General Which win was better? Warriors R11 vs Penrith or R12 vs Dolphins

[Beastmode]

With the bye this weekend, thought I'd start a thread to discuss our last two fantastic wins and determine which was the better WIN.

Both victories totally unexpected, but very important for our top 8 chances.

Lets discuss and debate.

I'll post stats and feedback today as i review the Penrith game, then tomorrow I will watch the Dolphins and give my review to conclude which was the better game.

Feel free to re-live these good times with me.

Lesh go.

ROUND 11
Warriors (13th Placed) vs Penrith (3rd Placed), Round 11, Suncorp Stadium
Score: 22-20 WARRIORS

WARRIORS
last 4 games:
12-30 Lost to Dragon
24-27 Lost to Titans
8-14 Lost to Knights
18-38 Lost to Rooster

Team List
1. Tuapiki
2. DWZ
3. Ali Leiataua
4. Pompey
5. Montoya
6. CNK
7. TMM
8. AFB
9. Egan
10. Afoa
11. Ford
12. Barnett (C)
13. Walker

14. Ale
15. Jazz
16. Laban
17. Roache

Injured - Berry, Nikoure, SJ, RTS, Tohu Capewell, CHT, Lussick, Metcalf
Returning from Injury - Walker, Jazz

PENRITH
last 4 games:
22-6 Win against Tigers
26-20 Win against Cowboys
42-12 Win against Rabbits
16-10 Win against Bulldogs

Team List
1. Edwards
2.Turuva
3.Tago
4. Alamoti
5.To'o
6.Jack Cole
7. Luai
8.JFH
9.Mitch Kenny
10.Leota
11.Garner
12. Liam Martin
13.Isaah Yeoh (C)

14.Lindsay Smith
15. Eisenhuth
16.Peachy
17. Sorensen

ROUND 12
Warriors (13th Placed) vs Dolphin (4rd Placed), Mt Smart Stadium
Score: 24-20 WARRIORS

WARRIORS

Team List
1. DWZ
2. Kosi
3. Moala Graham Taufa (MGT)
4. Pompey
5. Montoya
6. CHT
7. TMM
8. Niukore
9. Roache
10. Afoa
11. Ford
12. Barnett (C)
13. Walker

14. Ale
15. Jazz
16. Laban
17. Lussick

Injured - Berry, Egan, AFB, CNK, SJ, RTS, Tohu, Capewell, Tuapiki, Ali Lieuatua, Metcalf
Returning from Injury - CHT, Lussick, Nikoure

Dolphins
last 4 games:
14-18 Lost against Knights
28-26 Win against Cows
30-24 Win against Manly
24-12 Win against Tigers

Team List
1. Tabuai Fidow
2.Isaako
3.Averillo
4. Farmworth
5.Bostock
6.Nikorima
7. Kato
8.Jess Bromwich (C)
9.JMK
10.Kaufusi
11.Aitken
12. Lemuelu
13.Plath

14.Nicholls
15. Josh Kerr
16. Kenny Bromwich
17. Ray Stone

 

[Inruin]

Both deserve it in their own ways and can easily make an argument for either

I just think that Panthers game, away, all the injuries, our previous form etc against the 3 time champs was amazing. I think that win gave us the believe for the Dolphins game that we could win that one as well. Took all the pressure off us, like a release valve had been opened.

 

[Damo]

I don't rate the Dolphins even with their ladder position at the time.
Panthers on the other hand have won plenty even with Cleary out, who was their only major injury from memory. Beating a very strong Panthers team beats out the Phins for me.

 

[Beastmode]

Both deserve it in their own ways and can easily make an argument for either

I just think that Panthers game, away, all the injuries, our previous form etc against the 3 time champs was amazing. I think that win gave us the believe for the Dolphins game that we could win that one as well. Took all the pressure off us, like a release valve had been opened.

Yeah, i tend to agree to start.
Losing 4 in a row, against the reigning premiers who won last 4, full strength except for Cleary
Playing away from home (travel, etc)
Demoralising lost to the roosters.

Things to look out for in the Penrith game
AFB's body language and play. Was he dropping lip?
I want to watch the young guys - Laban, Roache, Ali, Tuapiki to see how much of an impact they really made outside the stats
Walker, Jazz, - back from injury
CNK @ 6 - wanna see his positional play, on D and A and how much it differs to when hes at #1

So much to look at - all of it GOOD

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Dolphins for me. That's the win that gets our season back on track, and allows for 6 points in 3 weeks, before our big players come back. It was our season right there, and it all went wrong with hit after hit in a disruptive week. 10 top players out and we outplayed them, especially up front. I think it was the club's most important win in years, and hopefully we can back it up after the bye to set up a run to the finals. I also think the game set a blueprint for future weeks and allowed our depth a serious platform to impress and get FG match fitness. It was one of my favourite wins of all time. The Dolphins are not a top side, but I still think they are an improved team from last year with some very good players. They just need Flegler and Gilbert (and 1 or 2 youthful signings) badly in an old and outclassed forward pack. They have had a soft draw, but they have been winning well, and that can never be underestimated in the NRL.

