Might sound silly, but I reckon Clark will take him on. It’ll need more, but this guy plays with a real chip on his shoulder and I reckon he’s going to take this challenge up
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This is a massive game now that the Cows, Dragons and eagles all lost. Beat the Sharks, and we go 6 clear of the chasing pack with a bye to come.
In the context of securing a top 4 place and with our run home, this game is absolutely huge.
A week after losing Skip, a result tonight would be the icing on an incredible first half of the season. To be 10-3 if we win would be a dream and a few banged up boys can get a week off to rest and recover.
I got nothing else to say. Just turn up, defend like beasts and take your chances.
Treat this like a prelim where there are no tomorrows. Great semis practice.
Let’s fkn go.
In the context of securing a top 4 place and with our run home, this game is absolutely huge.
A week after losing Skip, a result tonight would be the icing on an incredible first half of the season. To be 10-3 if we win would be a dream and a few banged up boys can get a week off to rest and recover.
I got nothing else to say. Just turn up, defend like beasts and take your chances.
Treat this like a prelim where there are no tomorrows. Great semis practice.
Let’s fkn go.
I'll tell you how I know Webster is a great coach. Name one player whose development has regressed or stagnated under his watch? Tell me that Mitch Barnetts rise from Newcastle Knights journeyman to State of Origin and Kangaroos rep isnt in some part due to Websters mentoring. Jackson Ford going from a Dragons cast off to regular starter. The rise of juniors like Leka Halasima, Rocco Berry, Ali Leiataua, Demetric Vaimauga, Taine Tauupiki and Jacob Laban. The seamless debuts of Kalani Going, Sam Healey, Moala Graham-Taufa and Tanners Stowers-Smith. How players like Marata Niukore and Erin Clark have been able to find another gear. When Webster told us Luke Metcalf was our prince in waiting and to just be patient, was he wrong? Even the much maligned Edward Kosi looks decent under Websters stewardship.
When you think of the coaches with a reputation for getting the best out of players like Webster you see he's in some esteemed company. Now its still early days for Webster but its very clear to me that he's a great man manager and a natural leader. The players seem to have the utmost respect for him. He's slowly turning the team into a competitive force. Given time I know he'll take us to the promised land. Andrew Webster is that guy...
When you think of the coaches with a reputation for getting the best out of players like Webster you see he's in some esteemed company. Now its still early days for Webster but its very clear to me that he's a great man manager and a natural leader. The players seem to have the utmost respect for him. He's slowly turning the team into a competitive force. Given time I know he'll take us to the promised land. Andrew Webster is that guy...
Very well put sup and we can all relate to unfinished business in our lives.
Always had a soft spot for Cappy, he taught us shape and if wasn't for the corrosive team atmosphere and piss weak management, he may have been the head coach with Webby the back up/recruitment/pathways guy.
The other thing I've noticed lately is that the two of them are the only mouthpieces for the club. No Cam and no Mohawk. Grade coaches get a bit of a mention but that's it.
Tight ship
Always had a soft spot for Cappy, he taught us shape and if wasn't for the corrosive team atmosphere and piss weak management, he may have been the head coach with Webby the back up/recruitment/pathways guy.
The other thing I've noticed lately is that the two of them are the only mouthpieces for the club. No Cam and no Mohawk. Grade coaches get a bit of a mention but that's it.
Tight ship
If Webster was about the cash he would never have come to try to right the Titanic of the NRL.
If he was financially motivated then he would have looked to sign a future deal with another NRL club after winning the Dally M coach of the year.
Mate this guys entire history in the game is about being David vs Golliath.
He literally gets off on trying to get an underdog to beat the big names in Rugby league.
Websters first coaching assignment was in America, he took on the Connecticut wild cats as a player coach, he took them to a GF and lost.
So going offshore for challenges is in this guys dna, he literally breaths challenges outside of the conventional system.
To reinforce that statement Websters next coaching assignment was in England with the Hull Kingston Rovers as an assistant.
