Warriors good or Dragons bad?
Aussie journalists question victory
Rookie prop Jamayne TaunoaBrown insists the Warriors have already brushed off an alarming narrative from across the Tasman that has cast dark shadows over their first win of the season.
Despite all the adversity and uncertainty, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown at the club, the Warriors dug deep for a stunning
18-0 victory over the St George Illawarra Dragons that has been talked about as being one of the most significant in the club’s
26-year history.
But a number of Australian journalists have depreciated their win, with their focus on the implosion of the Dragons in what could be a brutal reality check for the Warriors and their fans.
‘‘The Warriors aren’t that good a football side. We know they’re not that good a football side,’’ veteran journalist Buzz Rothfield said on NRL 360.
The Warriors completed 46 of
48 sets – an NRL record – with a 96 per cent completion rate and their first mistake of the match not coming until the 75th minute but Rothfield put that down to the Dragons’ passive defence and lack of energy.
Another panelist, Paul Kent, said a team such as the Canberra Raiders would have beaten the hapless Dragons by 60 points in the same situation.
‘‘The Dragons were lucky they played the Warriors. The only other side that would have kept it that tight was probably the Titans,’’ Kent said.
‘‘If you put any other team . . . nearly any other team out against the Dragons and give them complete sets until the 75th minute, they’re scoring more than three tries.’’
Taunoa-Brown has heard much of that talk but said the Warriors weren’t bothered by noise outside of the club and were already focused on their match against Penrith on Friday to prove they are no one-hit wonders.
‘‘I feel like we played well and we’ve just got to try and back that up this week and show that we can play really good footy.’’
By training on
Monday,
Taunoa-Brown said the Warriors were already over Saturday’s victory and they know a loss to the Penrith Panthers will bring them thudding back to earth with just one win from four games in a shortened 20 round season.
‘‘We’ve got to back up our performance from the weekend,’’ he emphasised.
The three-game rookie retains his starting spot on the back of his impressive round three effort and the loss of suspended prop Agnatius Paasi.
Warriors coach Stephen Kearney has made three changes for the Penrith clash.
Hooker Karl Lawton, who was impressive in the unfamiliar role of centre off the bench against the Dragons keeps that spot to replace the injured Pita Hiku, loan player from the Roosters Poasa Faamausili replaces Paasi on the bench and former Rooster Josh Curran will play his first game of the season from the bench in place of Lawton.
King Vuniyayawa, who was impressive in the middle coming off the bench against the Panthers, has recovered from a head knock to take his spot on the interchange but Lachlan Burr – who was a late withdrawal last week with a head
At a glance
Warriors: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Patrick Herbert, Karl Lawton, Gerard Beale, Ken Maumalo, Kodi Nikorima, Blake Green, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Wayde Egan, Adam Blair, Eliesa Katoa, Tohu Harris, Isaiah Papali’i. Interchange (from): Jack Murchie, Poasa Faamausili, King Vuniyayawa, Josh Curran, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Hayze Perham, Adam Pompey, Leivaha Pulu.
Panthers: Caleb Aekins, Josh Mansour, Dean Whare, Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o, Matt Burton, Jarome Luai, James Tamou, Apisai Koroisau, James Fisher-Harris, Viliame Kikau, Kurt Capewell, Isaah Yeo. Interchange (from): Mitch Kenny, Zane Tetevano, Moses Leota, Liam Martin, Brent Naden, Billy Burns, Jack Hetherington, Charlie Staines.
knock – has been left out.
The Panthers sit fourth on the NRL ladder despite their unconvincing 14-14 draw with Newcastle on Sunday but Fox Sports journalist James Hooper expects the Warriors to face a much more lively opponent.
Hooper described the Dragons attack as slow, predictable and premeditated.
For Taunoa-Brown, who made 14 runs for 133 metres with two offloads and 28 tackles with only one miss in his 37 minutes on the park, his first NRL victory was more than satisfying.
‘‘After everything that the club’s had to go through over the last few weeks and months, it was pretty special to be part of,’’ Taunoa-Brown said.
Plucked from the Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup and brought to Auckland on a trial contract earlier this year by recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan, Taunoa-Brown earned a two-year deal for his impressive pre-season following the seasonending knee injuries to Bunty Afoa and Jackson Frei.