TeamList Warriors vs Knights [Round 4, 2024]

[Tookey 2.0]

Pretty much the best we can hope for other CNK coming back. Only issue I have is dropping Ale and keeping Bunty. Last week Bunty only ran for 25m in 3 runs over a 26 minute period. That's not good enough for a middle forward. Ale was much more involved: 77m over 25 minutes. Webby must see something in Afoa that I don't.

Bunty is the bigger body and while he doesn't use that on attack very well, he's better defensively than Ale and has more experience.

Webbys playing the long game this year. Picking Pompey and Afoa are the safer options, only being 1 win from 3 starts probably has forced his hand. Once weve got a few wins under our belt I think we'll see the likes of Laban, Ali, Ale and co get a bit more game time

 

[Up the guttz]

I doubt very much that Pompey is seen as higher on the pecking order long-term. Another year in reserve grade means Ali can develop his skills and game IQ rather than being the usual Warriors story of coming in incomplete. It is so good to see the likes of Berry come good in terms of development, which has been the achilles heel of the Warriors for 10+ years. These guys are properly incubating. Leave our system at your peril.

So many 'boom centres' have had a very short life in the NRL.

Berrys development has been whist playing first grade though

 

[Up the guttz]

Ali is the 1st drop winger and 2nd drop centre, plenty of chances, unless they want Setu Tu as 1st wing back up, apparently Kosi is fading away, shame he was awesome before fracturing his knee cap

Has Webby stated this? I love Ali as a centre but I don’t think he’s any good on the wing

 

[shuffle]

Pretty much the best we can hope for other CNK coming back. Only issue I have is dropping Ale and keeping Bunty. Last week Bunty only ran for 25m in 3 runs over a 26 minute period. That's not good enough for a middle forward. Ale was much more involved: 77m over 25 minutes. Webby must see something in Afoa that I don't.

What I saw from Bunty was good one on one tackles. Lead the line and nailed the raiders ball carriers. To me this has been Buntys best year! Tom Ale has also improved from previous years too. They are doing their job.

 

[cero_stars]

Berrys development has been whist playing first grade though

Berry also had to put up with a couple of years of nathan brown with his development. so its incredible that he is anywhere near this good right now

 

[SJ2k]

You cannot be serious. Berry was a monster on Friday and has been all season. If we didn't have Timoko and Manu on the Kiwis, I'd suggest Berry would be the next man up.

I'm not saying he hasn't improved enormously, it's fantastic. However you calling him a monster 'all season long' sums up the hype. The season is 3 games in, none of which he's been a top 3 player or even the best centre on the field. He had 1 really good game last year where he still wasn't top 3 on field. Praise his growth but be realistic, otherwise he's getting setup for a fall from grace IMO.

 

[Makasene]

Berrys development has been whist playing first grade though

He had a long stint back in reserves. Didn't get back until midway through last season.

Instantly looked better and has gone on.

Webbys biggest strength is communication. You would have to assume Ali has a clear path laid out ahead of him

 

[kos]

Bunty 27 tackles Ale 17 maybe Webby is more defense oriented atm?

Those two actually compliment each other lol

I think Ale will end up coming in for Marata anyway, he’s No.18 this week

Maybe that was Webbys instruction to Bunty.
Tackle tackle tackle

 

[Tookey 2.0]

Maybe that was Webbys instruction to Bunty.
Tackle tackle tackle dropped ball tackle

Fixed it for you

 

[kos]

Fixed it for you

Very droll Mark Tookey.
I m a Bunty fan -you cant deter me.

 

[Up the guttz]

He had a long stint back in reserves. Didn't get back until midway through last season.

Instantly looked better and has gone on.

Webbys biggest strength is communication. You would have to assume Ali has a clear path laid out ahead of him

I think his stint out of 1st grade was more injury related.

Rocco has played 20 reserve grade games (including Q cup)

Ali has played 19 reserve grade games

But yeah I’m sure Webby will be in constant communication with him and carving a path somehow.

 

[miket12]

Very droll Mark Tookey.
I m a Bunty fan -you cant deter me.

I thought Tookey 2.0 was being to kind.... if it was me, I would have said...
Tackle, tackle, drop ball, tackle, concede penalty.

 

[sup42]

Ale at 18 and Jazz behind him, meaning Marata drops out on Thurs/Fri and Walker is 50/50? CHT way down meaning Egan is all good to go IMO

I have no sources just seeing how Webinator has been playing mind games this year, this might happen, sucks CNK is still not named in the reserves

I dunno if I buy into the mind games of team naming anymore.

If we plebs can see through them, then what use are they at affecting other NRL coaches, who lets face it, are experts way above any of us and have seen it all before.

There may have been a time where coaches played a bit of Sun Tzu "Appear Strong when you are weak"....but how effective is that really?

I expect good coaches would analyse video of every possible line up they face.

The way I interpret this team naming is that Webster is going with his preferred line up.

If Webster named the players on the fringes (18-22) as starters, then drops them on game day, I think that would send the wrong message to those players, bit of a let down having built yourself up all week as a good chance of playing.

Some will say you should train like you expect to play anyway, but if the coach is playing mind games, then after pulling that stunt a few times, players would work it out for themselves, therefore being named in the seventeen would be tarnished, have less meaning, and therefore less incentive to dare to dream you are gonna be out there in front of friends and family.

I just think there is a slightly better chance than not, that all the crook players are gonna turn out as named and therefore Webster is just getting on with it and sending clear messaging to his squad.

I may be wrong, you might be right, it would be a great question for someone like Fonzie to ask Andrew Webster. "Do NRL coaches play mind games with team naming? Do you believe it serves a function?

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Our 3rd string fullback is a dally m fullback, how good is our depth atm haha, even prop while we still need an AFB replacement we do have a bunch of guys that can do a job there. Barnett stats against the Raiders were good, Ale, Afoa, Niukore, Harris and Tevaga can all play in the middle. Wonder who they're lining up to take over from Harris though.

 

[WahsUltras]

Looks like it could be a wet one on Sunday. Thunderstorms forecasted for the afternoon. Fingers crossed the weather holds up.

 

[tyrael]

Happy for Pompey but disappointed for Ali. Really shows the pecking order.

Love Ali but he’s blocked for the next few years. For his development he needs to be looking elsewhere. To good for reserves. Resigning Pompey and RTS last year has blocked him.

And I don’t get the ‘he’s only young so wait’ argument. He’s 21 and many are regularly playing first grade younger than that.

Him or Pompey need to be turned into an edge forward that can play center like Euan Aitken

 

[Stalefish540]

Bunty isn't the guy you'd focus on watching a game because you'd get bored, or just mesmerised by his beautiful hair.

But that man is an absolute rock in defence, in terms of hit & stick, plus tidyness he is right up there in the NRL.

Throw in the aggressiveness of Niukore on both sides of the ball and it's not a bad combo to have coming off the bench.

Both Niukore and Walker coming on brings footwork and some leg speed through the middle, so Webby having Afoa on there as the glue on defence works well enough.

 

[Stalefish540]

When do we get an actual Sunday arvo cracker?

I imagine 6pm in Auckland even this time of the year would be somewhat dewy? When does it get dark for you NZ folk?

 

[francis]

Looks like it could be a wet one on Sunday. Thunderstorms forecasted for the afternoon. Fingers crossed the weather holds up.

in Brizzy its been raining for days...no humidity though lol..which is cool

 

[Pop Dukez]

Berry also had to put up with a couple of years of nathan brown with his development. so its incredible that he is anywhere near this good right now

Highlights how & probabaly astute Webby is a coach also?