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    Such an emotional forum. Settle down lads and pull your heads in. Same team was always going to be named. A response is required and asked for. You can’t argue that.

    From last years ‘we’re going to a grand final’ to this years ‘we’re so shit’

    I keep saying it - we are NOT a shit team. This team is WAY better than we have displayed. They haven’t yet clicked and they prob need 6-8 rounds realistically to get into a groove. I still believe we will surprise this year as the rounds go on and other teams have injuries. If we stay healthy, we are a big chance as the year goes on.

    Webby got bench rotations wrong last week reacting to what was happening. The off field stuff was a distraction to a team who forgot to show up to play football.

    If they don’t show up this week after 10 days of bashing each other after being belted, then by all means lose your shit.

    But can we all get some perspective here and just chill? Stop fearing Manly. They are deadset rocks and diamonds and they are a turbo injury away from imploding.

    We beat them in the forwards and limit dumb mistakes, we win.

    Warriors by 2
     
    Erin Clark - 180cm 98 kg
    JFH - 187cm 103kg
    Barnett - 187cm 104kg
    Jackson Ford - 187cm 101kg

    Taniela Paseka - 197CM 120kg.
    Aloai - 189cm 106kg
    Olakau'atu - 196cm 113kg
    Sipley - 190cm 120kg

    Just gonna leave this here :unsure: why are all our forwards the same size? I think we may run into a similar issue with Manly as we did against the Raiders unless we wrap the ball and stop offloads. Can't really see us winning the ruck with such a small pack, we're desperately missing AFB with his size - let alone the other attributes he offered the team.
     
    Realistically, we were poor in most aspects for our first game.

    I'm not opposed to giving the players the opportunity to remedy this.

    It's a win-win situation for Webby, if we produce a magic victory hes going to be seen as a special coach, whereas if the same shit happens and we get pumped, he can ring in the changes yet still be the good guy where he tried to let the team take accountability and improve on their shit performance.
     
    Noitall said:
    Someone I think is very astute is nsw cup coach David Tangata-Toa. Was a part of the panthers juggernaut as nsw cup coach there before coming over and seems to be having some success with our nsw cup team to some degree and players like Vaimauga, Halasima, Leiataua, EIT and plenty more seem to have become nrl ready players playing under him. I wouldn’t mind him coming up as an assistant coach, but wonder if he’s too valuable at nsw cup level in his development of players coming through?
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    Tangata-Toa was most recently at the Bulldogs, but (according to Wikipedia) was at the Panthers a few years back.
    Looking forward to see him go well with our Cup boys.

    Beastmode said:
    I just watched the Harold Matts and Jersey Flegg highlights.

    Big strong island boys. Damaging runs up the middle. Warriors have always been known for their size and physicality.

    So begs the question why are we not nurturing and developing this model in FG?

    Why have we been hell bent on going against this for the last two seasons. Our pack is getting smaller and smaller. It’s ridiculous.
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    This is the gap between success in Matts and success in Ball / Flegg. At Matts level, size and power can get you over the line (and, in our case, win it) - but it isn't enough at Ball / Flegg level. Once these kids are getting to 18-19, they've had 4-5 in high performance / development academies with top class coaching, resources and mentoring. Those kids are trained how to win against big boppas - weather the storm, play fast and keep the ball in play.

    Webby and Cappy need time to improve our pathways - it is going to take more than 2.25 years... Penrith's dynasty. That begun with Gus' "five year plan" that he announced in a letter to Panthers members. In reality, he was a bit optimistic - if he had said "ten year plan" he would have been a rugby league savant, because after ten years of building up the development pathways in the Panthers' (pretty wide) catchment would come the beginning of an NRL Premiership 4-peat.

