The Warriors finished the NRL season 15th on the ladder. Photo / Photosport
As much as we would like to, the Warriors' 2022 season won't be easily forgotten.
Against most predictions, it was easily the worst of the three Covid campaigns where the team was based in Australia, as just about everything unravelled, on and off the field.
After three victories in their first five games, things went dramatically south, with a win percentage of 16 per cent over the rest of the year.
The 18 defeats equalled an unwanted club record set in 2004, while the 700 points conceded was the most in the Warriors 28-year history.
There was also no shortage of drama and crisis away from the football, with the Matt Lodge affair particularly damaging.
But hope springs eternal, with a new coach and a rejigged squad for 2023 and some belief that next year could be different. It certainly can't be any worse.
Player of the year: Tohu Harris
Only played 15 games, but most from the skipper were gold standard, as he averaged 131 running metres and 36 tackles a game. As well as the work in the engine room, Harris showed his considerable ball-playing skills, while also navigating the captaincy burden. Harris just edged Wayde Egan and Euan Aitken, while Addin Fonua-Blake also had a solid campaign.
Most improved player: Edward Kosi
It was quite a turnaround from the Mangere East product, after a horror show against Melbourne on Anzac Day. He finished the season with several strong performances and eight tries from 10 games.
Promise in store: Viliami Vailea
Raw edges, but also raw talent, with pace and strength. He can only get better as he learns the defensive arts in the tricky centre position. Middle forward Tom Ale also showed plenty in four appearances – after coming back from a knee injury – and looks the goods at this level.
Biggest disappointment: Matt Lodge's bizarre exit
His contract was terminated, and he received a payout that covered next season. The damage done on and off the field was immeasurable, and it still seems crazy that the Warriors have ceded a chunk of their salary cap for 2023.
Quote of the year (1)
"We had an argument in a hotel, two alpha males in a pub." – Owner Mark Robinson on the Lodge bust-up.
Losing their lustre award: Reece Walsh and Shaun Johnson
Walsh rarely reached the heights of his debut year, though it was far from easy as custodian in a misfiring team. Johnson was also hot and cold for much of the season, before reviving in the final two months.
The 'telling it like it is' award: Bunty Afoa laments poor training standards
"Half of the boys will come with the right attitude and the other half are slowly trying to build themselves into the game. In the NRL you need everyone to be on their A game. It's something you can see in the preparation and we need to knock it on the chin, we need to bring that right mindset."
Fronting up award: Wayde Egan
Egan seemed to do more media appearances than just about anyone across the season, especially after a bad loss.
Best performance: Warriors 25 North Queensland Cowboys 24
The round five golden point win over the North Queensland Cowboys looks pretty good now, as the Warriors matched a team that would finish third on the ladder. The unexpected late season victory over the Bulldogs at Mt Smart was pretty tasty too.
Worst performance: Warriors 10 Melbourne Storm 70
The 70-10 humiliation against the Melbourne Storm was awful, though there was at least a series of mitigating factors, with a depleted squad hit by further injuries on the night. However, the shambles against the 12-man Sharks team in May (23 unanswered points against a shorthanded team) was hard to stomach and the clearest sign that the Nathan Brown era was coming to an end.
Quote of the year (2)
"I don't like the word rebuild. We are not rebuilding, let's be clear on this." - Warriors chief executive Cameron George, taking exception to a question about the new coach Andrew Webster having to "rebuild" next year.
Best try: Reece Walsh finishes great team try against Sydney Roosters
The slick effort against the Roosters at the SCG, with Walsh released by Johnson's inside ball, before the fullback's instinctive kick for Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. The team try finished by Walsh against the Panthers was pretty good too.
Best endeavour: Chanel Harris-Tavita
It's hard to go past Harris-Tavita playing on with a ruptured testicle against the Melbourne Storm.
Moment of the season: Tohu Harris scores in Warriors' homecoming
Harris crashing over near the posts just before halftime in the homecoming game, which saw the 26,000 crowd rise as one with pure emotion. Johnson's late match sealer against the Bulldogs at Mt Smart will also live long in the memory.
Quote of the year (3)
"Our owner – who is the only individual owner in the competition, doesn't have to answer to anyone else or anything like that." – George bravely tries to defend the actions of Robinson during the Lodge saga. A seething fan base saw it quite differently.
Worst collapse: Warriors 26 Gold Coast Titans 27
A few contenders, with the twin first half meltdowns against the Rabbitohs being particularly painful. But the final round unravelling against the Gold Coast Titans will be the hardest to forget, as the Warriors had a 26-12 lead with seven minutes to play.
The Kane Evans award for worst recruitment decision: Losing Peta Hiku
The unwanted centre featured in every game for the North Queensland Cowboys, with four tries, seven try assists and an average of 149 running metres (a career high). Melbourne-bound forward Eliesa Katoa seems a lock for this gong next year.
The Isaiah Papali'i 'please come back one day' award: Chanel Harris-Tavita
A class act, on and off the field, who will be missed.
Quote of the year (4)
"The biggest thing is, I hope the fans go home and they've seen a really resilient group. A team that can attack from anywhere but they can stand up under pressure; it's not an attack that's got heaps of errors and it's not reliable.
"And if the shit hits the fan, we can defend our own try line, we can turn them away and we can show that resilience for our supporters." – Incoming coach Andrew Webster on his vision for the team.