Analysis: Leading from start to finish, NZ Warriors produced perhaps their most complete performance of the NRL season so far, dispatching Newcastle Knights 26-12 at Christchurch’s Apollo Projects Stadium.
Their fifth win of the campaign briefly catapulted the Warriors into second on the competition ladder and broke an 11-year Anzac Day drought, since they last won on the Gallipoli commemoration.
Here are some of the main points to come out of the result:
Line-up shuffle
During the week, coach Andrew Webster hinted he hadn’t settled on his game-day squad yet and, sure enough, sprung a change before kick-off, moving Marata Niukore into the front row, Leka Halasima into the second row and dropping Jackson Ford back to the bench.
The move was primarily designed to unleash teenage sensation Halasima on the Knights early, after his outstanding starting performance against Brisbane last week.
“That would be such a learning curve for a guy like Leka in his sixth or seventh NRL game,” Webster said. “Marata’s played a lot of front row at Parramatta, so we knew he’d do a good job there.”
Ford was just getting used to coming off the bench and wouldn’t have been too stressed about resuming that role – if it did it didn’t show in his game.
While Halasima’s three-game tryscoring streak was broken, he probably did more with considerably less time on the field.
He logged 39 minutes, running 11 times for 122 metres, including 32 post contact, and made 23 tackles.
In 69 minutes against the Broncos, he ran 11 times for 92 metres, 29 post contact, and made 23 tackles.
Jacko’s dream 50th
During the week, Jackson Ford talked about the change in his role this season, from primarily playing on the edge to moving into the middle and coming off the bench.
With the departures of Tohu Harris and Dylan Walker – and now the injury to James Fisher-Harris – Ford has had to become flexible in his preparation from one week to the next.
Initially named to start at prop, he was shuffled back to the bench before kick-off, but produced a dream two-try performance for his milestone.
“Lucky he’s a modest guy,” Webster reflected. “If I was him, I’d be bragging about two tries from the front row.
“He got one in the corner too. I know why he’d be there – he’d be chasing like an absolute lunatic, because that’s what he does.
“I don’t think he was out of position. I just think he was literally hunting them down, like he always does.
“He’d be thinking, ‘I’m going to put this guy in the in-goal’ and the next thing, he’s got an opportunity to score a try.”
Dual sin-bins
The Warriors haven’t been known for their explosive starts this season and this looked like becoming another slow getaway, when Niukore was put on report and sin-binned for a high tackle just two minutes into the game.
Luckily, counterpart Leo Thompson was pinged for the same offence a few minutes later and the contest became 12 versus 12.
During the seven minutes with reduced line-ups, the Warriors stamped their authority on the game, scoring a try through Adam Pompey, with another disallowed.
“I thought we dealt with that period really well,” Webster said. “It was really fortunate to see the guy falling, but got up straight away – they’re cracking down on those moments big time.
“You could see we were on and embracing the fact we only had 12 men.”
After his pre-game switch, Niukore had a stop-start night, spending 10 minutes in the bin and then departing later for a head check, which he passed.
With this tackling record, he’s likely to miss next week’s Magic Round game against Souths.
Metcalf hobbled
Halfback Luke Metcalf again provided perhaps the defining moment of the game, when he poached a pass from counterpart Jack Cogger near his own goal-line and sprinted the length of the field, before he was finally chased down.
Newcastle got back to make a couple of tackles on their line, but could not react quickly enough to stop hooker Wayde Egan crossing from dummy half.
The Knights had just scored opening points through winger James Schiller and, at 16-6, another try would have given them some momentum towards a comeback.
Instead, the Warriors pulled clear again and would add the icing on the cake inside the final 10 minutes.
Metcalf struggled with cramp over the final 25 minutes, often dropping to the backfield, as he tried to stay on the field.
When Pompey scored the final try, Taine Tuaupiki assumed goalkicking duties and Metcalf eventually left the field in the dying moments, with the win assured.
“Nothing serious,” Webster confirmed. “These players are like racehorses, some of them, tightly tuned.
“Last minutes in the game, I just wanted to get him off, in case cramp turned into something else, as they started running and doing things differently – just a precaution.”
Kick-chase success
The Warriors have often been criticised for their last-tackle options in recent years, but built their success against the Knights on contesting high kicks near the Newcastle goal-line.
Pompey was particularly adept at this, terrorising opposite Schiller all night.
He scored the first try of the night, when centre Ali Leiataua contested a high kick from Chanel Harris-Tavita and Kurt Capewell executed a dive-pass for his winger hugging the sideline.
Then Pompey chased another CHT kick and offloaded to Leiataua, who then found Ford inside him.
The third try came from another CHT kick and Pompey chase that resulted in another set of six and Ford’s second beside the posts.
The Warriors kickers peppered the right side of the Knights defence from close range, but directed most of their long kicks between fullback Kalyn Ponga and winger Greg Marzhew, with the advancing defensive line limiting their running space.
“I thought they were great in the air,” Webster said. “We competed really well on last plays and we practice a lot of that stuff, where we stand and how we do it.”
Disallowed tries
Both teams had two tries disallowed and on all occasions, there were only millimetres in it.
Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad had an early try ruled out, after Halasima ran interference in the defensive line, preventing Bradman Best from getting across in cover.
With a one-man advantage, Tuaupiki took a long pass from Metcalf and dived over in the corner, but replays showed he dragged a toe into touch, before grounding.
Marzhew had a try scrubbed in identical circumstances, while Schiller had a nightmare on the other wing, dropping a couple of passes with the line open in front of him.
He seemed to have scored, when Pompey spilled a high kick into the goal area, but replays showed centre Dane Gagai had a fingertip on the ball in the aerial contest.
Schiller eventually scored a try, when Gagai burned his defenders and delivered inside to his winger.
Christchurch crowd
Teams almost always praise the support they receive from their home crowds, but when their crowd is 1000km away from home, that support is even more appreciated.
Seemingly deprived of their own NRL expansion team for the foreseeable future, 17,000 patrons turned out for their adopted side.
“Mate, it’s awesome here,” co-captain Mitch Barnett said. “I was lucky enough to play down here last year with the Kangaroos – I was with the away team and they cheered me.
“It was one of the best moments of my career. I love this crowd and, with the Warriors tonight, they were twice as loud – it was awesome.”
That’s why the Warriors have committed to playing home games in Christchurch for the next three years, although by next season, they’ll have the brand new One NZ Stadium – coincidentally branded for the team’s main sponsor – as their venue.
That’s a bit of a shame, since Apollo Projects Stadium was originally Rugby League Park, but was redeveloped and co-opted by other codes after the 2011 earthquakes.
Next up
The Warriors take another “home” game elsewhere, when they face South Sydney Rabbitohs at Brisbane, as part of the NRL Magic Round.
Souths sit midtable with four wins and four losses, falling to Melbourne Storm 24-16 this week.
They’ve had more than their share of injury concerns, losing captain Cam Murray for the season before it even began and now veteran half Cody Walker for at least a month.
Supercoach Wayne Bennett has moved enigmatic star Latrell Mitchell around the park, trying to find ways to give him the ball, so that will be something to watch when he names his team to take on the Warriors.
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