TWL RD 24: KINGZ CONTAINER CREW WARRIORS PLAYER RATINGS
The frustrating part is the tenacity and effort the Warriors showed in a 24-10 defeat in the Brookvale rain probably would have been enough to turn their previous three losses into Ws and have the Top 8 dream alive and well.
Arguably their best half of footy in more than two months – though far from perfect, particularly defensively – held in-form Manly to 10-all at halftime. Despite the increasingly bumbling efforts on attack (and an inexplicable decision to decline a gift two points when the scores were still level and the heavens were about to open), it required a lot of heart to hang in at 16-10 until a 68th-minute dagger effectively sealed their 2024 fate.
Even allowing for the deteriorating conditions, though, the visitors’ haplessness with the ball near the Sea Eagles’ line in the second stanza was excruciating. Retiring legend Shaun Johnson, who was up and about in the first half with a try and a key hand in the other, was the worst culprit.
The uncomfortable truth for us as a fanbase in the short term is we’re not going to be able to field a line-up much (if at all) stronger on paper next year. Uncomfortable truth No.2 is that with a sample size now as big as 2023’s, Webster’s Warriors look a hell of a lot like McClennan’s, Elliott’s, McFadden’s and Kearney’s…still better than Brown’s. Spare me the injury excuses, which weren’t afforded to his predecessors in similar circumstances.
Meanwhile, like the Warriors, Chris Butler and Kasey Badger, the Raygun of Bunker officials, can look forward to having September off if Graham Annesley and co. have any scruples.
Hard to see how anything could go wrong with Butler and Badger.
— Nick Tedeschi (@Tedeschi8181) August 16, 2024
In a repeat of last week, genuine standouts were a bit hard to come by in the Kingz Container Crew player ratings, with the stronger performers having forgettable moments. No out-and-out shockers either, however. And at least they covered the TAB’s whoppingly disrespectful 15.5-point start.
There’s a big farewell at Mt Smart next week and then an unappealing road trip to Cronulla to look forward to, but the Round 27 bye is feeling like a merciful early mark at this stage.
Match Highlights
Manly have kept their top-four hopes alive with a gritty 24-10 win over the Warriors at a wet 4 Pines Park. pic.twitter.com/AXfmCoPG6m
— NRL (@NRL) August 16, 2024
1 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: Pretty hard to find too much fault with a game-high 207 metres and a try assist, plus just the one error in what turned out to be a tough night conditions-wise. Lacks the X-factor of most other No.1s – which is magnified when the rest of the team is not going well – but continues to do a solid job with the grit-infused qualities he does have. 7
2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK: Took an absolute buffetting from the Manly defence but kept coming back for more until the final whistle, finishing with 19 runs for 184 metres – and started making some real inroads in the second half as the rain pelted down, despite his glorious hair looking a bit lifeless as a result. Trademark finish to get the Warriors’ second and his 12th for the year, while almost set up a crucial try with an infield skirt and deft kick. Hard to blame him for opposite Hopoate’s clinching try when the damage was done on the inside. 7.5
3 ADAM POMPEY: Denied a strong try by the Bunker and produced a line-break assist among some encouraging runs (nine for 85 metres) and nice touches. Reasonable defence display with 17 tackles and one miss, but not busy enough and produced the error that allowed Manly to wrap it up. 5.5
4 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: Yet again, best work was carrying out of danger – 16 runs for 149 hard-earned metres this week, with a game-high eight tackle-breaks – which he does regardless of the number on his back. But infuriatingly went into touch during the first half before bombing a try by ignoring an unmarked DWZ. Better defensively this week after getting a bath from Herbie last Sunday, but centre looks the least suitable of his three potential positions. And given he’s probably not among our best two centres, potentially not one of the two best wingers and arguably not the best fullback, shoehorning the modern great into the line-up in 2025 is shaping as a headache rather than the coup it seemed when he signed back on. 5.5
