TWL RD 23: KINGZ CONTAINER CREW WARRIORS PLAYER RATINGS
Going down in golden point via the first field goal in the NRL career of a one-season Warriors reject and Dolphins fourth-stringer from 41 metres out…could there have been a more apt way for the finals chances of this torturous season to be all-but-officially snuffed out?
Sure, it was a gutsy comeback, creating an absolute thriller. Effort can’t be questioned, so that’s already a marked improvement optically on last week. The Warriors also got some dogshit calls in an eventual 34-32 loss that hinged on Sean O’Sullivan’s out-of-character strike.
But there’s so much about the way they go about their football and their limitations in key areas that is going to maintain our impressive record of never finishing with the spoon for some years, but will also likely ensure we don’t play finals again anytime soon without the post-SJ addition of a couple of blue-chip pieces or the rapid emergence of a key-position prodigy.
The Warriors clawed back from 12-0, 20-6, 26-12 and 32-26 down – against an (albeit desperate) Dolphins team that had won two of their last nine and has routinely butchered match-winning positions.
Defence was regularly abysmal, gallant on occasion. The first hint of attacking enterprise did not arrive until the hour mark.
And after goalkicking again proved an agonising bugbear for the second time in four games, the field goal department proved a major shortcoming for the second time in five games. In 2023 the Warriors sat at the pointy end of the NRL’s clutch scale solely due to Shaun Johnson’s presence; right now there’s not a band of hapless pluggers you’d less rather have your hard-earned on going into extra-time.
Andrew Webster is proud but disappointed. So are we. But pride in disappointing performances without fundamental change will merely lead to more disappointment. On that note, here’s your Kingz Container Crew player ratings – a strange one with the lowest high of the season but the highest low in a loss of the season.
Match Highlights
A Sean O’Sullivan field goal clinched the Dolphins a Golden Point win over the Warriors! pic.twitter.com/JHiYs3hfRN
— NRL (@NRL) August 11, 2024
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: Absolute howler in the in-goal to allow Kaufusi to score the first try but was otherwise safe as houses at the back. Ran for a team-high 243 metres from 23 carries in typically industrious fashion. Ball-playing on attack was patchy at best, but at least he was giving it a go. 6.5
2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK: Made a healthy 178 metres from 16 runs but was largely a non-factor aside from taking early-in-the-set carries from the Warriors’ end, with the ball rarely finding its way to his flank in a meaningful way. 6
3 ALI LEIATAUA: The definition of a mixed bag. Got a veritable bath from Jake Averillo at times, then showed his natural class by scooping up a loose ball to stroll in and score. Seconds later, made a searing line-break but followed it up on the next play by bombing a try and getting HIA’d courtesy of a teammate’s knee. Eleven runs for 147 metres, 13 tackles with four misses, plus a ruck infringement. Enough there to suggest he has the highest ceiling of any current Warriors outside back by some margin. 6.5
4 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: Puzzlingly moved from the wing back to centre despite the absence of a first-choice option returning to the backline, RTS again struggled to get the attacking opportunities your average NRL centre would hope to see in any given game. But made a herculean contribution of 21 runs for 237 metres, including a game-high 117 post-contact. On the downside, missed five tackles – most notably getting stood up big-time for opposite Farnworth’s second try. Won’t be getting marked down for one of the worst calls of the year – for a supposed high tackle – that gifted the Dolphins two points. 6
5 ED KOSI: Ed is Ed, no more and no less. Superbly taken try from a high ball – genuinely top shelf. Pretty strong on the carry with 126 metres from 12 runs. One bad jam where he came up with nobody and Jake Averillo raced into space to set up Nikorima’s try, while he missed three tackles and made three handling errors. Not his worst, not his best. 5.5
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: A hard one to sum up. The goalkicking is tricky and so often a thankless task – the two misses weren’t sitters, but they were pretty kickable and they were crucial. Did the bulk of the general play kicking without anything too amazing or disastrous, ball-playing was OK at times but on the whole not great, and laid on a great try for Sifukala with some hot-stepping and an offload. A 17-tackle tally was offset by one lazy high shot. Miles off with two good field goal looks. 5
7 TE MAIRE MARTIN: Another tough one to unpick. Was directly responsible for the Warriors’ first four tries: put the bomb up for Kosi to score in an otherwise pedestrian first half, threaded a neat grubber through for Capewell’s try, fired a dusty pass that bounced up for Leiataua to stroll in and followed up his own grubber to score after a Dolphins cock-up. Had a further line-break assist and essentially a fourth try assist with a brilliant grubber that led to Barnett’s penalty try. Ran for 160 metres. On the other hand, had a handling error, little authority in terms of managing the game or steering the team around the park and was barely sighted once the scores were tied late, leaving a nervous CHT to carry the can. Can’t be the No.7 next year without the purchase of an elite No.6. 6
8 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE: A big 67 minutes from the soon-to-depart AFB, racking up 204 metres from 20 runs and 27 tackles. A couple of handling errors blotted his performance slightly but hard to have to much of a crack at him in that sort of effort. One of the most fascinating aspects of 2025 will be how much the Warriors miss him with the equally (more?) elite, but less number-crunching, JFH stepping into the breach. 7
9 WAYDE EGAN: Played the full 84 minutes, made a team-high 47 tackles and the odd dummy-half dart, as well as a try assist for Sifakula. But again not overly impressive with a slew of questionable hit-a-forward-runner options near the line late in the tackle count. Totally overshadowed by opposite Max Plath (who also made 63 tackles to complement his uber-dynamic display) and has barely put up an above-par display since that blinder against Souths that propelled him into the NSW Origin convo. 5.5
10 MITCH BARNETT: All action in the first half with a kick-chase regather, as well as a deft kick – both of which were unlucky not to get a result. Big work-rate with 16 runs for 139 metres and 33 tackles, then earned the penalty try that sent the game into golden point on sheer effort. Also a cold drop and a bit of a defensive misstep as Kaufusi steamed through to set up Averillo’s try. 7
11 MARATA NIUKORE: Another hardworking performance (11 runs for 100 metres and 29 tackles) without the sort of impact you’d want from a player of his size, mobility and calibre. Six missed tackles and a handling error, albeit from a difficult CNK pass. 5
12 KURT CAPEWELL: Some continuing trends for the Queensland Origin veteran, with his third try and four games and finishing in the centres yet again due to injury. Played the entire game and did everything asked of him without getting overly involved, finishing with 12 runs for 92 metres and 37 tackles. 6.5
13 DYLAN WALKER: The victim of one of the more abhorrent sin-bin calls of 2024, effecting his only break of the match. Wasn’t able to make his usual imprint on the game, despite a sound work-rate (17 runs for 137 metres and 37 tackles), while Plath getting clear and set up a runaway Farnwoth while he stood in close proximity flatfooted wasn’t a great moment. 6
15 TOM ALE: Got 18 minutes and got busy enough with four runs for 45 metres. 5
16 JAZZ TEVAGA: Yet another high-energy, high-production display off the bench as Jazzy continues to put himself front and centre in the shop window. Played 39 minutes, during which time he chewed through 34 tackles and made 11 runs for 101 metres, with no errors or penalties. 6.5
17 DEMETRIC SIFAKULA: Only 12 minutes but a rousing return to the NRL for the first time since his ACL setback. Scored a crucial, milestone try with a hit-and-spin move and made 50 metres on five carries in a memorable cameo. Expect him to play 18-20 games in the top flight in 2025. 6
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