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    Tookey 2.0 said:
    Agree with what you say, but with the significant injuries we've had in the last month - Barney, LM and CNK, and to not have Capewah after origin, and to then have a centre go down injured before half time...all things considered, I felt that was a pretty good dig.

    We left a few points out there imo.

    Also, I feel the ref was pretty shit towards us? Ford's ghost strip in the first few minutes, our challenge being declined, and a few other things seemed to go against us. Especially when it was 22 - 14 I had a few worries they were trying to manufacture a closer game
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    I agree with you. Not just with the injuries you mention, but all year we've shown incredible fight when faced with a bad injury situations (especially in the centres). Even last game against Brisbane, with everything going wrong, we really put up a good fight imo. Most other teams probably get blown apart by Brisbane who just decided to be on against us.

    I noticed over the bye week that many Aussies are predicting that we will fall apart and drop out of the four entirely. After all the hard work from the first half of the year, I don't think we're giving up our position in the 4 without a fight. Tanah, TT and co will rise to the challenge as others have done.
     
    That was a B for me. Promising signs, but we played a bit too loose for my liking. To start the year we've been completing at near 90% range. Today we dropped a lot of ball and many of those errors led directly to the tigers 3 tries. That miss by Jackson through the middle for the third try was not acceptable and you could see how pissed JFH was (and rightly so). Nonetheless, we were in control for most of that game and the scoreline did reflect our dominance, especially through the middle. Tigers are just too weak in the forwards to contend for the 8 anytime soon.

    Tannah was great. Certainly different from Luke. Doesn't run the ball or pose the same X factor threat. But he makes up for that by giving us a lot more structure in our attack. The number of times we stripped the tigers for numbers and put DWZ in space was amazing. We haven't seen that since 2023 and certainly never under Luke. Luke just doesn't have the long pass that Boyd provides. He's also a better kicker than Luke. Luke would have missed those two kicks across to the side and made the game closer than it should have been.

    TT at FB was phenomenal. Provides a different point of attack against a staggered defensive line, even if his defensive work rate is lower than CNK. Might provide some of the X factor in attack we lose without LM. Maybe with Berry out, and Ali suspect with injuries too, we give the TT at 1 and CNK at centre a shot?
     
    Finally played well after the bye, hallelujah.

    Boyd diving into the line and squaring up the D line in attack well which we have struggled with all season, as Metcalf is still working on that part of his game. Great club debut, and the attack will only get better with time together.

    Last try could have been avoided, not sure why Webby had Ford out there for 60mins straight, so I don't blame Ford for that one.

    Happy to finally get a win, feels like an eternity.
     
    This upcoming run provides the perfect storm not to panic about change. If Tanah Boyd can settle in and find rhythm in these next few weeks, the Warriors could be entering the finals with both momentum and flexibility. If there had to be a change in the halves, this really is the best stretch to do it. Facing teams like the Tigers, Knights, Titans, and Dolphins, while never easy games, does allow for a more manageable transition for a new chief playmaker. Had it been a run of games against the Storm, Broncos, or even the Bulldogs at Belmore, that pressure would’ve forced a "sink or swim" scenario from day one. Instead, this run gives room to build combinations, manage confidence, and sharpen systems ahead of the finals push.

    Webster has cultivated a belief system that allows for new players like Tanah Boyd to step in without needing to be a miracle worker overnight. The team’s structure and systems are solid, so it becomes about slotting in and executing rather than overhauling. Many fans will probably view Boyd through the lens of his Titans stint. But this is a completely different scenario: better coaching, a more consistent forward pack, and a much more disciplined team around him. He doesn’t need to overplay his hand—just direct traffic, play short sides well, and kick smart.

    The real concern for me is the Bye. we have looked sluggish post-Bye already on both occasions, and the Tigers can sting you early if you're not ready. Their up-tempo style can catch teams on the back foot, so matching that early energy and completing sets cleanly in the first 20 will be key.

    That Bulldogs game away is shaping up to be a litmus test. If the Warriors can bank some points in the next 4 weeks and then give a good account of themselves in that fixture, it will say a lot about their finals readiness—not just from a ladder position, but in terms of grit, control, and execution under pressure.
     
    sup42 said:
    I think people keep forgetting that one of the major drivers for Metcalf to stay has been taken away i.e. the 'high' of playing week in week out as the star player for the club and the buzz of being part of the Warriors dream in the daily gratification sense.

    There is an immediacy that comes from running out every weekend that just isn't there anymore (till next year).

    The guy has nothing but time on his hands, time to think, evaluate, talk with his supports.
    I keep reading people framing this as the club being in the box seat (I was one who advocated that position a lot too, but that was while he was playing/status active) the calculus has changed, the Warriors will need to change with it.

    • These Maxims of Warrior Lore are Universal and underpin all the talk:
    • It is impossible to get a Dally M candidate Australian half to the Warriors unless they were developed within the Warriors system with maximum incentives to stay
    • Any Australian can walk out the door tomorrow - it is called compassionate release, and the Warriors have shown they will only contest a portion of the season that the player is playing when the release is requested, because they cannot afford to play hard ball beyond that. Ergo if the Warriors do not approach the deal in good faith and put their best foot forward they will sour the vibe for Metcalf and might as well stick their eight hundred K where the sun doesn't shine, because a unhappy Metcalf is a gone Metcalf.
    • If the Warriors were to somehow attract a Dally M candidate from Australia to play number seven, a top in form Australian half, in the frame for SOO, then the bidding starts at 2 million dollars a season.
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    Does the individuals talent lead to competition wide recognition or does the team success, coaching, structure and winning football make a player look good.

    Chicken or egg?

    SJ generally aced it under Webster (when not injured); TMM looked legendary when taking over, Metcalf has looked a world beater and I back Boyd to look like the missing piece as well when he gets a chance.

    Websters platform makes our halves look good.
     
    Noitall said:
    With Jahrome Hughes able to be negotiated with in November and the situation with Metcalf, would anyone think we should throw a big offer his way? Think you’d want him next year rather than 2027 when he’s off contract and would he get us through to a period where we’ve got guys ready to take over in the halves? Or is Metcalf our best bet?
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    Speaking of halves, go watch Jack Thompson's highlights from today in Jersey Flegg. Kid is an absolute freak. He's leveling up going from U17 to U21 in one year. Trying to think of the last halves prospect we've had on this kid's level, more talented than SJ at the same age I would say.
     
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