5 MARCELO MONTOYA: Given the hard graft CNK, DWZ and RTS were getting through, a return of 13 runs for 102 metres was less than satisfactory when that’s the strong point of Marcelo’s game. Outjumped by Garrick for the Sea Eagles’ go-ahead try in the turning point of the night. 5
21 LUKE METCALF: Signs of what we’ve missed in his 108 metres from 14 runs, but needed to see more of him sniffing around the middle for opportunities. The limited playmaking ability that was a fairly obvious drawback in 2023 was hard to ignore as well. An error and a penalty. Enough there to wonder what might have been this year with a fit Metcalf and Johnson. But the former being a genuine No.7 successor for the latter? Ahh, no. 5
7 SHAUN JOHNSON: Generally outstanding for the first 35 minutes, kicking well and getting the attack humming – which eventually told when he backed up to open the Warriors’ account then set the movement in motion for their second. But a dropped ball just before halftime set the tone for the rest of the match. Two bad drops and an even worse pass – all near Manly’s line with tackles in hand – were a significant part of the team’s failure to add to their second-half tally. Twenty runs for 117 metres, 16 tackles and a phenomenally high 75 receipts reflect the effort, but ultimately hard to watch when we’re so close to the end of one of the great careers. 5
8 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE: Speaking of close to the end, another mighty performance from the Cronulla-bound bookend. Spelled for just 10 minutes, laid on the try for SJ, racked up 163 metres on 16 carries, and forced errors among a huge tally of 35 tackles. Just one of three starters not to have an error or penalty, though threw a couple of loose passes on attack in the first half. 8
14 FREDDY LUSSICK: Called up late in the week for Egan and did a decent job aside from the as-expected less-than-crisp service. Little to note on attack besides coming desperately close to a crucial try late in the first half, while chewed through a game-high-by-miles 47 tackles in 68 minutes. 6
10 MITCH BARNETT: Twelve runs for 117 metres and 30 tackles suggests a busy enough night for the stand-in skip, but it’s hard to recall a more anonymous performance visually in 2024 from everyone’s favourite Warrior of the year. Few moments of impact besides getting put on report and giving away an inside-the-10 repeat set. 5.5
11 MARATA NIUKORE: Well-contained by Manly as he hit that familiar under line during his opening shift. Finished with 83 metres on seven carries, along with 27 tackles and three misses in 57 minutes, and a penalty conceded. Still not enough output for the pricetag and would love to know where Webby stands on the original 2024 plan of moving Marata into the middle contingent. 5
12 KURT CAPEWELL: Aside from giving Kasey Badger an opportunity to test her dubious skills in the box with a clumsy decoy run that denied Pompey a try, was one of the best on the night. A return of 10 carries for 126 metres reflected a series of long, weaving runs, while he played the full 80 and racked up 40 tackles. An error and a penalty, but overall one of his better games in the Warriors’ jumper. 7.5
13 DYLAN WALKER: Another night featuring a massive workload (particularly given he played only 58 minutes), grafting for 145 metres on 20 runs and 37 tackles, and consistently putting his body on the line. Much quieter in the ball-playing role than usual. 6.5
6 CHANEL HARRIS-TAVITA: Thrown on at dummy-half for the last 12 minutes and wasn’t able to do much more than make a few tackles and get put on report for a crusher in the dying moments that crushed the hopes of 1-12 punters. 3
15 TOM ALE: More than made the most of his 26 minutes on the park, notching 88 metres from 10 runs and troubling Manly with his nifty footwork and post-contact grunt, as well as making 15 tackles and coming up with a good grubber clean-up. 7
16 JAZZ TEVAGA: The error was a big one – and kind of set the tone for a succession of Warriors fumbles near the Manly line in the second half. A shame, because he again a ball of energy off the bench, making 18 tackles and 54 metres from five runs in 31 minutes, along with an outstanding grubber and tackle to force a repeat set. 6
17 DEMITRIC SIFAKULA: Four runs for 39 metres and 15 tackles without a miss in 22 minutes, but also got put on report twice – though I’m still none the wiser about what for after seeing the replays. 4.5
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