Warriors season: The best, the worst, the highs and lows
Like 2002 and 2011, this year will go down as one of the most memorable for the Warriors. Not because they reached the Grand Final, but because of everything the team went through to keep this season’s NRL competition going.
They started off dreadfully, with losses to the Knights and Raiders before the lockdown and after a win over the Dragons when the league resumed, were even worse, which led to the sacking of Stephen Kearney.
However, as interim coach Todd Payten gradually put his mark on the team and the players settled in to their Terrigal location, they defied the odds and were one of the better teams in the NRL over the last two months.
The Warriors ended up finishing 10th on the ladder, which was three places higher than last year, so given every hurdle the team had to overcome, 2020 will go down as a season the club’s players and fans can be proud of.
With the Warriors season over, it’s time to dish out some 2020 awards.
Player of the year Tohu Harris
Ever since Harris arrived at the Warriors in 2018 he’s been one of the club’s better players, but injuries did hamper his impact over the first two seasons.
But this year, not only did he remain injury free, he also developed as Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s lieutenant.
He may be a quiet guy, but has leadership qualities which came to the fore and he benefited from playing on an edge for most of the season, rather than at lock.
Over the last 10 years, only three players have been the Warriors’ official player of the year, Tuivasa-Sheck, Simon Mannering and Ben Matulino, but for 2020 it should be Harris.
Rookie of the year Eliesa Katoa
He’d barely picked up a Steeden rugby league ball before this season began, with his background being in the 15-man code.
However, he quickly emerged as one of the most dynamic young forwards the club has seen in years.
Now wonder the Warriors quickly offered him a five-year contract and given that he’s only 20-years-old, it’s scary to think how good he’s going to be.
Most improved player of the year Jazz Tevaga
He emerged in the Warriors NRL team as someone who was an OK hooker, who could eat up some minutes when Issac Luke needed a break.
But gradually he showed there was more to him than that and also that hooker wasn’t his best position.
In 2018 he was voted the NRL’s interchange player of the season. A nice award, but not really one any player aspires to win. But there’s no chance of him ever picking it up again as he has established himself as the club’s first choice lock.
He brings a steely edge to the club that isn’t there in other players.
Every team needs a no-nonsense character and Tevaga emerged as the Warriors’.
Most disappointing player of the year Blake Green
There’s no questioning how well Green played for the Warriors during his time with the club.
However, at the start of this season it was apparent that the longterm future for the club in the halves was a combination of Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Green packed a sad when he was told he wouldn’t be offered a new contract, while the club agreed they’d let him go to another team mid-season if he was offered a deal beyond 2020.
But Green forced his way out to go to the Knights, even though they only wanted him for this season.
As it turned out, it worked well for the Warriors that he left because Nikorima and Harris-Tavita have been able to bed in their combination early. Still, it was disappointing for Green to quit like he did.
Best game Warriors 18 Dragons 0 Round three, May 30.
This the first game back after the NRL went into shutdown and at this point the Warriors players were still questioning how long they’d be in Australia for, hardly anyone had their families with them and the players had experienced the hardest lockdown of any NRL club.
There wasn’t much hope for how they’d go against the Dragons, but they not only convincingly beat the
Dragons, they also kept them scoreless. Sadly for Warriors fans it didn’t last and they were brought back down to earth the following week with a 26-0 loss to the Panthers.
Worst game Storm 50 Warriors 6 Round 7, June 26
There’s no disgrace in losing to the Storm, but the manner of this capitulation was a low point.
It was Todd Payten’s first game as head coach and afterwards he must have wondered what he’d let himself in for.
The Warriors were down 22-0 at the break and over a 16-minute period in the second half conceded four tries. Rocked by the sacking of Kearney the week before, this was a Warriors team that had given up.