    We, as fans, need to have patience. I'm guilty of it, and damn-right we can question some of Webby's calls (I, for one, can't explain holding back Halasima and Vaimauga - see Fonzy's theory on the TWL pod for one potential explanation), but calling for the "sack the coach" thread to be opened up is insanity. Have we not learned that sacking coaches doesn't improve results on the field in the long-term. Trust in Webby and Cappy to build us toward success.

    (P.s., our fanbase thinking Jett is going to play NRL soon and/or be the next Nathan Cleary is the exact reason why Ivan got Jett away from the Penrith system... could you imagine the Penrith fans' expectations?! In reality, the kid is a developing football player living under a weight of expectation. He couldn't cement a spot in the Panthers Flegg side last year, hasn't played a NSW Cup game and has had some minutes playing against men in just two trial games - cool your jets (pun intended) and just enjoy watching the kid's development.)
     
    I’m fully on board with focusing on the internal growth and development of our pathways—it's absolutely necessary. However, I think we’re facing a few tough years ahead, starting with this one. As it stands, recruitment is nearly impossible. Just imagine how much harder it will be when two more teams join the competition, taking up another 60 top-30 players.

    The reality is, we need to put in the hard work now to ensure the club remains competitive in the future. It’s important to start tempering our expectations for the time being. If we look at the current rosters, it’s clear we’re not in a position to win a premiership anytime soon. Our main focus should be on avoiding a bottom-four finish and building for the long term.

    We’re in for a tough ride, but laying a solid foundation now will set us up for better results down the track.
     
    Lance155 said:
    Wow this sticking the boot in from the media and here is insane. You know we lost SJ, AFB and Tohu (all top 5 in their position). Our first game without them was on a massive unprecedented stage. Round 1, jesus!
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    It’s HOW we lost.

    No defensive intensity.
    Lack of direction.
    Poor rotations.
    Strange coaching decisions.
    Some experienced players not standing up.
    Giving minimal mins to our youth.

    We didn’t even look like winning. That’s the issue.
     
    theniche-cache.com

    Another Underwhelming Round One For New Zealand Warriors To Start The 2025 NRL Season — The Niche Cache

    For the second year in a row, New Zealand Warriors started their season with an underwhelming performance after spending the whole summer training harder and smarter than ever before.
    theniche-cache.com theniche-cache.com

    Another expertly written article, identifying EVERYTHING we’ve said. If we can see it, the media can see it, other players & former players see it, then how the fuck do the coaches who spent every day at the club not fucking see it?

    It’s actually mind boggling the persistence with niukore & Capewell imo. Especially, especialllly when they’ve got young gun edges pushing their case admirably.
     
    I’ve read 30 pages of this now. Whine central. Most of it, I understand and agree with. Some of it is ludicrous.

    What can the team do to change the feral sentiment? A large portion of the support base bit down on the hype that they themselves created. Then failed us on the stage that mattered.

    Only one thing fixes that. Winning. Just win the next game.

    That’s all the coaching staff and players need to control. The Raiders game is gone and over. Most of the reaction to me has been justified but OTT.

    We have a better team than what was displayed, I’m sure of it. We have a coaching team who are better than what they displayed. Agar’s reaction showed a man under pressure - regardless of the circumstances.

    All they need to do is win. Winning solves everything. And to do that requires sacrifice. Holiday camp in Vegas is over.

    Now they need to earn our trust back through performance. Onwards to next week.
     
    #robbiemears said:
    @Wrighty, I think this year is a defining one for Webster. It’s unfortunate because he’s clearly a long-term thinker, just getting started in his coaching career. But the hype machine driven by Cam and the NZ media around "Wah-mania" has created expectations that commercial success alone can't sustain if the team keeps floundering. And it’s not just about losing — it’s how they’re losing.

    Webster seems determined to turn the Warriors into a Penrith clone, mirroring their style and development model. The problem? He’s not Ivan Cleary, Metcalf is not Nathan Cleary, and the roster isn’t built for that approach. Where Penrith have game-breaking talent, the Warriors have inconsistency. Where the Panthers excel at disciplined, structured play, the Warriors have players who, in many cases, wouldn’t start at most NRL clubs.

