TWL RD 16: KINGZ CONTAINER CREW WARRIORS PLAYER RATINGS
For all you rugby league trainspotters out there, I can confirm that there has never been a 66-6 scoreline in premiership history until today.
That is clearly because it took 116 years since the pigskin was first booted to start the inaugural match at Wentworth Park in 1908 for a performance so hellishly horrific, so devilishly dastardly, to boil up in Satan’s anus and be bestowed upon a team and be on the wrong end of such an ungodly scoreline.
That team was our Warriors, fated to produce it against the last-placed Gold Coast Titans at a vital juncture of the season in front of – at worst – an even split of fans at Cbus Super Stadium.
There’s few other explanations that could suffice, to encapsulate a display so insipid and untimely, so un-Webster-era-like, other than the Warriors were overcome by the whims of ol’ Beelzebub himself.
A bit of further context: the loss was the equal-biggest in the Warriors’ history, their second-highest score conceded ever, and destroyed the usually hapless Titans’ records for biggest winning margin (previously 44-0 against the Warriors in the last round of 2021) and highest score in a game.
It’s incongruous to put these player ratings alongside the industrious good name of Kingz Container Crew, but the DMs and comments during the second half suggest some of you won’t be able to sleep tonight without some vicarious catharsis.
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: Finished with a healthy team-high 19 runs for 147 metres, but arguably put in his worst performance at NRL level. Hard being a last-liner in a loss like this but was absolutely blitzed by his opposite number (among others), made errors, didn’t offload when he should’ve and offloaded when he shouldn’t’ve. 3
2 ED KOSI: One of only three Warriors to break triple figures on the carry (13 runs for 110 metres) and hard to blame him for the club-record-equalling four tries Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored. One dreadful error in contact and just not up to standard when guys like Moala Graham-Taufa are routinely carving up in NSW Cup. 3
3 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: Obviously not to blame for the loss and I thought the sin-bin call was a tad harsh, but gee can RTS find a loss at centre (one win, one draw, six losses…and the win was when he played half the game at fullback). A non-factor today and hasn’t grasped the position. 3
4 ADAM POMPEY: A couple of slick touches and quality tackles early, before his game unravelled in tune with the rest of the squad. Made five runs and nine tackles with four misses, including a shocker to propel Beau Fermor through the line and on his way to a try. One of only three starters not to make an error. 3
5 MARCELO MONTOYA: Showed his limitations as a winger by failing to ice a good chance in space early on, during which he made one of two handling errors. Ten runs for 95 metres. Generally ordinary. 3
6 TE MAIRE MARTIN: Busy, backed up to score the team’s only try and reeled off 21 tackles with only one miss. Got an even share of the good ball in this confused halves pairing with SJ, did sweet FA with it. Also lucky to not go to the bin for a hip drop. 3
7 SHAUN JOHNSON: Like watching your favourite pub burn down. Playmaking was either unimaginative or sloppy, with the flashpoint an 90-metre intercept try from his hand. Had some shocking defensive moments. Writing this is the equivalent of Shawn Michaels’ iconic “I’m sorry, I love you” before kicking Ric Flair in the head and finishing his career at WrestleMania XXIV, but this felt like the beginning of the end…I’ll still back him to get out of this trough. 2
8 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE: Most impressive stat was 34 tackles without a miss; just eight hit-ups for 70 metres. Did a reasonable job under the circumstances, but who would really mind if he went early now? 4
9 WAYDE EGAN: Occasional moments of class were buried under a succession of shocking defensive efforts (perhaps explained away by the kilometre of tape on his arm), awful and selfish option-taking, and handling errors through inattention. 2
10 JACKSON FORD: Made 13 runs for 95 metres and a team-high 40 tackles, but somewhat inevitably had some difficult moments, including bombing a try and making a couple of key misses in defence and giving away a penalty. 4
11 MARATA NIUKORE: Pretty much used as the Warriors’ only offensive weapon by both halves and was well-contained. Ten runs for 75 metres, 22 tackles, minimal positive influence on the contest. 3
12 DYLAN WALKER: Astonishing that Euan Aitken could make such a seamless transition from centre to second-row, yet former Kangaroos Test centre Walker – one of the most versatile players of his generation and most reliable performers in this squad – could look so out of place in his first game there. Worked hard but his game was riddled with defensive clangers, errors, penalties and the capper of pulling up in the chase as Jayden Campbell cruised through for a try from a probing kick. 2
13 TOHU HARRIS: The poor old skipper. Didn’t do much wrong, made 11 runs and 35 tackles, and laid on the Warriors’ only try. But a performance like this doesn’t exactly scream out great leadership. 4
14 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: Sent on to play who-knows-what role, but surely it wasn’t what Webby had in mind. Bad on both sides of the ball in 37 minutes of game-time. 3
15 JACOB LABAN: Actually showed a bit of fire in a brief outing. No complaints…but no one’s getting higher than a 4
16 JAZZ TEVAGA: Gave it everything to lead the forwards with 119 metres from 12 runs in 32 minutes, but the image of his missed tackle as Chris Randall broke through for a back-breaking first-half try will be seared into the brains of the club’s decision-makers as they weigh up whether to offer a contract extension. 3
17 TOM ALE: Carried often and enthusiastically and often during 26 minutes on the field. 3
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