I don't think any Aussie side will want to play us on our turf. I'd rather have 50K screaming fans spurring the boys vs 25K max we can get out of MSS.

 

[hornbybrown]

We had more players out than they did, yet all I see is people talking about how many they had out.
They were there for the taking. The reasons we need Metcalf if he hasn’t internally burned bridges were on display. Lacked polish in their 20 and the lack of long kicking game hurt

 

[juju]

I would play any home finals we get at Eden Park. I'm confident we could pack out any such game with the way we are going atm. IMO, moving to larger stadiums is more costly for suburban Sydney teams. If Sharks get a home semi against the Roosters and play at Accor, there's really no home ground advantage. Conversely whether we play at Eden Park/MSS, I don't think any Aussie side will want to play us on our turf. I'd rather have 50K screaming fans spurring the boys vs 25K max we can get out of MSS.

Eden Park doesn't have the same cauldron atmosphere as Mt Smart. 50k at Eden Park isn't the same as a sold out MSS.

I could get the argument of moving a prelim but any other home games should be at MSS.
If the Sharks don't have to move grounds until the prelim why should the Warriors?

 

[sup42]

I would play any home finals we get at Eden Park. I'm confident we could pack out any such game with the way we are going atm. IMO, moving to larger stadiums is more costly for suburban Sydney teams. If Sharks get a home semi against the Roosters and play at Accor, there's really no home ground advantage. Conversely whether we play at Eden Park/MSS, I don't think any Aussie side will want to play us on our turf. I'd rather have 50K screaming fans spurring the boys vs 25K max we can get out of MSS.

I used to know about the Warriors arrangement with the City council and the Park at Beasley Avenue from Wayne Scurrah.

In Scurrah's era he was struggling to hide his preference for moving to Eden Park, he claimed that the NRL were forcing them to shift based off the lack of facilities (car parking and access - there is hardly parking on offer at Eden Park) plus the cost of the over due maintenance of rusting structures.
Going to Eden Park was all but certain because the council who own Mt Smart were forcing the issue (they wanted us to bail out the great white Elephant).

But the Warriors fans kicked up a massive stink and saved Mt Smart (might not have done themselves a favor really, now that we are too big for the place eh).

long story short Mt Smart was locked up long term (ten year deal from memory goes through to 2028 a Jim Doyle initiative).

As for the finals, 100% sell out at Eden Park.

The NRL hold all the cards there, they own the rights to the lot, interesting that they let the Warriors play finals at Mt Smart (tends to suggest Wayne Scurrah saying the NRL were behind the move to Eden Park permanently was bullshit).

Also Go Media have a contract for regular season games to be played at their named ground eh.

Gonna be fascinating to see what the NRL decide.

 

[sup42]

Eden Park doesn't have the same cauldron atmosphere as Mt Smart. 50k at Eden Park isn't the same as a sold out MSS.

I could get the argument of moving a prelim but any other home games should be at MSS.
If the Sharks don't have to move grounds until the prelim why should the Warriors?

Yeah and the nostalgia.

But truth be told, if Webster sticks around and this lot keep growing the way they are, atmosphere at Eden park will be epic (Tongan fans certainly demonstrated that).

I should say I have no dog in this fight.

Whatever is best for the club really (and that may very well be remaining a boutique suburban styled club with packed in bogan fans in an intimate bowl).

Coz we can't be a super team forever, no one can, and the come down, while rolling out to the echoes of Eden park, barely bears thinking about.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Eden Park doesn't have the same cauldron atmosphere as Mt Smart. 50k at Eden Park isn't the same as a sold out MSS.

I could get the argument of moving a prelim but any other home games should be at MSS.
If the Sharks don't have to move grounds until the prelim why should the Warriors?

The sharks should have to move out of that shithole of a stadium. But that's a different issue altogether.

I think the fans make the cauldron atmosphere at MSS, not the ground itself. Our fanbase is far more parochial than the other Auckland fanbases (AFC, Blues, MP, etc). We also travel well and bring that intensity to any ground that we play at in NZ (at least in my experience going to NZ Wahs games away from MSS). So whether we play at MSS, Eden Park, OneNZ Stadium (later in the year), I think we'll bring the same cauldron atmosphere wherever we go.

 

[Emerald]

We were overwhelmed on every level by the best defensive display seen in the NRL this year.

…

Webster stopped the Forwards that could pass a ball from crash bash because they were getting killed through the middle. He ran his little men there instead

Maybe I was watching a different match.

I saw some players wearing our strip powering through the middle pretty damned well, all the way through the match.

Were it not for some minor (microscopic in one case) errors on the way to all those disallowed tries, we would have won handsomely. That the Panthers didn’t score freely, which was because they couldn’t score freely, tells me that we were far from being "overwhelmed on every level."

The Panthers have the highest scoring player in the NRL on their right wing, and inside him arguably the best centre. All they managed between them was one disallowed try. Even tho they faced Ali (much maligned here, wrongly I think) and the once defensively questionable Dallin.

We matched them all the way. Two points was the difference. That’s enough for them to get the win, but it’s minor.

 

[juju]

The sharks should have to move out of that shithole of a stadium. But that's a different issue altogether.

I think the fans make the cauldron atmosphere at MSS, not the ground itself. Our fanbase is far more parochial than the other Auckland fanbases (AFC, Blues, MP, etc). We also travel well and bring that intensity to any ground that we play at in NZ (at least in my experience going to NZ Wahs games away from MSS). So whether we play at MSS, Eden Park, OneNZ Stadium (later in the year), I think we'll bring the same cauldron atmosphere wherever we go.

While I can understand your points I really disagree on moving it out of Mt Smart.

-Theres no financial incentive for the Warriors to do it
-The atmosphere is worse at Eden Park.
- As a club we should be honouring the tradition of our home ground
- Reward season members with priority access and make it tough for away fans to get tickets
-The history of big rugby league occasions at EP is also pretty bad.

An extra 20k people is really only 20k bandwagon as harsh as they may sound.