    The only coach who truly unlocked the Warriors’ potential was Daniel Anderson. He didn’t try to copy anyone — he built a team around the talent he had, blending work ethic, competitiveness, and natural skill into a style uniquely suited to them. No one since has replicated that formula.

    Coaches imprint their personality onto their teams. Ricky Stuart’s Raiders reflect his hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs mentality. Craig Bellamy's Melbourne sides mirror his relentless work ethic from his playing days. Des Hasler's teams, like him, are intense, unorthodox, and tireless.

    And Webster? He’s a nice guy, a personable guy, and his Warriors play exactly like that — safe, predictable, and completely lacking in bite. There’s no aggression, no spark, just rigid adherence to a system that already feels outdated.
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    Love your posts. Always on the money and saying things people don’t want to hear.

    I couldn’t sit in the positivity of 2023 because I didn’t believe it was a sign of things to come, it felt like an outlier then and has proven to be an outlier ever since.

    On the business side the club has turned around its image through taking advantage of the success of that season, Wah-mania and the like. Their social media presence and branding really helped transform the club after the effects of COVID.

    This created an expectation that the playing/coaching squad have failed to replicate since. The players Webby has don’t fit the playstyle he’s trying to implement - like you said, Penrith-esque.

    The club needs to figure out whether they’re playing the long game or trying to win now. If it’s the latter, Webby won’t last the season because we aren’t good enough with what we have.

    Webby needs to throw away what ever idea he had for this team, look at the cattle he has available, and the type of talent they’re developing/looking to recruit, and mould a play-style that’s suitable for our team moving forward.

    We can afford losses if they’re competitive and we see a clear vision - what was served up last weekend was utter trash and provided us with no hope (or faith) moving forward.

    I don’t think firing Webby is the go because we need to build some level of consistency and I think Webby has shown he can grow into a top level coach. He wants to be here and is passionate about the club.

    But he needs to grow a pair and make tough decisions. Who gives a fuck who he upsets? If players don’t want to buy into what we’re trying to build Towards then fuck them off.

    Fuck off anyone that isn’t pulling weight, that isn’t upholding values or showing respect to the jersey.

    Upper management needs to be looked at too. George has been here for a while now. Cappys offseason recruitment efforts left a lot to be desired.

    We know the development pathways that have been established wont bear fruit for another few years yet. What are we doing between then?

    Having cool social media content and nice looking jerseys will only get us so far. Such a shame since Rugby League has taken over the scene here in NZ recently but that won’t last. And it’ll be harder to win them back next time.

    All I know is I’m over following this team, and it absolutely sucks because I truely love this club and just want to see it succeed.But there’s much more to life then allowing this team to continually ruin my (and in turn, my family’s) weekends 5-6months a year.
     
    Problem we are facing as a club. Is most of our 1st grade squad are nearing their 30s or are in their 30s.

    Cnk is 30 this year.
    Rts 32 this year.
    Pompey turns 27
    Dwz Turns 30
    JFH 29
    Egan 27
    Barnett turns 31
    Nuikore Turns 29
    Capewell Turns 32
    Erin Clark turns 28
    Afoa Turns 29
    Ford 27
    Walker turns 31
    TMM turns 30

    Then we have players in the mid 20s range like CHT & Metcalf who should of reached their potential by now. And they play in the most important positions on the field. CHT is a defensive half, Not much else. Metcalf goes missing when it counts.

    So we need the young ones to step up and show the older ones their time is nearly up. They need to prove they can handle the big time

    Webby is to loyal for his own good. His reluctance to inject more youth more often and put the older blokes on notice will not only be his, But our downfall if these young blokes decide to jump ship for more opportunities.

