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I am proud of the team tonight. Leota tried to big Daddy intimidate Fish early on on Fish punched him back and that was leadership and she was all on from there. I Pap made a difference off the bench. Well played young man and former Warrior.
Somehow they neutralised CNKs hit ups. I didn't see him to a single good carry all night and that seemed to be a game plan from them to stop our dominant back three metre makers. It was a great tactic by Ivan to take that strength away from us. They were putting a lot of forwards in their kick chase line and giving us stiff shoulders in the tackle. Ivan had his finger prints on that victory.
Great game to watch despite the dissapointment.

Is it weird that I feel we should’ve won that?

We were pretty dominant for majority of the game, all their tries were either extremely opportunistic or just unbelievably soft D (the dummy half try and Capwell completely missing the defensive assignment on papalii)

Like I don’t feel like they outclassed us. Tough pill to swallow. Can’t see Penrith going much further based on that display.

I know it was wet but this game highlighted how we are never winning with a fullback that can’t pass. CNK’s poor pass gifted them the To’o try. He just can’t be our number 1 next year.

Also for sixth billion time can we please fuck off DWZ this offseason.

CHT stepped up and played well I thought.

Zaggo said:

Webby had a shocker. Playing TMM as a lock, then late mailing in Healey to barely play. What was the sense in that? The bloke really cannot use a bench effectively and it has cost us time and time again.

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I thought he nailed the rotations.

This to me was one of his best coaching efforts. Had the team up and liked his creativity in using TMM in that way.

There probably isn't space for both TMM & Healey on the bench but I like the roll of the dice.

The match was lost on the back of individuals who are simply not up to scratch.

Webby squeezed every last ounce he could from what he had to work with.

I've been a stern critic of his at times but I'm struggling to fault him this game.

Leon Black said:

Agree, Leroy Carter, Caleb Clarke would be nice, but plenty of quality in NPC too!

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Have you seen much of Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi in our Jersey Flegg?

The last 3 or 4 games of the season he looked unbelievable after being pretty quiet prior to that. Size, speed and power for a wing.

We poached him from the Auckland Club Rugby scene, he's 21 I believe. But he looks like he might have a future in first grade.

After dropping Rapheal Sio for him, Brandon Norris and him were just terrorising teams on each wing.

Give it two years and we will have some really strong wing stocks (age in two years time) -
Sio Kali (22)
Haizyn Mellars (23)
Ezekiel Davidson Faaiuaso (20)
Brandon Norris (22)
Motu Pasikala (22)
Harry Tauafiafi-Iutoi (23)

I kinda forget just how good Cleary can be - take him out of the Panthers side, and do they even make the finals?
Legit one of the greats just painted another masterpiece

65 minutes in

Score is 12-8 to the panthers

We have the momentum, amazing defensive set, panthers only gain 20m

Cleary kicks from inside his own 20

CNK is standing out of frame.

Ball bounces favourably, forward pass, game over.

Anyone complaining about effort after that one can get fooked!

Thought we played great. 2 of their tries were very fortunate - that bounce of the ball was nuts for the first try and then running 60m after a dropped ball from us...I don't think that's happened to us all year. Very unfortunate really.

I thought it was largely even, and if it weren't for a few fortunate bounces of the ball our way, i think it would have been pretty close in those last 15 minutes.

Still, I thought Penrith played really well after that initial 20 min period and really got in the grind and it was actually a great game. Probably sums up our year though, a couple of fortunate bounces in the wrong direction when we need all the luck we can.

There's enough there for a premiership imo. A couple of small tweaks, a key signing and a bit of luck injury wise and I think 2026-2029 were looking really, really decent

Energy, effort and attitude was there tonight. That’s all I wanted from our team.

I wasn’t confident we’d win. But even after the loss, I’m still sad. I love this team man. I want to see us win it all.

I can’t wait for that day. But it won’t be in 2025.

But we over achieved this year. We were in the top 4 for the majority of it. Injuries ruined what was becoming a special run. Our depth was tested. We’re not ready to compete at the top just yet. And that’s all good.

But as long as this club keeps moving towards the end goal - to build a consistent sustainable club that develops talent through our family-first culture that ultimately cultivates winners on and off the pitch - we will see that success sooner than later.

