Offload Preview - Storm -V- Warriors, Round 3, 2007

The Matchup:
The Melbourne Storm versus the New Zealand Warriors.
Sunday 1^st April, 2pm (NZT), Olympic Park, Melbourne.

History:
The Storm have long had a Kiwi connection associated with them, dating back to their inception when they fielded players like Stephen Kearney and Tawera Nikau – something that has always added that extra bit of meaning to their matches against the New Zealand-based Warriors. The passing of Melbourne Storm team manager Michael Moore in 2000 has added a sombre aspect to the clashes, with the Michael Moore Trophy contested each time the two teams meet. The Warriors currently hold the trophy.

Last Five Encounters:
2004, Round 16: Storm 42-6 Warriors
2005, Round 14: Warriors 24-16 Storm

2005, Round 23: Storm 22-10 Warriors

2006, Round 1: Warriors 16-22 Storm
2006, Round 24: Storm 20-24 Warriors

Last Week:
The Warriors blitzed the Brisbane Broncos in the second quarter of their round two match at Mt Smart Stadium, but failed to capitalise on their lead in the second half. Their early efforts proved enough, however, as they ended up winning 24-14.

The Storm won their second consecutive match, beating a keen but inexperienced Canberra Raiders side 32-16. That follows their first round defeat of the Wests Tigers, with a narrow 18-16 score line.

In The Engine Room:
It should come as no surprise that Warriors captain Steve Price should be the man to watch when it comes to gaining metres up the middle. Against the Broncos he continued his strong early season form, gaining 148m.

The Storm props, Antonio Kaufusi and Brett White, struggled against the Raiders last week, gaining only 54m and 77m respectively. It was their backs who provided most of the gains.

Out The Back:
Warriors winger Michael Crockett scored another brace of tries last week, and he now leads the try scoring statistics across all sixteen teams. Michael Witt stood up against the Broncos, as did Tony Martin and Manu Vatuvei.

Billy Slater returned to form against the Raiders, scoring a try, breaking the Canberra line three times, and gaining a team high 167m. How he compares to Warriors fullback Wade McKinnon will be of high interest.

Injury Ward:
For the Warriors, Jerome Ropati (hamstring) failed to return to the field last week, but it is hoped he will be back by round four. Wairangi Koopu (shoulder), Louis Anderson (ankle), and Aiden Kirk (knee) are all still unavailable for selection. Patrick Ah Van (shoulder) makes his return in reserve grade for the Auckland Lions.

The Storm are without Adam Blair (unknown), Matt Rua (wrist), and Steve Turner (ankle). Michael Crocker returns from injury this week.

Taking The Punt:
Warriors coach Ivan Cleary has selected an unchanged team to face the Storm. With both teams undefeated, the quality of opposition must come into account, and the Warriors have dispatched better sides, particularly the Broncos. The Warriors look stronger in the forwards, but the Storm have always excelled with their backs. Look for some great match ups including Slater versus McKinnon and Inglis versus Witt. This will be a close match, and a tough one to call. Warriors by 4.

Offload - Issue 2, 2007

Cleary’s Crew Makes It Two From Two

The Warriors made club history when they beat the Broncos 24-14 on Sunday, the first time the club has won both of its first two matches in a season. They sit fourth on the table, one of only six teams undefeated in 2007, alongside the Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Storm and Knights.

After two rounds in 2006, the Warriors were eight competition points off the lead, but one year later it is only point differential that prevents them from sitting in first place. The strong start is evidence of coach Ivan Cleary’s impressive start in his second year as a first grade coach, ignoring the much talked about ‘second year syndrome’.

Another who appears to be performing well in his second season in the top grade is 2006 Dally M Rookie of the Year nominee Grant Rovelli. The 24-year-old halfback has guided the team effectively behind a forward pack that has dominated its opposition. With freedom to roam, and time to plan, the halfback has averaged 1.5 try assists in his first two matches, twice that of his 2006 average.

That has helped the team to average five tries and 29 points per match, compared to just over four tries and 23 points in 2006. Six points may not sound like much, but the Warriors lost five matches last season by that margin or less. If they had won each of those matches, the team could have finished the regular season as high as fourth.

The ability to extract extra points from all aspects of the attacking formation seems to have officially arrived, with points being scored on both flanks and in the centre. New recruits Michael Witt, Wade McKinnon, and Michael Crockett, have already proven their worth, claiming six of the ten tries scored so far. Crockett especially has excelled with regards to finding the try line, with four tries to his name. He has shown a lot of pace – impressive for someone who has previously snapped a hamstring.

Defensive efforts have also improved across the board, and if captain Steve Price and vice captain Ruben Wiki continue to lead the way up front, the signs are positive for a season in which the Warriors are likely to return to the finals series.

In Memoriam - Peter Taylor - 1946-2007

Peter Raymond Taylor

1946 ~ 2007

Peter Taylor was my father for as long as I can remember. He didn’t like to be made a fuss of. Even when it came to his birthday, he only ever wanted deodorant and socks. But I’m proud to be his son, and I’m happy to boast of how wonderful he was.

Dad had an infectious personality, and he loved to tell stories, even if you’d heard them before and knew how they ended. He loved telling jokes, but had a dismally small repertoire, which resulted in a lot of repeated punch lines. I lost count of the number of times I heard him say “I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous”.

