Post Match Raiders v Warriors - [Round 1, 2025]

[MrFrankWhite]

All this talk about getting home at midnight, I could not give two fucks!

It's all on performance on the pitch, this is what happens when you lose badly, people will find anything to say why that happend.

The show finished after. Lets say in bed at 1am, up at 7am. Thats 6hrs nominal. so 5-5.5 actual. Add alcohol and that goes down by 1/2. So you are looking at around 2.5 hrs of actually brain and muscle recovery...

Thats not what a professional would do.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

The show finished after. Lets say in bed at 1am, up at 7am. Thats 6hrs nominal. so 5-5.5 actual. Add alcohol and that goes down by 1/2. So you are looking at around 2.5 hrs of actually brain and muscle recovery...

Thats not what a professional would do.

It's not why we lost the game though. It's more the culture side of things, when you also take in what Agar Did.

Again, would the real journalists please stand up? Can someone find out exactly what took place and expose this!

 

[MrFrankWhite]

It's not why we lost the game though. It's more the culture side of things, when you also take in what Agar Did.

Again, would the real journalists please stand up? Can someone find out exactly what took place and expose this!

You are 100% right, but it speaks to the lack of focus in the club. As I've harped on about; winning has to be above all. Because then every decision is easy. I know fighters who are into biphasic sleep now. They get up in the middle to eat and go for a run, then go back to sleep. Fucking dedication. What do our boys do? Gamble...

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I agree with you and @Inruin. But I'm making the point that it was still possible to win that game by applying ourselves better.

Canberra behaved like goons in the week leading up to the game but still turned up to play.

It's interlinked.

Athletes are heavily monitored.

Everything they eat, how much sleep they have, what training they do; it all makes a difference.

Hitting each other with a blow up bat is stupid, yes, but hardly affects their ability to play.

Staying up late, playing highly addictive and mentally draining games is much worse. Argue all you want, but casinos are designed, specifically, to exhaust you into making poor decisions.

if we had just lost, I wouldn't care. But there were pretty worrying signs early on in the game that a huge portion of the players just werent there mentally.

 

[Mr Drag]

All this talk about getting home at midnight, I could not give two fucks!

It's all on performance on the pitch, this is what happens when you lose badly, people will find anything to say why that happend.

We saw two Raiders belt each other in a hotel, do you think that affected the performance?

Both of them has great games! You might be on to something?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

It's interlinked.

Athletes are heavily monitored.

Everything they eat, how much sleep they have, what training they do; it all makes a difference.

Hitting each other with a blow up bat is stupid, yes, but hardly affects their ability to play.

Staying up late, playing highly addictive and mentally draining games is much worse. Argue all you want, but casinos are designed, specifically, to exhaust you into making poor decisions.

if we had just lost, I wouldn't care. But there were pretty worrying signs early on in the game that a huge portion of the players just werent there mentally.

Super succinct post. Biggest effects of all of this is delayed reaction time and reduced fine motor skills. 2 very important skills in almost all pro sports

 

[Mr Drag]

If anyone wants a good cry they are showing a full match replay at 3pm on you tube

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8dv2JbF5Jc

 

[roguei]

It's interlinked.

Athletes are heavily monitored.

Everything they eat, how much sleep they have, what training they do; it all makes a difference.

Hitting each other with a blow up bat is stupid, yes, but hardly affects their ability to play.

Staying up late, playing highly addictive and mentally draining games is much worse. Argue all you want, but casinos are designed, specifically, to exhaust you into making poor decisions.

if we had just lost, I wouldn't care. But there were pretty worrying signs early on in the game that a huge portion of the players just werent there mentally.

It's pretty depressing to have interviews with Vaimauga at the tail end of this year go on about diet and all that. Then this stuff happens. I agree that if we won then it's not a big deal but you run that risk when doing stuff like this.
If you played badly and you did not prepare the night/days before, then you deserve to be on the chopping block. At least some games to NSW league...


Now if the warrior's that were out last night are bunty, tmm, Healey and kosi. Then I don't exactly have a issue as they were not set to play.

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

If anyone wants a good cry they are showing a full match replay at 3pm on you tube

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8dv2JbF5Jc

I am going to sit through that again later tonight.

I just need to make sure this wasn't a nightmare.

 

[Bay39er]

Player Charge Record Plea Penalty
Xavier Savage (Raiders) Grade 2 Dangerous Contact 1st offence TBC 1-2 matches
Joseph Tapine (Raiders) Grade 2 Shoulder Charge 1st offence TBC

 

[John Nick]

I am going to sit through that again later tonight.

I just need to make sure this wasn't a nightmare.

Don't torture yourself mate. It's a mare alright.
In fact you could throw a fn big saddle on it

 

[Inruin]

Player Charge Record Plea Penalty
Xavier Savage (Raiders) Grade 2 Dangerous Contact 1st offence TBC 1-2 matches
Joseph Tapine (Raiders) Grade 2 Shoulder Charge 1st offence TBC

I think those two incidents were handled adequately. I'm a bit surprised CNK didn't get any charge at all though

 

[Mr Drag]

Just watched the first 13 minutes and quickly see we need a real 7

 

[#robbiemears]

Robbie your takes always prove prophetic. You were right about Nathan Brown for example from day one. Should we persevere with Webster? Will he come good? What is your take on him? Does he have it?

@Wrighty, I think this year is a defining one for Webster. It’s unfortunate because he’s clearly a long-term thinker, just getting started in his coaching career. But the hype machine driven by Cam and the NZ media around "Wah-mania" has created expectations that commercial success alone can't sustain if the team keeps floundering. And it’s not just about losing — it’s how they’re losing.