Played like shit the last month or so, still good enough for a home final and we could’ve still beat the reigning premiers if things went our way today.

If anything, through the anger and sadness - im proud.

UP THE FUCKIN’ WAHS

It was as intense as a Kiwis v Roos test match, that's all I ever asked from a NZ team in the nrl, blood spilled and 100% effort, as usual just undone by two of NZ's best league products, Ice and Nathan. I miss Mets and Barney.

Honestly I am pretty happy.

I guess realizing that watching the Warriors with your kids in a final is making memories as a family, certainly takes all the sting out of losing.

We really stood up tonight. So proud of them.

How many times did we make them die with the ball on the last in our red Zone???

Kamau te wehi.

good season boys. Proud of every one of them. Never gave up against the 4 time premiers.

No matter what people say here, we really did overachieve this year. It would have been nice to have one last hurrah tonight. Nothing would have been sweeter than proving the Aussie dicks on fox wrong tonight. But it wasn't to be. Those last 2 penrith tries were lucky a.f. Those two balls being knocked back by the Penrith players. Bounce of the ball goes the other way and it could have been a different story. Just wasn't our night tonight.

But luck aside, the cold hard truth is we aren't good enough to win this comp yet. Penrith clearly still are. But I believe we'll get there in a few years. We are a club on the up under Webby and we will be back stronger and better next year.

Up the wahs!

Penrith too good,

Boys were up for this, a blind man should see that.

Just couldnt convert and when it was time to play catch up footy, thats just not our go.

The injuries meant we limped into the finals really, Maybe some philisophical changes needed next year to how we play.

Disappointing way to go out but overall id have to say a solid season and a pass mark for Webby and the boys,

I thought we played about as well as we could with the team we had. Couple of things go differently who knows what the result would’ve been.
Final few thoughts;
Dallin can’t play FG next year.
Metcalf is our guy.
Barnett is our forward leader on the field. Perfect foil for JFH.
Healey needs to be in the team with 30-40 minutes per week.
Niukore can move to an off field role or water boy. Don’t care, just no more on field action please.
Pompey can go be a solid centre for another club.

I think with a full strength team, juniors moving up and a couple of recruits we go much deeper next year.

Honestly the game plan was great, just players can’t pass the ball at the right time or catch the ball, that was literally the difference, we should have run over the top of them in the last quarter

We got no speed makes it hard to score trys!

Bloody proud of the boys.

It's been a shitter of a season with injuries and we've still given it a good crack.

I'll definitely need the off-season to get my blood pressure down, but next March can't come sooner.

Honestly, I thought that was a pretty good way to end the season after the last few weeks. I thought we turned up to win it, just don't have the cattle. We weren't that far behind.

It will be great to have our injured return next year, but we need more quality signings to contend in 2026

As if the panthers needed a helping hand. That pass forward was the killer in the end.

Good season all in all, but hard to take this one. Because I thought we fought very hard until that point.

Panthers weren't that great and wont win this year.

I hardly ever dream. But last night, I had one about our wahs. I've been pretty nonchalant all week. Feeling like this was all a waste of time. And we would get our asses handed to us.

I won't disclose what happened in my dream. But I believe our boys will be up for this. I have butterflies in the old puku. And I am hyped. I haven't felt like this for a while. Way different emotions today compared to the past week.

I don't believe that(In my wife's words) dreams are a window to future events. Cos none of my wet dreams have ever come true.

But I feel so confident, That I went out and done something I haven't done in 10 years.

I brought a new Jersey.

Win or lose, This is our team folks.

Up the mighty Waaaahs!!

7.30 Alarm clocks go off
8am Team Breakfast
9am Free time - a few pods break out and clusters of friends within the group go out for a game day coffee.
10am Team meeting to review at a high level the game plan even though everyone knows it.
11am players return to their rooms. Some have a nap. Some write their own game plan out in a journal.
12pm Lunch with food controlled by the nutritionist
2pm Team Bus leaves to Mt Smart
3pm Warm ups and Webster has a one on one with each spine member, Webster also singles out a few key players and says something he has saved up for them.
4pm-5:50pm Regulation warms ups like any other game day
5:50pm 4 time premiership winner and captain James Fisher Harris gives inspirational speech
6:05 pm Cue Timmy Trumpet intro song