The Panthers win was epic, we played well, but we also got lucky. The Panthers didn't turn up, and we saw that on Cleary's face after the game. Still, it was nice to do what we didn't do last year and beat one of the actual contenders.

 

[Beastmode]

1st min - Tuapiki kicks off - and the ball goes out on the full -penalty to Penrith on half way.
2nd min - Penrith try to Edwards from hands through the backline.... Edwards slices through Tuapiki and Montoya....

Penrith 4-0

I mean fuck, could you get any worse of a start?........................................
Well Ed Kosi says hold my beer for the next game!

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Dolphins have had a piss easy draw, they won’t get near the 8

 

[run_it_str8_again]

Penrith game. We were no chance. Probably negative chance. That win was earned. It was the wrestling back the trajectory of this season.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

Riff game. That Cleary postgame showed just how much of an upset that was.

 

[Ever Hopeful]

Dolphins have had a piss easy draw, they won’t get near the 8

No, but ending the season with probably around 26-28 points is a pretty decent return for their squad. Especially missing Flegler and Gilbert. Wins are wins and the Warriors made a meal out of their "piss easy" part of the draw

Teams 7-8 are not going to be particularly strong finals contenders in 2024

 

[Ever Hopeful]

The Warriors have used 27 players in the last 4 weeks. That is crazy!

Any mathematical/stats nerd want to try and guestimate what percentage of our cap we were missing in the weekend?

 

[Damo]

Dolphins have had a piss easy draw, they won’t get near the 8

With such a good start they will probably hang in there I think.

 

[Beastmode]

Vs Penrith.

4th min - Penrith error - Yeo drops the ball on 4th tackle 40m line Penrith half.

5th min - Ali down - fucks up his right ankle in tackle. Couldnt see anything in it but Tago had his arms wrapped around Ali’s a ankle so may have twisted on the way down...

7min - Ford down - cops a boot on the head trying to tackle and heads off to HIA.

10min Penrith error - drops the ball - Alamonti.

12min - Egan down - head in the wrong place and off to HIA

Bloody hell… dropping like flies here..

Also saw nothing from AFB that would suggest he’s dropped lip. His defence looked strong and impactful. Some nice passes and opportunities created in the first 10mins. Solid tackles by Walker and straight hard running by CNK, Pompey and Laban. A couple of shitty nothing 5th tackle kicks from TMM but we’ll forgive him for that. A couple of half breaks from Tuapiki and Montoya looked good.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

With such a good start they will probably hang in there I think.

They’ll repeat last year, if they win 3 more games I’ll be surprised. Very tough end to the season.

 

[tyrael]

They’ll repeat last year, if they win 3 more games I’ll be surprised. Very tough end to the season.

They going to have players coming back though. Look good much better on the left they are with Farnsworth. They will get Flegler back soon.

 

[Beastmode]

Vs Penrith.

15min - Warriors survive Penrith attack - Penalty gifted by the ref for who knows what.
Luai does a grubber to the in-goal - Liam Martin and Tuapiki fight for the ball. Bunker rules, Tuapiki knocks the ball back, and Martin knocks on!

16min - Warriors survive again - 20m restart, tries a risky offload by Laban to Roache hits the ground and picked up Tango to score... replay shows ball hits Lindsay Smith's hand before hitting the ground... knock on....

18min - Jazz loses our CHALLENGE! - loses the ball in a sloppy PTB and proceeds to call a challenge and loses it... smh... bloody hell Jazz... on the 5th tackle too... and i think he just came on!

20min - Penrith error - JFH throws a wild pass to Too who watches the ball go flying into touch!
21min - Penrth error - 5th tackle kick, Too and DWZ compete for the ball and Too knocks on. Warriors ball!
22min - MONTOYA SCORES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alot to digest leading up to that try. Repeat sets, quick PTB, hard running up the guts from Walker, Jazz, Laban, Barnett and AFB had Penrith defence scrambling. 4th tackle they go to the LEFT wide with holes in Penriths line. TMM draws and pass, CNK does a double dummy pass then off to Montoya to score in the corner.

Another man down - Montoya walks to sheds after hurting his arm when scoring.

Ford is back from HIA, Egan gone for the night, Ali limping around the field and now Montoya off.
Pompey goes to Wing, Laban covers at Center.

SCORE: 4-4 after 22 mins

 

[sup42]

Gee it is close in a way I would not have expected. Should be any win over the best team in the world all day.
I have the Penrith win out front.

I think going into it nobody including possibly even the players thought they could win, but they gave it a hell of a go and their confidence grew as they saw Penrith were cracking under constant pressure.