Webster seems determined to turn the Warriors into a Penrith clone, mirroring their style and development model. The problem? He’s not Ivan Cleary, Metcalf is not Nathan Cleary, and the roster isn’t built for that approach. Where Penrith have game-breaking talent, the Warriors have inconsistency. Where the Panthers excel at disciplined, structured play, the Warriors have players who, in many cases, wouldn’t start at most NRL clubs.

The only coach who truly unlocked the Warriors’ potential was Daniel Anderson. He didn’t try to copy anyone — he built a team around the talent he had, blending work ethic, competitiveness, and natural skill into a style uniquely suited to them. No one since has replicated that formula.

Coaches imprint their personality onto their teams. Ricky Stuart’s Raiders reflect his hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs mentality. Craig Bellamy's Melbourne sides mirror his relentless work ethic from his playing days. Des Hasler's teams, like him, are intense, unorthodox, and tireless.

And Webster? He’s a nice guy, a personable guy, and his Warriors play exactly like that — safe, predictable, and completely lacking in bite. There’s no aggression, no spark, just rigid adherence to a system that already feels outdated.

 

[Nakiproud]

Superb

 

[Mr Drag]

Barnett replaced after 21 minutes! What were you thinking Webby! Please explain?

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

Barnett replaced after 21 minutes! What were you thinking Webby! Please explain?

Maybe they were getting paid by Ford motors and therefore playing Jackson Ford for straight 51mins!

 

[Mr Drag]

Maybe they were getting paid by Ford motors and therefore playing Jackson Ford for straight 51mins!

Ford is just a waste of salary like Niukore

 

[Inruin]

@Wrighty, I think this year is a defining one for Webster. It’s unfortunate because he’s clearly a long-term thinker, just getting started in his coaching career. But the hype machine driven by Cam and the NZ media around "Wah-mania" has created expectations that commercial success alone can't sustain if the team keeps floundering. And it’s not just about losing — it’s how they’re losing.

Webster seems determined to turn the Warriors into a Penrith clone, mirroring their style and development model. The problem? He’s not Ivan Cleary, Metcalf is not Nathan Cleary, and the roster isn’t built for that approach. Where Penrith have game-breaking talent, the Warriors have inconsistency. Where the Panthers excel at disciplined, structured play, the Warriors have players who, in many cases, wouldn’t start at most NRL clubs.

The only coach who truly unlocked the Warriors’ potential was Daniel Anderson. He didn’t try to copy anyone — he built a team around the talent he had, blending work ethic, competitiveness, and natural skill into a style uniquely suited to them. No one since has replicated that formula.

Coaches imprint their personality onto their teams. Ricky Stuart’s Raiders reflect his hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs mentality. Craig Bellamy's Melbourne sides mirror his relentless work ethic from his playing days. Des Hasler's teams, like him, are intense, unorthodox, and tireless.

And Webster? He’s a nice guy, a personable guy, and his Warriors play exactly like that — safe, predictable, and completely lacking in bite. There’s no aggression, no spark, just rigid adherence to a system that already feels outdated.

What's your take on the magic round win and the two games after that last season? It felt like AW basically didn't think the team had a chance and left them to their own devices which actually worked well. Less robotic, the team seemed more cohesive. Then it kinda felt like AW wanted to take those players and reintroduce some of the older players that hadn't been performing and mold the team in to his conservative game plan again. A player like TMM for example is not going to be able to stick rigidly to a bomb to the corner and chase plan. It's like he is taking all the points of difference of players that other coaches maximise and dumbs it down to a boring style of play. Zero innovation, zero x factor, zero enjoyment for fans and players. Or am I way off here?

 

[roguei]

@Wrighty, I think this year is a defining one for Webster. It’s unfortunate because he’s clearly a long-term thinker, just getting started in his coaching career. But the hype machine driven by Cam and the NZ media around "Wah-mania" has created expectations that commercial success alone can't sustain if the team keeps floundering. And it’s not just about losing — it’s how they’re losing.

Webster seems determined to turn the Warriors into a Penrith clone, mirroring their style and development model. The problem? He’s not Ivan Cleary, Metcalf is not Nathan Cleary, and the roster isn’t built for that approach. Where Penrith have game-breaking talent, the Warriors have inconsistency. Where the Panthers excel at disciplined, structured play, the Warriors have players who, in many cases, wouldn’t start at most NRL clubs.

The only coach who truly unlocked the Warriors’ potential was Daniel Anderson. He didn’t try to copy anyone — he built a team around the talent he had, blending work ethic, competitiveness, and natural skill into a style uniquely suited to them. No one since has replicated that formula.

Coaches imprint their personality onto their teams. Ricky Stuart’s Raiders reflect his hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs mentality. Craig Bellamy's Melbourne sides mirror his relentless work ethic from his playing days. Des Hasler's teams, like him, are intense, unorthodox, and tireless.

And Webster? He’s a nice guy, a personable guy, and his Warriors play exactly like that — safe, predictable, and completely lacking in bite. There’s no aggression, no spark, just rigid adherence to a system that already feels outdated.

I find it interesting comparing Webster to Cleary. It took Cleary six years to take the Warriors to a Grand Final, so it's not like his approach didn’t work—it just took time. Now, the debate is whether people liked the 2006-2011 playstyle or if it was completely different from how he coached the Panthers.

That said, I don’t think missing out on Cleary long-term is a major issue. It worked before, so there’s no reason it can’t work again. Losing him as a coach was arguably the worst decision Warriors management ever made, but success doesn’t happen overnight—it took time back then, and it will take time now.

As for whether Webster can reach Cleary’s level? Who knows yet. Do the warriors still suit a ivan style? I'm also unsure.

I guess my point is, i don't know if its a bad thing to be bringing a ivan style culture back to the warriors as it worked before. But it took time to do so, as does any system that needs juniors. But you bring up great points and i agree that we seem to of lost some aggression and spark.