After that he returned to Aussie for a year under the Eels, but decided to go back to the Hull Kingston Rovers for another 3 seasons.
See the pattern here? Hull KR are a shit club in search of a 'this is our year' season. Webster has returned to the Warriors for the second time for the same reason.
After that Webster bounced around between the Eels and Tigers (his home club) in the lower grades....before he came here in 201 5 under Cappy.
It has never been discussed on this Forum but I guarantee you that the main reason Webster wants to stay here for a decade in his own words is that the club also agreed to hire McFadden.
I bet you that during the time they were together here in 2015 those two men formed a friendship and social circle with wives and kids, I guarantee you that those two had beer fueled rants about what the Warriors could be if they had the support of management.
And here we are now, Webster and McFadden back together, finally able to construct that thing they both would have (as recognized footy nerds who love the NZ life style) planned years ago over a bbq on the Coromandel with smoke in the air and sand in their toes.
Webster is looking for the big prize, the permanence of being the first ever coach to win a title for an entire nation.
Nick Politis can offer all the money he wants, Mowhawk I guarantee you would counter in a fashion that may not be Billionaire rates, but would make Webster a wealthy man in his own right.
Lets not forget bro that Mt Smart is a sell out two years in a row under Webster, money is a non issue the business is well and truly in the black here and could make Webster a multi millionaire quite comfortably without denting the Warriors brands revenue.
Great insight as always SJ.
This guy is a dead set machine.
I do wonder how long he can keep it up for though- he must be a very sore boy.
I do wonder how long he can keep it up for though- he must be a very sore boy.
Like I said. Mitch moves into an unofficial forwards assistant coach role for the season. He will be doing his recovery and rehab and coming to Mt Smart, to study the opposition players with the video analyst and work with the young guys to help them mentally. His never say die attitude needs to run deep with our young guys who need to dig in and not let him down. JFH now needs to stand up a little taller and pick up some of the slack.
I suspect Demetric will now be asked to play more minutes and get more involved. Don’t forget Laban, TSS and Bunty - all will play roles here.
This week - one game to the bye. A win here locks us into the 4 and gives us a 3 win buffer to 6th. Massive game for us. A win for Barney here at Shark Park will be special.
Let’s hope all of our efforts go into pumping the shire and putting them back into the chasing pack.
Onwards.
God no. Even Bunty is 2x a good as Tapout
Season aside, just absolutely gutted for Mitch.
Career best form, starting origin prop.
Hope he recovers well and comes back strong in 2026, doesn't deserve to go out like this.
Career best form, starting origin prop.
Hope he recovers well and comes back strong in 2026, doesn't deserve to go out like this.
Huge blow but I feel this team is going to rally even harder! Barnett will still have a huge influence around the club.
I think Jackson Ford is ready.
I think Jackson Ford is ready.
Ford plugging another mid game injury and churning out 60mins.
This is why he was first picked on my bench pre season. No fuss, powers through his work, the motor to go the distance if necessary.
The type of player other players love to play with.
This is why he was first picked on my bench pre season. No fuss, powers through his work, the motor to go the distance if necessary.
The type of player other players love to play with.
Having rewatched the game, I think this was one of our better performances all year despite the recurring heart attack. I think we started off a bit flat, but that was to be expected given the brutality of the Raiders game last week. Canberra also started flat last night against the Chooks. That game really took it out of both teams. But when we warmed into the game, we did demonstrate that we are superior to Souths. Latrell was the only reason this looked close. Having said that, 7 tries to 5 should have made for a more convincing scoreline if Luke had kicked a few more of his goals.
