TWL Rd 5: Kingz Container Crew Warriors Player Ratings

The Warriors' Easter Sunday hoodoo continued on a tough afternoon at Cronulla, where few of the visitors left with their reputations enhanced.

The Warriors’ blistering 3-0 start seems a distant memory just a fortnight late, courtesy of a second straight defeat — 36-22 to Cronulla — that felt worse than the scoreboard made it look.

Following a bright 6-0 start, the Warriors’ right-edge defence fell apart like wet crepe paper as the Sharks ran in three unanswered tries.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s vintage finishing and reprisal of his intercept king skills kept his side in it on the scoreboard, but it always felt like the Warriors were treading water with a haemorrhaging wound …and several times the Sharks seemed on the verge of a feeding frenzy that never quite eventuated.

Queries around backline positions during the loss to Wests Tigers became urgent questions for Andrew Webster moving forward — specifically sorting out the fullback/centre puzzle and settling on the halves combination that can make this team a genuine threat.

Late-game injuries to Luke Metcalf and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad may save the coach from having to make an immediate tough call. But confidence — from the fanbase, if not internally — in the line-up that has succumbed convincingly in the past two rounds is ebbing quickly.

The main statlines were relatively square, besides Cronulla’s nine line-breaks to the Warriors’ three, and the 10-1 penalty count avalanche in the away team’s favour (to little avail).

Amid the gloom, a few Kingz Container Crew player ratings silver linings.

1 TAINE TUAUPIKI: While it’s very much up for debate who will best serve the Warriors best in the custodian role, Tuaupiki was close to this bumbling side’s best on a tough day and the scoreline would have been a lot worse without him. Silky ball-playing came to the fore for two of Dallin’s tries, while his defence as Sharks line-breaks piled up was absolutely sensational, setting the tone with a superb 12th-minute try-saver. Strong under the high ball, too, and ran for 111 metres. 7.5

2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK: Brilliant finishing to grab another Shark Park hat-trick, including a sensational 12-point turnaround long-range intercept try. The latter accounted for a big chunk of his team-high 188 metres, but his ball-carrying seemed a lot more forceful than in the first four rounds. Can’t be blamed for the defensive mess on the right edge. 7.5

3 CHARNZE NICOLL-KLOKSTAD: Unfortunately for my well-intentioned hopes and dreams, the CNK to centre experiment appears to have already run its course. All at sea on a shambolic edge that conceded the first three Sharks tries (including being at marker in the centre of the field as they stripped the Warriors for KL Iro’s try) and made two errors. Nice hands for two of Dallin’s tries and 12 runs for 102 metres. 4

4 ADAM POMPEY: Play didn’t get down his channel as much on attack or defence, so Pompey ended up with a modest nine runs for 65 metres and nine tackles (plus a limp attempt to stop opposite Talakai scoring). No mistakes but gave away two set restarts. Uninspiring. 4

5 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK: Not the greatest outing from a handling point of view for the second week in a row, highlighted by a crucial bomb fumble in the second half. Some glaring moments on defence, too, particularly as Talakai scored. But was the Warriors’ most incisive ball-runner with 143 metres from 16 carries and team-high four tackle-breaks. 5.5

6 LUKE METCALF: Certainly hasn’t been the easiest fortnight for the 2025 wonderboy to come back into the fold, nor is it fair to lay much of the blame for either defeat near his feet. Though nine runs for 84 metres and 20 tackles without a miss look pretty good, the eye test told a different story — there was little to get excited about and the left-side attack he marshals was pretty flaccid. A hamstring injury capped an unhappy arvo with Andrew Webster foreshadowing another stint in the casualty ward. 4.5

7 TANAH BOYD: The composure and confidence that marked Boyd’s performances in the first three rounds has subsided substantially. Did almost all of the kicking this week — reasonably well, too — and had a hand in two of DWZ’s tries, but endured several clangers including two handling errors, and was part of the dreaded right-side defence. 5

8 JAMES FISHER-HARRIS: Down a couple of notches on his top-tier form over the first month. Had 14 runs for 119 metres, while his 23 tackles came with five misses and two ineffective tackles — very uncharacteristic defensive stats. 5.5

9 WAYDE EGAN: Busiest running performance of the season so far (11 runs for 94 metres) and topped the tackle count (40 tackles), despite a 12-minute injury spell after limping out of contact. Tried to spark a clunky team. 6

10 JACKSON FORD: Led the way for the Warriors’ engine-room again with 18 runs for 143 metres (including a team-high 65 post-contact) and 35 tackles. Had a handling error but otherwise another wholehearted 65-minute display. 7

11 LEKA HALASIMA: Warmed into the game after a quiet start and seemed to be one of the few Warriors raising the bar intensity-wise. Had 11 runs for 94 metres, while his 34 tackles included several crucial desperation efforts. 6.5

12 JACOB LABAN: A step backwards after a strong opening month of the season. Just four runs for 25 metres and 13 tackes (on an edge that was getting absolutely pummelled) in 41 minutes. 4

13 ERIN CLARK: Grabbed a late try from a Sharks in-goal error and finished with 15 runs for 121 metres and 17 tackles, but it has to be said Clark’s 2026 impact has been significantly less than we saw week to week on his way to Dally M Lock of the Year honours last season. 5.5

14 SAM HEALEY: Packed plenty of action into his 12 minutes on the park across two stints, including six runs for 58 metres, a deft grubber that resulted in Clark’s try, a head knock and a handling error. 5

15 MARATA NIUKORE: A very modest return of three runs for 23 metres in 46 minutes off the bench, while the veteran coupled 22 tackles with four misses and two ineffective tackles. Got to be on the block when the Warriors are at full strength, if not before. 4

16 DEMITRIC VAIMAUGA: Still waiting for the uber-talented enforcer to pop in 2026. Not bad — seven runs for 58 metres and 18 tackles without a miss in 32 minutes — but we’re crying out for something a bit more impactful. 5.5

17 TANNER STOWERS-SMITH: By far the most eye-catching of the Warriors’ forwards, churning out 16 runs for 143 metres (50 post-contact) in 42 minutes, along with 22 tackles (three misses). Seems to have gained a couple of extra yards of pace in the off-season and will be very hard to leave out of a first-choice 17 moving forward. 7.5