People were saying Penrith had an off day. Bollocks, the Warriors contested, placed Penrith under pressure, and they went into a terminal dive making error after error due to exhaustion and frustration.

The other reason I say the Penrith game is that it was at lowest ebb as a Club under Andrew Webster, we were really in trouble, deep in a mental rut. Whereas when we faced the Dolphins we are on a high.

From top down our Club needs to be able to believe they can beat the Penrith Panthers when we play well.

Andrew Webster needs to know he can defeat Ivan.

The players need the same message to sink in. The way I see it, once we dropped four winnable games, we need to win two unwinnable games, Penrith is one banked, we now need to take out either the Storm or the Broncos.....or heck beat both and top four is on again in a big way.

I know we need to also win all our winnable contest, that started with the Phins, next the Cows, and such like, but if we are able to beat the Storm and or the Broncos from here, then we will be in the kind of form where those lower table sides are going to have make way and get off the stage.

The Phins victory was mighty, no two ways about it, Warriors C team + beats top four side, you wouldn't read about it.

In an odd way, these two games we are talking about are probably best viewed as a collective, a one hundred and eighty minute orgy of Warrior ecstasy.

The two games are kinda like one battle played out of two weeks, the battle for survival with overwhelming odds, high attrition, lots of wounded soldiers everywhere, fighting with conscripts drafted straight outta highschool.

Under siege and surrounded we hung on for two weeks and held the hill till a cease fire, and now the relief army is coming to our aide with almost an entire Rugby league side coming to the rescue.

It has been years since we beat Penrith so.....

 

[Beastmode]

Vs Penrith

25min - Roache gets a penalty - smart play by the rookie. Could see the marker wasnt square so took a dummy half run straight at him earning the team a penalty.

26min - Roache blocks Walker - huge gapping hole 5m from the line, Walker has the ball, runs to the right and hit Roache standing in front of him then spins back to the left into 5 defenders.... bloody hell.. that was a huge hole for Walker if Roach wasnt there...

CNK looks fired up. So is Jazz and Walker. I never noticed Laban until now... he's really stepping up in defence. Looks to be in everything and putting in the effort.

28min - Penrith Error - some guy, dont know who that was (Smith?) - drops the ball cold in a tackle from Laban

31min - PENTRITH TRY - 3rd tackle they spin it wide in broken play on 30m line Penrith half - too much space. Luai spots a hole between Ali and Roache and squeezes through. Roache knocks over Ali like a bowling ball knocking over a pin...

Penrith 10 -4

 

[sup42]

Dolphins for me. That's the win that gets our season back on track, and allows for 6 points in 3 weeks, before our big players come back. It was our season right there, and it all went wrong with hit after hit in a disruptive week. 10 top players out and we outplayed them, especially up front. I think it was the club's most important win in years, and hopefully we can back it up after the bye to set up a run to the finals. I also think the game set a blueprint for future weeks and allowed our depth a serious platform to impress and get FG match fitness. It was one of my favourite wins of all time. The Dolphins are not a top side, but I still think they are an improved team from last year with some very good players. They just need Flegler and Gilbert (and 1 or 2 youthful signings) badly in an old and outclassed forward pack. They have had a soft draw, but they have been winning well, and that can never be underestimated in the NRL.

The Panthers win was epic, we played well, but we also got lucky. The Panthers didn't turn up, and we saw that on Cleary's face after the game. Still, it was nice to do what we didn't do last year and beat one of the actual contenders.

Good read.

I agree these wins are important for uncovering players. Long term I think the horror injury run was the best thing that could have happened for Websters tenure.

Webster would probably see it differently to us, he would say that he does not need forced selections through injuries to know what he has available to him in NSW cup.

And rightly so, he has never been shy to give underlings debuts for the Warriors in high pressured roles, like Taine, and of course Ali who got his first ever game Vs Jarrod Croker in Crokers 300th testimonial, that was a pretty ballsy move by Webster.

So, whilst Webster would have been delighted by Taine this season, and Moala Graham Taufa, Jacob Laban, Zyon Maiu’u et al, he would say he was not surprised and has a plan for those guys long term. And I'd believe him.

But the thing that possibly surprised Webster about those guys is how well they would cope in teams missing all the stars and Veterans to support them. Because know one knows at the end of the day what happens when you are forced to play a C side populated by people who have never or barely ever played NRL before.

 

[Beastmode]

Vs Penrith

33min - Penrith error from kickoff! can you believe it?? Sorensen loses the ball in a tackle.

33-40min - Warriors ascend. Everyone including AFB, were putting in on tackles and attack. We went into the half the better team with a penalty awarded 2mins before half time which we couldnt capitalise. Same play to the left, with CNK pass knocked down by Turuva otherwise Montoya would have been in to score....

HALF TIME : 10-4 PENRITH