TWL Rd 15: Kingz Container Crew Warriors Player Ratings
Marks out of 10 after a lost opportunity at Mount Smart.
Your TWL correspondent is back from a Penrose pilgrimage and frustrated with another two competition points gone begging due to a discrepancy in the clutch — Cronulla coming away with a heart-stopping 10-8 win over the Warriors after a start-to-finish arm-wrestle.
A try apiece just four minutes apart in the first half bookended by a penalty goal each left the scoreboard at 8-all heading into the dying minutes, where Te Maire Martin — one of his side’s best on the night — bottled a gilt-edged field goal opportunity.
After Will Kennedy’s freakish charge-down-and-regather of TMM’s strike, Braydon Trindall buried an epic two-point field goal with just over a minute left. The Warriors got the ball back from the kick-off and Adam Pompey subsequently had a tough penalty attempt to send the match into golden point, which slid agonisingly to the right of the posts.
It was a battle for the rugby league purists: tight, tense and fought on a knife’s edge. Enterprise and open play was strikingly rare, though. Probably fair to say the hosts got the rough end of the whistle, but the Warriors’ error rate and increasingly problematic lack of a long kicking game will dominate the discourse equally leading into next Sunday’s suddenly crucial showdown with North Queensland under the roof in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Not a huge variation in Kingz Container Crew player ratings scores with no one on fire but no shockers either ⚖
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1 TAINE TUAUPIKI: Outstanding positionally and under the high ball, while in a super-tight game 19 runs for 155 metres and four tackle-breaks was a great effort. Couple of tough handling errors counted against him. 7.5
2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK: A lionhearted effort from the veteran, defusing kicks and churning out a game-high 22 runs for 160 metres with scant regard for his own body. Bad offload led to Sharks’ only try. 7
3 ALI LEITAUA: Put his hand up for plenty of tough carries (14 runs for 80 metres) and made 14 tackles, but missed a handful and came up with a couple of errors. Solid enough in a game fought in close quarters. 6.5
4 ADAM POMPEY: Early error put the Warriors under immediate pressure and gave away a penalty five minutes into the second half, but otherwise a decent showing. Made 11 runs for 89 metres and 16 tackles, while he kicked two good goals but just missed the one that would’ve sent it into extra time. 6.5
5 ALOFIANA KHAN-PEREIRA: Produced a string of hearty carries (six runs for 50 metres) but the last of those saw him succumb to injury at halftime. 5.5
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: Did the lion’s share of the kicking — adequately enough without being great — and defended very well (17 tackles), but a little flat on the attacking front with four runs and not much to speak of creatively. 6
7 TE MAIRE MARTIN: Again so much to like for a fourth straight week in the hotseat, with a strong running game highlighted by a superb solo try, and an astounding defensive showing that a hefty tally of 23 tackles only begins to tell the story of. He can’t help his lack of length on the last tackle, but there was distinct lack of attacking impetus at the Sharks’ end that has to fall somewhere near TMM’s feet. And that butchered field goal attempt in the dying stages was hard to watch… 7
8 TANNER STOWERS-SMITH: Made the most of his first starting opportunity of 2026, leading all forwards on the field with 16 runs for 137 metres in 50 minutes. Also had a team-high 50 post-contact metres, yet again impressing with his late footwork and leg drive. Racked up 29 tackles. 7.5
9 WAYDE EGAN: The wily rake’s best running game of the season so far with five runs for 66 metres and a line-break, as well as chewing off 43 tackles. Showed Laurie Daley what he’s missing. 7.5
10 JACKSON FORD: Yet another 80-minute effort up front, which entailed a team-high 51 tackles and 15 runs for 108 metres. Ultra-reliable if not as impactful as usual. 7
11 MARATA NIUKORE: Got his most gametime since Round 1 (50 minutes) and looked pretty good, appearing more impactful than six runs for 41 metres and 22 tackles would suggest. Signalled he’s not yet a spent force in a Warriors jersey. 6.5
12 JACOB LABAN: Played the full 80 minutes for the second time this year and put in a big defensive shift with 44 tackles, while looked damaging at times with the ball courtesy of eight runs for 61 metres with three tackle-breaks. Could’ve upped his attacking involvement but overall another step forward. 7
13 ERIN CLARK: Did what he does with remarkable consistency once again, tallying 14 runs for 124 metres and 35 tackles. No big standout moments but no complaints with the intent or effort. 7
16 DEMITRIC VAIMAUGA: Some back-fence charges among seven runs for 57 metres, but did his best work on the defensive side with 27 bruising and haranguing stops. 7
15 EDDIE IEREMIA-TOEVA: It’s been a luckless 2026 so far for EIT, so it was heartening to see the tyro get 47 minutes on the paddock — during which time he racked up eight runs 63 metres and a whopping 39 tackles. 7
22 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: A fumble foiled a promising, rare break after coming on in as a wing replacement — a position he hasn’t started in since the 2018 NSW Cup season. Otherwise marked his return from an eight-week layoff impressively with 13 runs for 107 metres in only half a game. 6.5
14 MAKAIA TAFUA: An eye-catching 16-minute NRL debut for the Canterbury-bred hooker, chopping multiple Sharks in half with his trademark sting in defence among 12 tackles. Also looked very slick at dummy-half. Enough to suggest Healey has a fight on his hands for the bench hooker duties moving forward. 6.5
Great work as always Will, getting these out so soon after the game.
I'm still seething over that loss and it takes me a while to decompress after getting home from the match.
You're more generous than I would be for Dallin, that offload was a dumb play by an experienced player and contributed hugely to us losing that game. I've thought for some time too that running it back the way he does is brave...but dumb... and not as effective as it could be. The opposition knows exactly what he does every time and maybe a bit of variation might challenge their defence more. (I do also acknowledge how easy the game is from up in the stands).
And, as crappy as the officiating was (it was rubbish in the NSW Cup too), I felt our lack of composure contributed greatly to our loss. This was a game where discretion would more often have proved the better part of valour.
The question of composure takes me uncomfortably to the matter of TMM and I am really torn here. He scores a great try and again is mighty in defence, but playing as a halfback there are areas where he is lacking. I am more than happy for him to be in the team - he is doing a lot of great work - but a game manager he is not.
Just my uneducated 0.05 worth.
So Mt Smart Stadium management needs to take some of the blame for the penalty for the not taking the goal line drop out in time. The big screen would normally be playing the game - with the shot clock- at that point. Instead they choose that moment to put on a public service announcement.