Pick Your Team Warriors v Knights - [Round 8, 2025]

[Boston Boy]

I’d put Metcalf on the left he’s played there before and well, I don’t think it would be too much of a disruption. Just thinking what looks best long term.
Realistically with a better team last night we could’ve put 40 on them

Metcalf left side, but the best attacking right side attacker by a country mile is TMM.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Metcalf left side, but the best attacking right side attacker by a country mile is TMM.

Is he though? Run me through your logic here.

 

[watcher]

I would. Lije to see. More creativity with CCNK and TT. Broadly CNK FB on defence, TT on attack.

Berry will probably be selected, but I would maybe go with Pompey and Kosi. Whatever happens do not move Ali.Also Capewell starts, Halasima to the bench. He deserves to start but it serves the team better.

I like T.MM at 14, too good a player not to be in the 17 and allows CHT to spell Egan also provides that utility role.

The unlucky ones to miss out are Labab and Kosi. The positive we have NRL ready players ready when needed. There is an old saying that the strebgth of a team is its reserves.

 

[Cces]

Is he though? Run me through your logic here.

We scored an average of 26 points per game across the 8 matches that he played there in 2024. The other 16 games saw an average of less than 19 pg.

 

[Inruin]

We scored an average of 26 points per game across the 8 matches that he played there in 2024. The other 16 games saw an average of less than 21 pg.

Add in the try assists and line break assists for him in those games and it's not even close IMO

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

We scored an average of 26 points per game across the 8 matches that he played there in 2024. The other 16 games saw an average of less than 19 pg.

These are fair points. I wasn't saying the argument was wrong, just too lazy to look it up, so thanks for that.

I still don't think we should be juggling the halves around at the moment. Last year showed what a lack of consistency (granted through injuries) does with attacking flow.

 

[Lance155]

These are fair points. I wasn't saying the argument was wrong, just too lazy to look it up, so thanks for that.

I still don't think we should be juggling the halves around at the moment. Last year showed what a lack of consistency (granted through injuries) does with attacking flow.

Newcastle will give us a good example this week haha

 

[Cces]

These are fair points. I wasn't saying the argument was wrong, just too lazy to look it up, so thanks for that.

I still don't think we should be juggling the halves around at the moment. Last year showed what a lack of consistency (granted through injuries) does with attacking flow.

I fully agree. We currently have a pair who are only 6 games as a combo & are winning at 67%. I can't see them ever winning a comp but they've earned an extended run together.
All offseason I was against TMM because I thought without AFB we wouldn't have the field position for him to ice these opportunities. That's definitely not the case but still not enough reason to replace CHT & his valuable left boot after the solid start to the season

 

[John Nick]

I fully agree. We currently have a pair who are only 6 games as a combo & are winning at 67%. I can't see them ever winning a comp but they've earned an extended run together.
All offseason I was against TMM because I thought without AFB we wouldn't have the field position for him to ice these opportunities. That's definitely not the case but still not enough reason to replace CHT & his valuable left boot

I agree also.Does anyone think that we would be higher than 4th on the ladder if we had used a different halves pairing??

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I can't see them ever winning a comp

Stranger things have happened.

But still a grounded take.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

I agree also.Does anyone think that we would be higher than 4th on the ladder if we had used a different halves pairing??

We are playing conservative footy in a comp where teams are prone to burning out.

Where we are right now is adequate (in my opinion, of course.)

