Team List Warriors vs Raiders - [Round 12, 2025]
- Thread starter mt.wellington
- Start date
Assert ourselves and settle in for a battle. Earn it as always. We seem to be better at protecting a lead than chasing one down. We like having the actual points vs potential ones we have to chase. I usually like predicting massive wins but this feels close.
Well, surgery likely to happen to the run in side. If Ali passes a fitness test, he will slot in at centre.
Where we need to gain parity or dominance is in the forwards. Someone needs to take the big carries that JFH or Mitch would do.
Niukore and Ford for me have to step up here and do the hard yards, as do CNK and RTS our resident meter eaters. TSS and Vaimauga off the bench
I suspect Webby will want to play at pace and run those Canberra forward around. Hence Healy playing middle giving Egan a spell. Tough on Bunty but I think TSS showed last week he belongs at this level and offers more punch. Bunty is very much a defensive rock but he doesn’t give us as much punch. We need that this week.
Webby will pick for defence speed and resilience this week.
If we win the forward battle we can beat these guys who don’t travel that well to NZ. Should be a close game but one we should be confident of winning - back at Mt Smart and a full house with 5 wins on the bounce.
Will be a fortress. Dead set fortress
Healy or Afoa fill that spot. Capewell in second row covers the backs and our backline with Ali back on the right is pretty much full strength. Ford and Niukore start in the middle with Erin and for mine, a bench of TSS Laban Vaimauga and Healy would be the way to go. Effort youth and pace.
Where we need to gain parity or dominance is in the forwards. Someone needs to take the big carries that JFH or Mitch would do.
Niukore and Ford for me have to step up here and do the hard yards, as do CNK and RTS our resident meter eaters. TSS and Vaimauga off the bench
I suspect Webby will want to play at pace and run those Canberra forward around. Hence Healy playing middle giving Egan a spell. Tough on Bunty but I think TSS showed last week he belongs at this level and offers more punch. Bunty is very much a defensive rock but he doesn’t give us as much punch. We need that this week.
Webby will pick for defence speed and resilience this week.
If we win the forward battle we can beat these guys who don’t travel that well to NZ. Should be a close game but one we should be confident of winning - back at Mt Smart and a full house with 5 wins on the bounce.
Will be a fortress. Dead set fortress
There are 2 types of props, one who can make good metres in any situation (AFB etc) the the rest that make solid carries but struggle to change momentum. Barnett being the first and Fish being the second. We will miss Barnett 100x more than Fish this week. Leka would be the next similar type in the team?
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I feel Taine is a bit of Gem, maybe just biased but he can't be out of the team i reckon.
We were fine without Dallin and Rogers meters while they were out.
I can see a time where that is no longer the primary reason players are chosen in the back three of the Warriors.
When you potentially have the most explosive fast leg forwards in the clubs history coming through, one dimensional kick returners may no longer be the all and end all.
Consider that Halasima is going to be an eighty minute forward type, Crosby, and Fatialofa means some serious ball return leg speed from fit young guys.
Maybe that will afford us using fullbacks that ball play and have pace (leaner type) and Wingers with safe hands, speed, and finesse.
I can see a time where that is no longer the primary reason players are chosen in the back three of the Warriors.
When you potentially have the most explosive fast leg forwards in the clubs history coming through, one dimensional kick returners may no longer be the all and end all.
Consider that Halasima is going to be an eighty minute forward type, Crosby, and Fatialofa means some serious ball return leg speed from fit young guys.
Maybe that will afford us using fullbacks that ball play and have pace (leaner type) and Wingers with safe hands, speed, and finesse.
For this game I want Capewell over Ali because without Barnett and JFH I want more forwards and more experience on the paddock, even if that means a forward at Center.
When one of JFH or Barnett are available then I would be happy for Ali to play because he is the long term solution to Center not Capewell.
However against a side like the Raiders I worry about how many young bucks we are using already.
This is well worth a watch. It's always good to have an opposition fan give a dispassionate insight into the strengths/weaknesses of their team. Also sheds some perspective on where the Raiders are really at from someone who watches them far closer than any of us here. We are right in this game up to our eye balls. It's going to be a great game and a 1-12 pt result either way. I think the packed out and blacked out crowd might get us over the line in another nail biter.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6svr1sP0lc
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6svr1sP0lc
Sweet, bring on Big Red..The boys have been brushing up on a bit of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu...
Eddie Ieremia Toeava covers centre prop and back row.
I wish they would make up their minds with this guy and specialize him in one position or two at most (äs in Prop Backrower or Center Backrower).
Doesn't look like a prop to me as in skinny for a prop but I concede I actually have only seen him pass to Roger in pre season. We seem to be short on centres that are durable other than Mr. Pompey.
But to your point. There are pros and cons to specialists or versatiles for sure.
Might be a Freddy Lussick type prop
Maxigesic Recovery Report: Three cleared for action
Three One New Zealand Warriors players cleared from injury list to return to action this week.
www.warriors.kiwi
Looks like Leiataua might be coming back via nsw cup? Still in the extended team named though
Win this and the dream of a top four finish stays alive. Stuff the for and against, just pull off a miracle one pointer boys.
if we win, we can do better than top 4. At that pt, We'll be 4 pts ahead of 3rd. With a relatively soft draw to finish the season, 2nd would be ours to lose. If we lose, we'll still be 2 pts clear of 4th. Providing we come back strong after the loss, a top 4 finish would still be on the cards.
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