TWL RD 2: KINGZ CONTAINER CREW WARRIORS PLAYER RATINGS
‘Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!’
Well, we were never actually trying to get out of this full nelson-like hold this team has on our souls…but geez, this lot have an astonishing knack of producing their unlikeliest, most stirring victories when a small part of you is verging on wanting them to bottom out to vindicate all the derogatory things you said after the last time they played.
The Warriors were listless in Vegas. Manly was untouchable in Round 1 at Brookvale. But after another diabolical start, the Warriors – so underwhelming in front of a full set of sell-out Mt Smart crowds in 2024 – rediscovered their mongrel and some finishing polish to run out emphatic 36-16 winners over last week’s grand final smokies.
The Sea Eagles needed just three minutes to get on the board and should probably have been two or three tries up but for some poor execution, before the Warriors steamed back to lead 18-6 at halftime – the most first-half points they have posted at home since the halcyon days of 2023.
Some shaky moments ensued in the second stanza – a pair of ever-so-dodgy Manly tries escaped further scrutiny – and a familiar fade seemed way too plausible. But the Warriors were the next to score after each setback, never leading by less than eight points after the half-hour mark.
Jake Trbojevic’s 62nd-minute sin bin took the pressure off and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s try eight minutes later sealed the deal, while a patchy-but-proud-as-punch Luke Metcalf finished it off in the dying stages.
It was clunky, often shambolic and probably not even Top 8 standard – but it was a 20-point win over an NRL light heavyweight, and most importantly illustrated the fire burns brightly in this Warriors team’s belly. A sensible forward rotation helped, too.
Plenty to work on, plenty to work with. Here’s ya Kingz Container Crew player ratings after the Warriors take the cannoli.
Watch all the highlights as the Warriors take on the Sea Eagles! pic.twitter.com/2WUXK1KeDK
— NRL (@NRL) March 14, 2025
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: Seemed a little stuck in Vegas mode during the first half – the sit-down bomb defusal method didn’t help – and played a minimal playmaking role again. But was generally very safe and got better as the match wore on, finishing with a team-high 171 metres on 20 carries and eight tackle-breaks in a solid display. 6.5
2 TAINE TUAUPIKI: He may not be the most natural winger, but holy hecka he’s a good footballer. Came infield to conjure a try out of nothing in the first half, snuffed out some dangerous situations in defence on regular occasions, racked up eight tackle-breaks from a series of strong carries (14 carries for 100 metres) and iced the win with a nifty late intercept and offload. Gotta keep him in the full-strength line-up somehow. 8
3 ALI LEIATAUA: Great bounce-back from his most disappointing NRL showing to date in the States. Powerhouse try running a brave line off Metcalf’s short ball really put the foot on Manly’s throat, while had a big hand in the try on fulltime and did little wrong in between – including making 14 tackles with just one miss. Eight runs for 75 metres. 7
4 ADAM POMPEY: Quiet in attack (six runs, 38 metres) and comms with Rog on the left edge was found wanting, but made his tackles and came up with a lovely flick offload for his winger’s try to seal the game. 6
5 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: A terrible, totally unnecessary jam at the start of each half gifted Manly two of their three tries, and he was caught out on another couple of occasions, too. But also made some good defensive calls, was outstanding carting the ball out of danger again (17 runs for 167 metres, six tackle-breaks) and a brilliant try to clinch the result with 10 to go. Has found his spot. 7
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: Looked the more composed of the halves, finding the in-goal a couple of times with the boot and running with more purpose than his partner. Great try in the first half and nice hand in RTS’s four-pointer. All-round kicking game was sound and signalled that he is the right five-eighth to best aid Metcalf in finding his feet. Very good defensively, too, with 19 stops. 7.5
7 LUKE METCALF: The highlights looked good: lovely hands to put Chanel and Ali over in the first half, and backed up to streak away for a memorable try at the death to go along with six-from-six off the tee. Kicking in general play was OK at best, and poise inside the opposition 20 was all over the shop with some pretty dusty moments. But the result and the positive moments will do Metcalf the world of good moving forward. 6
8 JAMES FISHER-HARRIS: Yes. The passing of the waka hoe from Tohu to the front-row co-captains was symbolic but flowed into the game. JFH looks like he was made to lead this club forward and he was a rock in the middle, racking up 40 tackles and 18 runs for 130 metres in 60 minutes. Won’t have the try tally or highlight reel of AFB, but will match him value-wise. 7.5
9 WAYDE EGAN: Was poking half-holes in the Manly defence well before his crucial break from an error and subsequent dummy-half try a couple of plays later in the 49th minute. Sensational 80-minute performance with equally impressive stats of 10 runs for 143 metres and a team-high 41 tackles. 8
10 MITCHELL BARNETT: Switched to lock and pulled off early in Vegas, the co-skipper put in a massive shift before getting a rest tonight – and that’s how he likes it. Fourteen runs for 120 metres, 33 tackles and gritty AF throughout. 7.5
11 KURT CAPEWELL: Light years ahead of Round 1, even if he was a bit quiet on attacking side of things in the second half (perhaps contributed to by an arm injury). Decent involvement on attack in the first half running some angles, played the full 80 and chewed through 34 tackles in an apparent mismatch with Haumole Olakau’atu, who was a minimal factor compared to last week. 6.5
12 MARATA NIUKORE: Like Capewell, played like he took the entirely justified criticism after Round 1 to heart. Hungry for carries (even when Metcalf probably shouldn’t have used him) and varied his running game, finishing with 10 carries for 80 metres – along with 18 tackles (no misses) – before going off at the hour mark. 6.5
13 ERIN CLARK: On a night where the club saluted retiring legend Tohu Harris, Clark – playing his first game for the Warriors at the ground since his NRL debut eight years ago – proved himself a worthy successor to the No.13 jumper. Led the Warriors’ forwards for the second week in a row with an oustanding 18 runs for 149 metres, along with 22 tackles, as his Silver Ferns legend mum cheered on from the stands. 7.5
14 DYLAN WALKER: An uncustomarily short contribution of 27 minutes, in which time he had seven runs for 44 metres, 16 tackles, and nine passes without creating too much danger. 5
15 JACKSON FORD: Perhaps put under an unfair microscope in Vegas by Webster’s late line-up change and curious rotations, but worked like a trojan in 33 minutes off the bench this time with 11 runs for 111 metres and 26 tackles without a miss in just 33 minutes. 6.5
16 DEMETRIC VAIMAUGA: Similar game-time to Round 1 but very different game situation – and looked more than capable of helping close it out. Four runs for 36 metres and eight tackles (no misses) in 17 minutes. Looks so at home at his level. 5.5
17 LEKA HALASIMA: Like Demetric, this guy clearly has it and looked very hard to handle on his four runs for 46 metres in 20 minutes. Also 10 tackles with no misses. Can’t wait to see more of him, but these cameo outings will be invaluable for the 19-year-old’s development. 6
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