    Halasima, Vaimauga, Laban , Ieremia-Toeava, Kali , Amituanai , Berry & Leaitaua are not the future. They should be the now.
    Be a long dismal season if we don't see more of them included.
     
    mt.wellington said:
    Unwanted but justified. It really does seem like our attack has stagnated and our defence is leaving clear breaches behind the ruck and out wide. As with last season it appears that teams have us fully figured out. Gone are the perfectly timed set piece moves and instead we are pumping the ball wide well clear of the defensive line who have all the time in the world to shuffle across and mark up. Our defense is also sorely exposed as soon as the team fail to win the ruck. Our C defender has barely had time to get back on side before the opposition are already at arms length attacking him.

    Webby needs to evolve and do so very quickly because its not only the Australian media that are baying for blood but there is already unrest from fans and its only been round 1...
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    I think most fans gave him the benefit of the doubt last season with the memories of 2023 still fresh and the number of injuries we had. There were still many questioning, justifiably, his selections and bench use. I think many had an expectation, maybe increased from the clubs PR social media team, that the work had been done in the off season to get the team back to at least being competitive. The round 1 game in Vegas immediately blew those expectations out the window. Whether it was a one off, which I don't think it was, remains to be seen. The pressure is only going to get worse from here because fans don't want hype and words that are not matched with action. It will be interesting to see AWs and the clubs response. It's fairly clear that AW isn't the finished product. Will he change or adapt? Will he get more support from the club in the form of a director of coaching or mentor? Will he reset and start again this season or push on stubbornly? Is there anyone in the coaching setup that can play bad cop and make the needed tough calls when they are needed? It doesn't look like it at this stage.
     
    Matiunz said:
    He’s really starting to get some unwanted attention in the Aus press
    Click to expand...

    Unwanted but justified. It really does seem like our attack has stagnated and our defence is leaving clear breaches behind the ruck and out wide. As with last season it appears that teams have us fully figured out. Gone are the perfectly timed set piece moves and instead we are pumping the ball wide well clear of the defensive line who have all the time in the world to shuffle across and mark up. Our defense is also sorely exposed as soon as the team fail to win the ruck. Our C defender has barely had time to get back on side before the opposition are already at arms length attacking him.

    Webby needs to evolve and do so very quickly because its not only the Australian media that are baying for blood but there is already unrest from fans and its only been round 1...
     
    Inruin said:
    What's your take on the magic round win and the two games after that last season? It felt like AW basically didn't think the team had a chance and left them to their own devices which actually worked well. Less robotic, the team seemed more cohesive. Then it kinda felt like AW wanted to take those players and reintroduce some of the older players that hadn't been performing and mold the team in to his conservative game plan again. A player like TMM for example is not going to be able to stick rigidly to a bomb to the corner and chase plan. It's like he is taking all the points of difference if players that other coaches maximise and dumbs it down to a boring style of play. Zero innovation, zero x factor, zero enjoyment for fans and players. Or am I way off here?
    Click to expand...

    I agree @Inruin. When the young players were thrown in, the team played with freedom and spontaneity, and that energy was contagious. Their natural, free-flowing style suited the talent on the field, but it was never going to last. As soon as he could, Webby reverted to structure, and whatever excitement had been building quickly faded.

    Webby seems to hold a certain reverence for players with established credentials — those with Origin or international experience. He brings it up often when discussing certain players, almost as if he’s in awe of them. As someone who was deeply passionate about rugby league but never reached the top level as a player, I wonder if, subconsciously, he has an inferiority complex that influences his selection decisions.

    The problem is, I don’t think he has it in him to make the tough calls. Struggling senior players like Capewell, CNK, and Niukore continue to hold their spots, while journeymen like Pompey and Ford are still filling key positions when they clearly shouldn’t be.

    To truly turn things around, he’d need a complete shift in mindset — one that fully embraces and actively promotes the next generation of Warriors talent. The best NRL coaches wouldn’t hesitate to make those changes. I’m just not convinced Webster is one of them. Not yet anyway!
     
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