Warriors fans expressed intense disappointment after a heavy Round 1 loss to the Raiders, criticizing the team's lackluster defense, ineffective attack, and poor bench management. Key concerns included defensive lapses, with one member #6 noting issues like Niukore's missed tackles and delayed substitutions for young forwards Halasima and Vaimauga. Player performances were heavily scrutinized, such as CNK's errors at fullback #132 and Luke Metcalf's struggle at halfback #136, while others debated positional changes like moving RTS to fullback for added stability. Coach Andrew Webster faced backlash for questionable decisions, particularly his reluctance to utilize impact players early; a user #297 highlighted how rookies Halasima and Vaimauga outperformed veterans Capewell and Niukore in limited minutes. Demands for roster changes surfaced, including dropping underperformers like Pompey and Niukore #42, with broader frustration over the team's direction and lack of attacking innovation. Despite acknowledging round-one challenges, many fans deemed the performance inexcusable, emphasizing the urgency for strategic adjustments before facing Manly.
🏷️ Tags:
Team Performance, Player Critique, Coaching Decisions
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The official NZWF thread for all post match discussion on this weeks game. Celebrate. Vent. Who were your stand outs? Who needs to be dropped? Man of the match (MOM)?
Pros:
- RTS showed his class.
- Vaimauga needs much more gametime. Halasima too.
Cons:
- Niukore is done. Gets bent when he runs, got fended by Ethan fucking Strange on defence.
- Ford needs to be fired into the sun.
- CNK, thank you for your service but I think your time might be nearly up.
- Webby - atrocious use of the bench. Left the young guns off for way too long while our pack was getting dominated.
Pros:
- RTS showed his class.
- Vaimauga needs much more gametime. Halasima too.
Cons:
- Niukore is done. Gets bent when he runs, got fended by Ethan fucking Strange on defence.
- Ford needs to be fired into the sun.
- CNK, thank you for your service but I think your time might be nearly up.
- Webby - atrocious use of the bench. Left the young guns off for way too long while our pack was getting dominated.
Worst R1 loss in their history. We love an occasion don't we!
I'm all in on Webby and the development strategy, but two things need to happen for our forseeable future
1. Someone has to get throught to Webby about his bench use.
2. We have to have some fortune in the player market to sign a couple of mid-tier signings.