 

[Noitall]

I fully agree. We currently have a pair who are only 6 games as a combo & are winning at 67%. I can't see them ever winning a comp but they've earned an extended run together.
All offseason I was against TMM because I thought without AFB we wouldn't have the field position for him to ice these opportunities. That's definitely not the case but still not enough reason to replace CHT & his valuable left boot

What’s the reasoning for TMM coming onto the bench? Just injury enforced or the club is watching his form in nsw cup and think he could come on as an impact player, shifting CHT to dummy half to spell Egan as they did? Value in carrying TMM for form and positions he can fill with CHT playing I reckon. TMM can fill halves and fullback, and CHT can cover hooker that TMM can’t

 

[John Nick]

What’s the reasoning for TMM coming onto the bench? Just injury enforced or the club is watching his form in nsw cup and think he could come on as an impact player, shifting CHT to dummy half to spell Egan as they did? Value in carrying TMM for form and positions he can fill with CHT playing I reckon. TMM can fill halves and fullback, and CHT can cover hooker that TMM can’t

Wouldnt it be better to carry Healey on the bench.Can slot straight into 9 & also cover the halves .LM could easily cover FB if needed & cause less disruption.Your thoughts Noitall?

 

[Cces]

What’s the reasoning for TMM coming onto the bench? Just injury enforced or the club is watching his form in nsw cup and think he could come on as an impact player, shifting CHT to dummy half to spell Egan as they did? Value in carrying TMM for form and positions he can fill with CHT playing I reckon. TMM can fill halves and fullback, and CHT can cover hooker that TMM can’t

I read someone else suggesting that TMM came onto the bench as a result of Capewell playing Centre meaning we needed outside back cover on the bench. I can understand that thought process. If Capewell starts at Second Row though then he's the outside back cover & TMM would be surplus to the 17 if Webster is confident in either CNK or Tuaupiki covering the halves in the event of an injury to either half or Egan.
Personally I think the sooner they give Healey a go the better

 

[Inruin]

I read someone else suggesting that TMM came onto the bench as a result of Capewell playing Centre meaning we needed outside back cover on the bench. I can understand that thought process. If Capewell starts at Second Row though then he's the outside back cover & TMM would be surplus to the 17 if Webster is confident in either CNK or Tuaupiki covering the halves in the event of an injury to either half or Egan.
Personally I think the sooner they give Healey a go the better

I think it's exactly this. With Capewell back in the pack or bench it makes more sense to carry a utility/hooker on the bench like Lussick or Healey rather than moving two spine players to accommodate a TMM or Boyd. Cuddles might go back to a four forward bench again. Though Egan needs to have a 15-20m spell each game IMO and he is playing too good and too important to our spine to replace him with a makeshift player. Better to have a specialist 9 who can cover 13 in the bench IMO.

 

[regenerated borg]

If the knights rock up playing the way they have.... Good opportunity for us to get 2 pts and get the points diff back on track ... could be the factor between playing finals or not...

 

[Dannevegas]

Surely knights are due to click, they have a deadly backline. Hope boys don’t get complacent

 

[Dippa]

Surely knights are due to click, they have a deadly backline. Hope boys don’t get complacent

I’m totally with you on this. These are those banana skin games where previous Warriors teams have always fallen to. It will be interesting to see if they can maintain their 2025 Warriors style of play and get the job done. It’s also these special occasion games which are played away from Mt Smart where I get a little worried. Again, previous teams have played the total opposite of what is expected.

 

[Lance155]

If the knights rock up playing the way they have.... Good opportunity for us to get 2 pts and get the points diff back on track ... could be the factor between playing finals or not...

Seriously, no matter where we are on the table we always have the worst points diff compared to the teams around us. Every bloody year!

 

[mrblonde]

Stranger things have happened.

But still a grounded take.

I think it's a tad early to definitively call it.
How many of us looked at Shaun at the same stage of his career and thought "He'll win a GF one day!"? And when thing didn't work out both in individual games and seasons in total, blamed him too much/not enough based on our biases. And maybe we we didn't think how his performances were defined by or predicated on what his team-mates did or didn't do. Cough "the Warriors have only made 20m in 5 tackles!" Cough yeah, what magic's SJ gonna pull out of his ass to cover up that?!..
On the evidence so far, all exhaustive, extensive 6 NRL Games and 2 Pre-Season Games of it, LM and CHT will go on to be a decent pairing but, as I take FormerlyJamesW's comment, not a halves pairing that will carry any club to a GF/GF Win. Mid Level/Upper-Mid Level Halves.