Post Match Redcliffe Dolphins v NZ Warriors - [Round 8, 2026]

[John Nick]

I see a lot of commentary online complaining about this win. Maybe part of it is that they were coming 12th and we were 2nd, so there was some belief this would be another 13+ win. But their ladder position really does understate how good the Phins are. They caused Penrith all sorts of trouble too and were unlucky to lose that game. They also spanked Cronulla at Shark Park who are another top 4 adjacent side. They are a genuine top 4 side once they get their shit together and were definitely our strongest opponent this year. They came here desperate knowing that a loss here would make things super difficult to even make the 8, let alone the 4.

In many ways, I actually take more out of this win than our more pretty wins with 13+ margins. It shows that we still know how to win a grinding affair against a good opponent. At the beginning the Phins knocked us off our game and we were definitely obliging their style by playing way too loose in the first quarter. But the good thing to see was how we wrestled back momentum and started to really dominate the physicality and possession battle from the 2nd quarter onwards. Taine's try was coming and was largely them getting exhausted from our physical pressure and slipping off tackles.

In the end, we were the better team over the whole 80. We probably could have jagged a few more tries on the field towards the end had our discipline been better. But it's still 2 pts that keeps us in 2nd and 3 on the trot.

Team will learn a lot more from a grinding win than a romp in the park type game.
They will learn to scrap over every little play.
Happy to get the W & remain grounded.
Not too many changes this week before the Bye
Bring in Marata, Hansen & Pomps thats it.

 

[Beastmode]

Team will learn a lot more from a grinding win than a romp in the park type game.
They will learn to scrap over every little play.
Happy to get the W & remain grounded.
Not too many changes this week before the Bye
Bring in Marata, Hansen & Pomps thats it.

Yes and no

That’s always the argument. Good hard grinding win is good for the soul.

I say “nah”

A good old fashioned 50 point hiding is better. Better for morale, ticket sales, hype. Everything. The whole shabam. I want to eat the whole cake

A grinding win is good to bring you back to reality if you needed it but what I really needed was a good romp!

 

[John Nick]

Yes and no

That’s always the argument. Good hard grinding win is good for the soul.

I say “nah”

A good old fashioned 50 point hiding is better. Better for morale, ticket sales, hype. Everything. The whole shabam. I want to eat the whole cake

A grinding win is good to bring you back to reality if you needed it but what I really needed was a good romp!

Each to their own I guess.We saw what happened after our winning streak to open the season.
Needed to come back to reality .No easy games in NRL . A good lesson learnt well hopefully.
Very happy to get the 2 points in the end.

 

[Beastmode]

Each to their own I guess.We saw what happened after our winning streak to open the season.

Euphoria.

 

[RobRoyMcCoy]

NRL Judiciary: More Dragons drama as Leilua faces ban

Dragons forward Luciano Leilua has been charged with a Grade 2 Dangerous Contact offence for his late shot on Roosters halfback Sam Walker and faces a week on the sideline.

www.nrl.com

Does this mean dal and leka arent getting charged?

It appears so yes. They are not charged.

 

[Wahs_Ultras]

How good. Season isn’t won in April though


View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXnCoGTDXrV/?igsh=OXFndDN3YjE3c29m

 

[sup42]

Have to admit his distribution was not great though - whether that was on him, the pressure from the short ten, or bad timing on his outsides I don't know - it wasn't working and we needed a better second option, as i don't think him running it back into the ruck area was a circuit breaker

Yeah I commented on this before about Boyd being neutralized.

Biggest issue was our lack of depth in attack relative to the Dolphins line speed.

I am gonna assume the 10 meters was legit on their side, and give them credit for their line speed (based largely on the Dolphins aggression in defence as a unit - they put away the dirty game that Fleggler and Kaufusi usually rely on for the much more disciplined, much harder to do, fast line speed strangle.

Kaufusi was very disciplined. I take it that is coaching over time, the Dolphins are evolving into a much better balanced unit.

When I watch a Warriors game, the first thing I look for on our defensive sets is whether we have formed the line when the other team is winning the ruck and has a roll on - actually the first thing I look for is whether we have formed the line when we have ruck control (Under Webster I find myself nodding silently in approval a lot with Warriors starts).

By around as early as the first or second set, you could see we were back peddling (Guys on here that analyze games will tell you it starts with ruck control - because it does) but great sides when they are losing the middle, will still reform their line before the ball goes ten meters (this is especially evident with a top team when they can run backwards relatively uniformly.

So they might not be able to apply pressure going backwards but they are a cohesive more importantly Uniform line.

So why am I going on about this defensive stuff while quoting a post about Boyd's distribution? Because it is a duality.

Uniformity and spacing is a command and communication function (just ask the Military) both sides of the ball.

When the Warriors are uniform in their line on defence, they will be uniform in their attacking shapes, because someone(s) telling them to "form the lines, form the lines!'

Now whether or not the players execute obviously comes down to the individuals experience and their ability to communicate with their wingmen (figurative wingman, I mean in the TOP GUN sense of wingman). And it is contingent on them having the experience to make adjustments and in this case with Boyd's flat at the line style - give him spacing and open passing channels - stand deep, let Boyd have time to run and pass cleanly.

I think the crowding also is a net effect of our guys being crap passes of the ball, so they rely on short inter passing rather than using the full width to the touch line (which is why Dallin is not posted on the tram line, rather he stands closer in and sets himself deeper like a sweeper).

Dallin is collecting ball off the ground and scoring because he is set deep, and because frankly our young inexperienced Ali and Taine are both missing the timing to come onto those balls that end up bounce passes.

Dallin gets a lot of hate, but to be fair he is a pro at setting himself so he sweeps onto the ball at pace. He is amazing as an attacking Winger.

Luckily for us Tanah passes clean, so those balls that go to ground have a tendency to momentum sideways/backwards rather than a knock on.

The good news is these are all areas that will make big improvements when Ali and Taine clock up more time in the chair.

But trust me, if you see the Warriors standing around like Dads army on defence, our attack shape is going to show it too and our organizer is gonna get nailed.

Remember, the hole runners are also who give Boyd time, space, and options too....and for the same reasons (experience and communication) we are still building in that area too.

On that last point, the Warriors have one player that is one of the best hole running forwards you will see, Morgan Gannon, not glazing here, giving credit where it is due, that guy in Superleague was constantly watching the half back and sprinting up (saw him do it in NSW cup first outing, he knocked it off when he realised Warriors halves don't pass you the ball).

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

Looks like Ford got another 3 Dally M points?

 

[WAH MAN]

Looks like Ford got another 3 Dally M points?

I couldn't find anything online

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

Dally M update: Top four all poll votes as cream rises in Round 8

The latest Dally M Medal update with Round 8 votes and overall leaderboard.

www.nrl.com

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Dally M update: Top four all poll votes as cream rises in Round 8

The latest Dally M Medal update with Round 8 votes and overall leaderboard.

www.nrl.com

How did Erin not get 6?

They're smoking crack.

 

[WAH MAN]

How did Erin not get 6?

They're smoking crack.

Taine got six but not from the forum.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

How did Erin not get 6?

They're smoking crack.

After watching the reply I am surprised JFH didn't get points. He was immense.

 

[sup42]

After watching the reply I am surprised JFH didn't get points. He was immense.

He looks a little leaner and therefore faster over the advantage line, probably just my imagination.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

He looks a little leaner and therefore faster over the advantage line, probably just my imagination.

Only Ali had a faster play of the ball and he took as many hit ups as Ford. Have always been an AFB fan but I prefer JFH to him. Especially with the new rules.