Joseph Parker to serve as backup for Tyson Fury, and the Chiefs take on the Waratahs all in action this weekend as Cheree Kinnear and Christopher Reive preview what's to come. Video / NZ Herald
The Warriors are promising a different mindset ahead of their annual trip to Melbourne on Monday, hoping to buck a long running trend.
The Anzac Day match is a fabulous occasion, with emotion, ceremony and a large crowd, but the contest on the field hasn't always matched that.
The Warriorswere unlucky in 2019 – edged 13-12, with an infamous late refereeing call – but otherwise it has been mostly misery.
There was a 42-0 drubbing in 2016 and similarly large scores in 2018 (50-10) 2020 (50-6, in Sydney) and 2021 (42-20)
Last season the Warriors were injury hit (without Tohu Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake, Euan Aitken and Chanel Harris-Tavita among others), with Bayley Sironen used at five eighth and 19-year-old Rocco Berry thrown into the backline on NRL debut.
The experimental feel was confirmed when Reece Walsh was given his club debut, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck shunted to the wing.
It was a 'hit and hope' approach from the underdogs, with coach Nathan Brown admitting afterwards he took the chance to blood youngsters with expectations low against the perennial heavyweights.
"We are going down there with a far different outlook this time," said Brown. "There's two points up for grabs and we want to get those two points. There's no doubt about that."
"Last year was a very different situation with where we're at as a club. We're still not an experienced club but [over the last two years] there's a number of players that have had some difficult experiences, some very good experiences."
Edward Kosi of the Warriors celebrates scoring a try during the NRL Round 6 match between the Sydney Roosters and the New Zealand Warriors. Photo / Getty Images.
"We've also added a few more experienced players over that journey and we certainly have to be going down with the attitude [that] we are going to attack the game."
It will be a significantly different team, with only eight of the 17 that took the field last year in contention to run out on AAMI Park on Monday (9:00pm).
Shaun Johnson and Chanel Harris-Tavita are developing nicely in the halves, the pack has a tougher edge and the team have more starch defensively.
But questions remain.
Brown admitted they have yet to manage two solid halves of football all season and last Sunday's second half fade continued a pattern of deacceleration after halftime in 2022
They have struggled to maintain momentum – especially when marquee prop Addin Fonua-Blake is off the field – and seem to have a lack of leaders, especially with the current absence of Harris and the exit of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
"No doubt we are more of a younger team than we are a seasoned team," said Brown. "Leadership is certainly something we need to continue to grow."
The Warriors were once a consistent challenger to the Storm but have fallen away, with 11 straight defeats. Andrew McFadden was the last Warriors coach to trump Melbourne, in July 2015, and also owns the last win at AAMI Park (April 2014).
"You're gonna need a committed 80-minute performance," said Brown. "When the Storm do lose a game they generally don't lose by much. It's just the way they are - you know they will compete for long periods of time."
Prop Matt Lodge, who was sorely missed against the Roosters, has trained well this week and is expected to play, while Jazz Tevaga should also make the 17 despite some minor niggles.
Brown was also effusive about the expected future impact of Mitch Barnett, with the Newcastle Knights second rower joining the club from 2023 onwards.
"The best way to sum him up is – the harder the game is, the better he'll play," said Brown. "So the more difficult the opposition, the more difficult circumstances the team is in - his game gets better under those circumstances."
Brown said the 27-year-old would also be an ideal mentor, to help develop young forwards coming through and shrugged off any concerns about his chequered judicial record, with seven appearances before the NRL judiciary since 2015.
"I can tell you about this game - you have 17 angels you won't win anything," said Brown. "I'll guarantee you that."
