TWL RD 17: KINGZ CONTAINER CREW WARRIORS PLAYER RATINGS
The Warriors’ 26-12 loss to Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium could be viewed with rose-coloured lenses courtesy of a gallant rearguard second-half performance after getting steamrolled in the opening 40 minutes, but the most crucial upshot may come in the form of potentially serious injuries to a pair of spine stars.
The Broncos comprehensively outmuscled a rattled and disjointed Warriors outfit to lead 18-0 at the break, with a try right on halftime an apparent backbreaker.
But the visitors dug in and regrouped – in the face of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (41st minute) and Luke Metcalf (67th minute) to trim the deficit to 20-12 with plenty of time on the clock…and subsequent opportunities that slipped agonisingly out of reach. Gehamat Shibasaki’s second try with five minutes left put the result to bed.
Despite the impressive regroup with a rejigged and depleted line-up, the Warriors’ first back-to-back losses in 2025 heading into their last bye leaves them in a critical spot with a new halfback and fullback potentially required, on top of NRL-quality centre and wing stocks already being threadbare.
Our fourth-placed boys get another weekend off in Round 18 – and are still guaranteed to have a four-point break on the chasing pack – before reconvening for a vital home assignment against struggling Wests Tigers, by which stage the Warriors’ last win, a premiership-contention statement at Cronulla, will have been five weeks ago.
For now, here’s a real mixed Kingz Container Crew Warriors player ratings bag from a tough afternoon out in Brisbane.
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: An afternoon to forget for the indefatigable fullback. Manhandled at every turn – making just 54 metres from nine runs in the first half – before exiting with a concerning knee injury in the opening stages of the second stanza. 4.5
2 ED KOSI: The rating most of you came here for. *Cracks knuckles*. A fairly significant career sample has proved time and again that if you pick Ed often enough in one season, he’s going to come up with a shocker. The big fella was very good earlier this year against the Tigers, Broncos and Cowboys, so you knew this was on the horizon…particularly when he was very questionably picked ahead of early-season wing stud Taine Tuaupiki. And while this wasn’t a bed-shit of the proportions of 2021 v Dragons or 2022 v Storm, it’s a frontrunner for the worst performance by a Warrior in 2025. Four errors – including being metres behind where he should have been for a gift-wrapped try that could have cut the deficit to two points, and a horrendous dummy-half pass that skidded 20 metres along the ground – and ridiculously jammed for opposite number Karapani’s try and almost handed him another with the same ploy but for RTS’s heroics. Tried hard with 13 runs for 116 metres but struggled for genuine impact, while his limitations as a finisher were exposed early on. Pick again at your peril. 3.5
3 ADAM POMPEY: Notched a try assist and was far from disgraced in a tough individual match-up with Kotoni Staggs, but it’s a return of seven runs for 52 metres and Staggs’ dynamic performance that provides a stinging reminder of the type of pedestrian centre performances Warriors fans have become conditioned to accept as adequate over a decade and a half of not having a decent, consistent one. Pompey is way more reliable than he used to be, but how often is he actually really, really good? 5
4 ROCCO BERRY: Is the son of All Black ever really going to get it? Looked classy at times in 2023-24 outside SJ and inside DWZ, but in patchwork backlines he’s repeatedly struggled (when not getting injured) and today, his 36th NRL game, was a glaring case in point. Made some great tackles, kick-chase was characteristically on point and produced a line-break, but awful, awful defence for both of opposing centre Shibasaki’s tries, and ran Kosi over the sideline with a dumb offload that went a metre forward anyway. Time to move on. 4.5
5 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: One of the Warriors’ best again, as he has been in almost every outing in 2025. A team-high 172 metres from 18 runs, great finish for to score his team’s first try, defused multiple kicks in style and came up with a vintage try-saver on Karapani after switching to fullback – where he may end up for the foreseeable. 7.5
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: Struggled for rhythm down the Broncos’ end during the first half but made up for it after the break with a lovely hand in RTS’s try and a pinpoint kick for Halasima to score. Big ball-running load with nine runs for 106 metres – including a thrilling line-break and a team-high three tackle-breaks – and got that potent shoulder humming again in defence. 7
7 LUKE METCALF: Kicking game near the Broncos’ line impressed during the first half and had a hand in Roger’s try, but was a bit below par overall before exiting with what looked like a long-term knee injury with 13 minutes left. Just four runs for 21 metres, but made 21 tackles. 5.5
8 JAMES FISHER-HARRIS: Big captain’s knock in tough circumstances, topping the tackle count with 38 and leading the Warriors’ forwards with 14 runs for 125 metres in 54 minutes. Consistently looked to lift an outplayed pack with a big effort on either side of the ball. 7.5
9 WAYDE EGAN: Some penetrating ball-running from dummy-half – including a line-break – and racked up 36 tackles. Incredibly unlucky to be pinged for an incorrect play-the-ball after a great run. Came out firing after his HIA interval. 7
10 MARATA NIUKORE: A mix-up in the first set of the match and only made four runs for 33 metres. Some big defensive moments among 25 stops with no misses. 5.5
11 KURT CAPEWELL: Back from an Origin blinder and back in the back-row, but somewhat inevitably ended up back in the centres again later on. Stats (seven runs for 58 metres and 24 tackles) modest but effort areas invariably on point. 6.5
12 JACOB LABAN: Not quite the same sort of dynamic qualities we saw in the previous two breakout games – and lost the ball after getting poleaxed by Kotoni Staggs – but nonetheless solid in 58 minutes, working hard with 32 tackles and 10 runs for 72 metres. 6
13 ERIN CLARK: Another typically big 67-minute shift from the tireless lock. Something of a rarity that he didn’t top the run metres count for the pack but still had 16 runs for 122 metres and racked up 35 tackles, plus popped a team-high three offloads. 7
14 TE MAIRE MARTIN: Earned his utility crust today with a 10-minute stint at hooker for Egan’s HIA, a quality 25 minutes or so at fullback and a closing 13-minute stint in the halves. Some good touches in each spot and came up with a sensational try-saver on temporary opposite number Reece Walsh. 6.5
15 JACKSON FORD: Numbers were well done on his tremendous 2025 output with seven runs for 58 metres and 30 tackles in 42 minutes. Gave away two penalties, albeit one dubious one for obstructing a player that was miles offside. 6
16 DEMETRIC VAIMAUGA: Looked more likely than anyone to spark something for the battling Warriors after being injected and was excellent again in 36 minutes, reeling off 31 tackles and eight runs for 52 metres, along with a couple of offloads and an increasingly slick passing game. 7
17 LEKA HALASIMA: Perhaps rode the pine for too long but made a big impact when injected. Seven line-bending runs for 59 metres, 21 tackles and another sensational try from a bomb that has promoted the rookie into the realm of Jeremiah Nanai and Haumole Olakau’atu in terms of second-row aerial threats. A penalty for obstruction when the Wahs had something cooking from their own end was regrettable. 7
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