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Yes, & Id also like to know how many from each club if possible. As a Warriors fan I found it interesting that we seem to be on a slightly different wavelength to everyone else.
The Roar’s NRL fan survey: The results are in!
Good stats Big J. If any of these records go I think Ken Irvines is the most at risk.
The modern players are still at an elite level well into their 30s & the 300+ game club is expanding. If a try scoring outside back like Vunivalu/Tedesco etc can hang around long enough I wouldn’t be surprised to see that record fall.
Another ten rugby league records that will never be broken
Good list Big J.
I understand these list’s can be subjective but as a Warriors fan there are few names that would be close to the top 10.
2 honourable mentions:
Jacob Lillyman has played over 150 games & gone on to be part of QLDs dominant side during his time with the Warriors.
Clinton Toopi was the clubs top try scorer 3 times & had a brief period where he was 1 of the best centres around.
2 players that should be in there:
Michael Luck was a tackling machine & very underrated. Played 150 games & had the heart of a lion.
Brent Webb is the Warriors best ever fullback & played 17 tests for the Kiwis so Id fit him in.
Id take out Hoppe. 3 wings in the top 10 doesn’t seem right, & he is the 3rd best we’ve had. Id also take out Cleary. He was solid & only played 53 games. I would get him to coach our best ever side though.
All things considered a pretty good effort though.
New Zealand Warriors: Top ten players
Glad to see some love for the Kiwi players in your lists Matt. Often the players in these lists are revered for their exploits in Origin & that counts against the Kiwis, but players like Jones, Wiki etc are deserving of their places.
The 100 best players in NRL history: 45-26
Yea I was unsure of RTS as captain initially. He’s good with the media side & hes 1 of the 1st players picked, but hes still young & coming back from a long-term injury so I’d be happy for him to focus on playing & getting back to his best.
Mannering is the only real choice & he doesn’t want the job, so Im happy with RTS to get the gig by default as he will grow into it.
Its exciting times to be a Warriors fan with the team that is being assembled, but with the failures we have had recently Id be happy with 8th this season.
The curious case of the New Zealand Warriors
Mannering is no longer an edge forward. He’s a defensive workhorse these days so is best suited to playing in the middle.
Bodene has actually been awesome for the Warriors & his combination with SJ is working well so he should definitely stay.
The curious case of the New Zealand Warriors
1 of the questions the Warriors always have is around their edge defence & I see that being a critical factor again this year.
Kata has worked hard so I think he will be ok defensively at left centre but Manu is renowned for his errors & slow turn on the kick chase so that’s an issue.
Kearney has trained Lolohea at wing in preseason so I assume he will be on the right with Fusitua inside him at centre. That combination will be strong on attack but defensively I have my doubts. Lolohea is short & had issues with highballs last season so I see him as vulnerable to the cross field kicks, & Fusitua is still finding his feet in 1st grade & is susceptible to a few bad reads.
Kearney, to his credit has put his hand up & said that he & Macfadden will be working on the defence, while assistants Stacey Jones & Steve MacNamara will take the attack. Time will tell how it pans out but if they can fix the edge defence, they can give the comp a good shake.
The curious case of the New Zealand Warriors
Yea that will definitely be the starting backrow. 1 of the issues I had with Cappy last year was that he played all 3 for close to 80 minutes every week. That blunted their effectiveness IMO & made them all play the same workhorse-type role on the field.
Im hoping Bunty Afoa can make the top 17 & play 40-50 odd minutes in the backrow & share the workload a bit. the He has good footwork for a big man & his dynamic style offers something a bit different to the rest.
The curious case of the New Zealand Warriors
Good stats Scott, & its the try assists that is the most pleasing about Teddy.
He is renowned for his elusive running but the Blues do need that 3rd ball playing option from the back, & Teddy can do that.
Blues have seven fullbacks, but only one 'Teddy'
Well as a Warriors fan, Im glad we are getting some Friday games for a change. Hopefully the fans turn up in numbers because 6pm Aus time suits NZ. All going well we can follow the Broncos & share a lot of Friday night games
NRL releases draw for 2017 season, defending champs to kick things off
$3m over 5 years is way over the top for a player with only 2 games. It wasn’t that long ago that Luke Brooks/Jackson Hastings etc were the next big thing, & they have struggled to live up to the hype.
Im sure you could pick up a proven NRL performer like Coote/Holmes/Munster for similar money.
Are you ready for a new sensation?
A good team on paper Gareth but I would make a few changes, assuming everyone’s fit.
I thought Roache had a good rookie season & is a better utility/hooker cover so Id keep him at 14.
Cappy basically played all 3 backrowers for the entire 80 minutes each game & I think that blunted their effectiveness. Afoa did a good job filling in on the right edge when Thompson was injured, & Ligi Sao was a top 17 prospect before his shoulder injury so Id pick 1 of them over Gubb. Id look to get 30-40 odd minutes in the backrow out of them & manage the workload of the starting Hoffman/Mannering/Thompson throughout the season.
