TWL FINALS WEEK 1: KINGZ CONTAINER CREW WARRIORS PLAYER RATINGS

Beaten but not bowed, the Warriors’ season is over courtesy of a gallant 24-8 loss to perennial heavyweight Penrith at Mount Smart Stadium in which the rub of the green gradually accumulated into a boulder of runaway moss against them.

The hosts’ defensive intent held the four-time defending premiers to just 6-2 at halftime, while the Warrior nation dared to dream when retrenched centre Leka Halasima powered over to drag the scoreline back to 12-8 in the Panthers’ favour in the 52nd minute.

But after taking the ascendancy in the arm-wrestle, a kick from deep in their own territory took a freakish bounce for Penrith and referee Grant Atkins’ inability to detect the most obvious of forward passes – on the back of his avalanche of knock-on calls and non-calls, all going the visitors’ way – provided a back-breaking try for young Kiwi centre Casey McLean.

The Warriors came unstuck chasing points and a Brian To’o runaway sealed Penrith’s passage to week two with nine minutes left.

In many respects, the season-ending performance was a major step up from the pedestrian football the injury-hit Warriors have dished up over the past couple of months against mostly also-ran opposition. But, as feared, threatening with the ball in hand was a big drawback.

The Warriors desperately needed a clutch of players to produce standout displays, but – as the last Kingz Container Crew player ratings of the season illustrates – no one really did.

Despite finishing the year with six losses from their last eight games (and the two wins coming against the lowly Dragons and Titans), Andrew Webster and his unheralded squad can look back on 2025 as a year of considerable overachievement: only the 10th Warriors team to reach the finals in 31 seasons; just the seventh to win 14 regular-season games; the immense progress of a host of young forwards; and all done following the loss of Tohu Harris before a ball was kicked, Dylan Walker a couple of rounds in, and the midyear ACL blows to two of probably their four most important players in Luke Metcalf and Mitch Barnett.

How much juice Webster can squeeze out of this roster without some astute recruitment remains to be seen – but we unquestionably exit the season in better shape than we entered it.

1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: Tried his guts out with 25 runs for 187 metres and loads of clean-up work at the back in the first half. Chimed in nicely with an assist for the Warriors’ only try – a rarity in the match and 2025 in general. Can’t question his heart or motor, but can the Warriors really get much further with the NRL’s least dynamic attacking fullback without a genuine top-shef half? One error, one inside-the-10 set restart. 6.5

2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK: A few full-throttle charges but a return of 11 runs for 104 metres was underwhelming. A horrific goal-line/in-goal blunder mercifully went unpunished when the Warriors reclaimed the line drop-out…but it was bad. Beaten a couple of times by elite opposite Brian To’o. 5.5

3 ADAM POMPEY: Disappointing finish to a strong season. Finally got some attacking traction and spoiled it with a handling error – one of two for the night. Just seven runs for 68 metres. 5

11 LEKA HALASIMA: Chucked in as starting centre for the first time and always looked the most likely to bust the game open on the Warriors’ behalf and scored a superb try to bring them back into the game, finishing with 13 runs for 128 metres and five tackle-breaks. But it unravelled for the game-breaking rookie in the latter stages, firing a pass over the sideline and coughing up the ball as To’o raced away for the match-sealer. What a year but. 6.5

5 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: Did what he’s done relentlessly over the past couple of months – racking up 22 runs for 179 metres, including a game-high 74 post-contact – but was pretty well contained by the Panthers. One error and one penalty. Great season. 6.5 

6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: Did the vast majority of the kicking, which was curious, and produced one of only two line-break assists for the night. Light on creativity and taking the line on, and made two errors. Below his best. 5.5

7 TANAH BOYD: Night started horrendously when he missed touch from a penalty in the first minute. Running game was dangerous after making a long break late in the first half but – aside from a nice hand in Leka’s try – struggled to get the right-edge attack firing, while he bizarrely only kicked five times and made three errors. Went off with an HIA just before it all went to custard. 5

8 JAMES FISHER-HARRIS: Enormous work-rate recently but only mustered eight runs for 75 metres, though racked up 43 tackles without a miss. One error and one ruck infringement. Has to be said – from the outside looking in – performance-wise JFH hasn’t quite lived up to his marquee billing. 6

9 WAYDE EGAN: Went through the motions for the most part – only getting his running game going a long way into the contest – and option-taking on attack in the first half was a bit patchy. Made 38 tackles but missed six. 5

10 JACKSON FORD: Absurd game-high tackle count of 61 in his first game returning from a three-game suspension. Eleven runs for 84 metres and no errors, but gave away three penalties and an inside-the-10 six-again. 6

4 KURT CAPEWELL: Switched back to the seconrd-row in a late change and work hard without the ball, making 42 tackles (five misses). A modest six runs for 51 metres on attack, with one error. 5.5

12 MARATA NIUKORE: Bigger minutes with Leka out in the centres rather than off the bench and upped his work-rate with eight runs for 83 metres and 34 tackles. Better, but still not earning the reported salary. 6

13 ERIN CLARK: In arguably Webby’s most baffling rotation call yet, his most industrious, dynamic middle forward got just 39 minutes of game-time in the biggest match of the year – his least of the season and the first time he’s played less than 50 minutes since Round 6. Still managed 14 runs for 117 metres – easily the most of the Warriors’ pack – and 24 tackles without a miss. The Simon Mannering Medal (and TWL Kingz Container Crew Player of the Year gong) is surely his. 7

14 TE MAIRE MARTIN: Fascinating to see TMM used as a middle forward for 32 minutes – ostensibly at the expense of more minutes for his best middle – but did the job admirably, before filling in at halfback during the last quarter. Eight runs for 63 metres and 31 tackles, providing a dash of creativity. 6

16 DEMETRIC VAIMAUGA: Massive defensive shift with 35 tackles (no misses) in 41 minutes, but just six runs for 40 metres and one bad, bad penalty. 5.5

17 TANNER STOWERS-SMITH: Made a sizeable impact with four runs for 46 metres, but was pulled after only 19 minutes. Made 14 tackles with four misses. 5

20 SAMUEL HEALEY: Promoted to the bench in a surprise late change but was only injected when Egan went off with an HIA…and then was hooked despite the Warriors needing points. Bit of a waste and didn’t get too much of a chance to get anything going in just 14 minutes. 5