Round 7 of the NRL featured two games that went to golden point extra-time, including a thriller at Go Media Stadium where the One NZ Warriors chased down the Manly Sea Eagles, who were ahead 16-0 by the 24th minute.
A controversial penalty call on a charge down attempt at the end of the second half allowed the Warriors to level the score and force extra-time. Shaun Johnson and Daly Cherry-Evans then traded field goal attempts in pursuit of a golden point victory, but 22-22 is where the score would remain with a point each in the standings.
Warriors head coach Andrew Webster spoke with SEN’s Sportsday NSW on Tuesday, reflecting on where his side is at six weeks in.
“On the weekend I thought Manly were the better side, but I was proud of just how hard the boys wanted to win and tried to find a way to come back,” said Webster.
“To salvage a draw was excellent, but I thought we were by far the most dominant team in golden point.”
Down 16-0, Jazz Tevaga and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak helped the @NZWarriors and their faithful ROAR back to life before half-time! 😤#NRLWarriorsManly pic.twitter.com/3rRjxdxV0D
— SENZ (@SENZ_Radio) April 13, 2024
The Warriors are currently seventh on the NRL ladder with a win-draw-loss record of 3-1-2.
At the same point last season, they were 4-2, with the biggest deficit being a 34-24 loss to the Newcastle Knights. In 2024, their biggest losing margin is by an unconverted try.
“I think we’re way better. We’re forcing teams to kick from their own end a lot more, we’re putting pressure on them, but I still think there’s a level of consistency where we do let them off the hook with discipline or unforced errors,” Webster explained.
“But we know exactly how it looks (the game plan) and how we want to do it, I don’t think we’ve executed it exactly how we want it. I think Souths is probably the closet we’ve done it; we saw the results of that.”
The Warriors’ 34-4 demolition of the Rabbitohs in Round 5 has indeed been their most complete performance of the season, not allowing South Sydney to get into the game beyond Izaac Tu’itupou Thompson’s opening try in the first five minutes.
It was the first match of the season without Luke Metcalf in the halves, who broke his leg in Round 4. But the Auckland-based club showcased their depth in the playmaker roles by having Te Maire Martin slot in seamlessly alongside star halfback Shaun Johnson.
But don’t count out Metcalf from making a late-season comeback, according to Webster.
“He’ll be back later this year – there’s no timeframe, it could be the last six games of the season, could be the last ten. His season certainly is not over.”
Last season, the Warriors rode an incredible wave of support as the ‘Up The Wahs’ movement gained momentum, and the side made it was far as the preliminary final against Brisbane.
That fever pitch level of support has carried over into 2024, with all home games being sold out to this date, bringing in 23,000-plus fans to Mt Smart.
When asked by SEN’s Mat Rogers, Webster couldn’t help but laugh at the magnitude of continued support the club is enjoying.
“It’s pretty crazy! The whole of New Zealand is right behind the boys,” said Rogers.
“We’ve got really unique fans, they’re very loud, and they set an atmosphere that’s probably second-to-none in the NRL,” Webster added.
“Everyone’s talking about league, I think union’s in trouble at the moment and I think the Wahs are having a big impact on the reason why.”
The Warriors face the St. George Illawarra Dragons this Thursday, with Webster naming an unchanged starting lineup, plus an interchange consisting of Chanel Harris-Tavita, Tom Ale, Jacob Laban, and Adam Pompey.