Lolohea IMO is too good to leave out so Id spend the offseason trying to convert him into a centre. He should take Ayshfords spot with Fusitua holding down the right wing.
The Warriors should have some decent depth with Maumalo, Gubb, Gavet, Tevaga, Hingano etc all in the squad with NRL experience but as Barry above has pointed out, they’ve promised so much in the past without delivering. Im hoping this is finally their time though.
Looking into the crystal ball for the Warriors' 2017 season
All those names you mentioned are in a similar boat to Kidwell. Passionate Kiwis with limited experience in top level coaching.
You’d think the NZRL would’ve already learnt that lesson when they hired Kemble as head coach a few years back but obviously not.
They need to get rid of Kidwell, or provide him a mentor like they did with Kearney/Bennett a few years back. Hes clearly out of his depth & is taking the Kiwis backwards.
Kangaroos flatten Kiwis to take the Four Nations and No.1 ranking
Good article. I really like what Meninga is doing with this Australian team.
There have been rumblings of division across state lines in previous regimes & despite being a proud QLDer, he appears to be trying to unite these players as Kangaroos.
He’s also rotated his squad wisely & in turn, built some competition for places so Meninga is definitely showing himself to be a top rep coach.
History beckons for masterful Meninga
The pitch at Anfield will be 91m instead of the usual 100m for safety reasons.
I think the refs will shorten the 10m to accommodate & that may make the game more of a forward arm wrestle. That plays more towards NZ’s strengths & if SJ is on, the Kiwis can definitely get up.
Meninga has done a great job in preparing this Kangaroos side, but Australia were the best team in 2005, 2008 & 2010 before the Kiwis ambushed them in the final. They have the players to do it again.
Four Nations final will not be a Kiwi heist
Yea I agree. Kidwell seems quite conservative so I think he will select Harris at 6.
The Kiwis attack has been poor all season & I cant see Harris creating many opportunities. That means even more pressure on Johnson, so I think Australia should win the final comfortably.
Kangaroos hit by Sam Thaiday injury
I remember when Kearney 1st became coach of the Kiwis he was also very inexperienced.
The NZRL then offered Bennett a mentoring role to help Kearney transition into a head coach. I wonder if this may also be a good idea for Kidwell? Someone like Cleary could be a good mentor & also help out with the tactical side as Kidwell has been exposed on this front.
If the alarm bells aren't ringing for the Kiwis, they should be
As a Warriors fan & NZ resident I would love that time slot. It avoids the Friday traffic for the locals & it also means the TV Stations can show both Friday night games live instead of having a clash.
Belmore clash headlines first round of NRL 2017
The rankings put extra emphasis on the importance of matches ie: WC/4 Nations over 1 off tests & I think that is correct.
The Kiwis won the last major international tournament in 2014 & went undefeated, as well as beating Australia twice so they deserved their number 1 ranking at the time.
The problem Australia has is since the end of the 2014 4 Nations, to the start of the 2016 4 Nations’, the Kangaroos have played only 3 tests for 2 wins 1 loss. They have shown in this tournament they are the best team in the world, but they cant get the number 1 ranking back by being inactive.
Hunt for revenge: What Australia has to do to take back the Four Nations
Hodgson is a quality player so I d like to see him step up a bit more for England.
Their halves aren’t quite good enough IMO so if he can create some opportunities from 9 & add more to their attack, they can potentially cause a boil over.
Hodgson tips Australian Four Nations league loss
Bennett has always treated the media with disdain but I think his overall point is valid.
He is a coach 1st & foremost & his number 1 priority is to win games for England. If he can somehow get them to win this 4 Nations tournament & possibly the WC next year, that will do more to promote the game than giving better press conferences.
Wayne Bennett: I've never undermined Meninga
Hes only 31 & his kicking game was 1 of the best around. Im unsure why hes retiring but if hes still got some juice in the legs he could probably keep going.
Jamie Soward calls it a day in the NRL
We will soon know if it was a good idea, but its an interesting tactic by Meninga to rest Cronk against the Kiwis. If the Kiwis get a roll on I think they can beat an understrength Australia. That could mean a beaten & bruised Kangaroos team playing a sudden death match against England, in England.
Aussies have Four Nations rivals at sixes and sevens
I would’ve picked DWZ over Beale for sure. NZ have scored a total of 6 points against Australia in the past 2 tests & DWZ definitely offers more on attack than the safer Beale.
Eastwood was the obvious like-for-like replacement for JWH though so I agree with that selection.
Aussies have Four Nations rivals at sixes and sevens
100% agree. The Kiwis need all these experienced technical coaches to cover for Kidwells shortfalls.
It was obvious last year that he was out of his depth. The Kiwis should bite the bullet & give the head job to Smith.
Kiwis reach out to UK-based Brian Smith ahead of World Cup