On the negative side, yes, we leaked 30 pts. But we've shown all year that we can defend well, so the real takeaway was that we actually have points in us. 7 tries and 36pts. With better kicking, we'd have put 40+ on Souths, a team that coming into this game was in the top 5 defensively. Erin's fast ptbs and powerful runs from our back five really set the scene for Wade to come back to his 2023 form. LM feeding Marata damaging lines on the edge on the front foot. Demi and Leka's footwork and late offload troubling the defensive line. Was also great to finally see some fine attacking shape starting to emerge with 2 wingers who can finish. RTS coming back to the form we were expecting last year: 3 tries in 2 games now and 170ish meters in this game.
On the improve note, we need to manage our interchanges better. We do struggle when Erin comes off around the middle of the second half, which is when teams tend to make a late run against us. Also, it looked like we were pushing Marata to prop when Leka came on. Marata played almost the full 80 yesterday which I don't really like because he really doesn't have Ford's motor. He is damaging in limited, controlled spells like Royce Hunt at Wests or Talakai at the Sharks. That's how I prefer we use him. Probably was a result from Barney's injury though.
On the negative side, yes, we leaked 30 pts. But we've shown all year that we can defend well, so the real takeaway was that we actually have points in us. 7 tries and 36pts. With better kicking, we'd have put 40+ on Souths, a team that coming into this game was in the top 5 defensively. Erin's fast ptbs and powerful runs from our back five really set the scene for Wade to come back to his 2023 form. LM feeding Marata damaging lines on the edge on the front foot. Demi and Leka's footwork and late offload troubling the defensive line. Was also great to finally see some fine attacking shape starting to emerge with 2 wingers who can finish. RTS coming back to the form we were expecting last year: 3 tries in 2 games now and 170ish meters in this game.
On the improve note, we need to manage our interchanges better. We do struggle when Erin comes off around the middle of the second half, which is when teams tend to make a late run against us. Also, it looked like we were pushing Marata to prop when Leka came on. Marata played almost the full 80 yesterday which I don't really like because he really doesn't have Ford's motor. He is damaging in limited, controlled spells like Royce Hunt at Wests or Talakai at the Sharks. That's how I prefer we use him. Probably was a result from Barney's injury though.
How awesome that we have not needed to create this thread earlier!!!
32 points should be enough to qualify.
We are currently on 20 and have two byes to come meaning we need to win 4/12 remaining games.
The last two years 38 points has enough to be top 4 (regardless of points diff) so that would mean we need to win 7/12.
As the table currently stands number of teams we play in each position
Teams 1 -6 - two
Teams 7-12th - four
Teams 13th - 17th -six
Still a long way to go and any nrl team can tip you up - but we are well positioned.
32 points should be enough to qualify.
We are currently on 20 and have two byes to come meaning we need to win 4/12 remaining games.
The last two years 38 points has enough to be top 4 (regardless of points diff) so that would mean we need to win 7/12.
As the table currently stands number of teams we play in each position
Teams 1 -6 - two
Teams 7-12th - four
Teams 13th - 17th -six
Still a long way to go and any nrl team can tip you up - but we are well positioned.
Blocker ruined the game for me, the bunnies were the best team according to him.
Fu@k I hate him as a commentator,
His player calls were rubbish and his other call's ie. Knock ones or forward passes he got wrong .
Fu@k I hate him as a commentator,
His player calls were rubbish and his other call's ie. Knock ones or forward passes he got wrong .
Crazy how spoiled people get. 3rd half way through the season is INSANE. PD is basically a season long equivalent to 1 draw game. We've made it insanely hard on ourselves for whatever reason, but every win we've been the better side. Even last week we were possibly the better side.
This is an incredible season. We lost Tohu/SJ last season then Walker mid season (plus monty who would be useful).
Any fan should be incredibly psyched with this season. We are so far ahead of schedule its mind boggling. Webby is getting incredible work out of a very middling team on paper.
If we can get even half as good as the dogs at recruitment we're on our way to a prem no doubt.
I guess alot of us long serving fans are just happy & content that we are winning more games than we're losing.
Even if we capitulate from here it's been a success this year when You compare it to some dreadful years this year compares to my personal favourite season 2002 so far.