Dad was a non-conformist who did things his way. He didn’t like working in a suit. Even now, he’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt. And he taught me how to shave with a manual razor over the phone.

He often got called a Barnabas – an encourager. I saw this in action many times. He would never shy away from an opportunity to encourage or uplift someone when he saw the need.

Dad was a great giver, too. Not just of his finances, but also his time. He used to like sharing certain things exclusively with those close to him. With me, our special times were spent at Warriors matches. When I first convinced him to buy a season ticket, in 2000, we entered the stadium as a father and son, but over the following seven seasons, we grew together as best friends – my closest male friend was a baby boomer! We would talk about anything and everything: league, of course, but also religion, politics, girls, relationships, and life in general. That was where our friendship grew and blossomed, in Row L, seats 3 and 4. We laughed, we cried, (and as Warriors fans we were entitled to our fair share of tears), and we booed and cheered our way through each match.

Dad’s seat was empty last week, but I cheered on his behalf, and the team’s win was a fitting tribute to him. The ground announcer also spoke of his passing prior to the match, passing on the club's condolences as more than 16,000 people silently heard of Dad's dedication to the club.

Peter Taylor was a humble gentleman with a big heart for anyone, friends and strangers alike, who just needed love. It seems only fitting that it should be his heart that eventually called him up to heaven.

Offload Preview - Warriors -V- Broncos, Round 2, 2007

The Matchup:
The New Zealand Warriors versus the Brisbane Broncos.
Sunday 25^th March, 4pm (NZT), Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.

History:
These two teams have a rivalry that goes right back to season one, round one. The Warriors have managed to beat the Broncos only seven times from twenty-one encounters. All seven victories have come during the last twelve matches, since the Warriors initial defeat of Brisbane in 2001.

Last Five Encounters:
2004, Round 22: Warriors 14-21 Broncos
2005, Round 2: Brisbane 12-24 Warriors
2005, Round 16: Warriors 30-18 Broncos
2006, Round 13: Warriors 18-23 Broncos
2006, Round 26: Brisbane 36-12 Warriors

Last Week:
In round one, the Warriors were decisive in putting the Parramatta Eels to the sword, running out 34-18 victors. Their first half effort was particularly impressive, and the went to the break with a 24-0 lead.

The Broncos did well to come back from a 16-6 half time deficit to draw level, before letting the Cowboys escape their grasp in the dying minutes. The final score was 23-16.

In The Engine Room:
In Steve Price and Ruben Wiki, the Warriors have a significant advantage when it comes to gaining metres. Against the Eels in round one, they gained 304 metres between them, Price in particular carrying on his impressive 2006 form.

For the Broncos, on the other hand, Dane Carlaw and Petero Civoniceva managed a respectable 216 metres, but Carlaw only contributed to 64 of those. He will need to provide more if the Brisbane backs are to reap many rewards.

Out The Back:
The Warriors found two of their new signings, Wade McKinnon and Michael Crockett, to be of particular use, as the pair started and completed attacking plays respectively. The Australians scored three of the Warriors’ six tries against the Eels.

Brisbane’s halves pairing of Shane Perry and Karmichael Hunt will be looking to make an impression in the absence of key playmaker Darren Lockyer. Hunt will especially savour the opportunity to perform well on New Zealand soil.

Injury Ward:
For the Warriors, Jerome Ropati has recovered from a hamstring injury, but has failed to make the first grade side, while Wairangi Koopu (shoulder), Louis Anderson (ankle), Patrick Ah Van (shoulder), and Aiden Kirk (knee) were unavailable for selection. Captain Steve Price fractured a finger the day before the match against Parramatta, but is still expected to lead the side against Brisbane.

The Broncos lost playmaker Darren Lockyer (ankle) and second rower Corey Parker (wrist) in round one, while David Stagg has yet to recover from a shoulder reconstruction.

Taking The Punt:
With Evarn Tuimavave joining the Warriors bench, it looks like coach Ivan Cleary is looking to turn this into a battle up front. If he gets his way, and Dane Carlaw performs similarly to the way he did last week, look to the Warriors backs to make easy metres around the tiring Brisbane forwards. Warriors captain Price will be looking forward to another opportunity to make his brother-in-law Brent Tate leave the field without two competition points. A wounded Bronco is particularly dangerous, but the Warriors should have enough firepower to put this stallion out of its misery. Warriors by 10.

Offload - Issue 1, 2007

Warriors Look Impressive While New Coaches Have Mixed First Round

The 2007 season of the NRL is well and truly about fresh starts. With the Gold Coast Titans entering the fray for the first time, numerous players have scattered far and wide to find new teams, new homes, and new contracts. But another group of people have been spinning the turnstiles into overdrive in the off season: coaches. Of the sixteen teams contesting the Premiership, only half have retained their head coaches from the previous season. The other eight, comprising of the Eels, Knights, Sharks, Roosters, Titans, Rabbitohs, Raiders, and Panthers, have a fresh face at the helm, and after one round they have brought about mixed results.

Only the Knights, (25-24 over the Bulldogs), the Sharks, (18-0 over the Panthers), and the Rabbitohs, (18-6 over the Roosters), were victorious in their first non-trial game under the helm of new coaches, but it is far too early to predict how these teams might fare throughout a full 25-round competition.

However, it could be said that the added stability that other teams have could count in their favour. Warriors captain Steve Price cited this steadiness as a contributing factor to the club’s opening 34-18 victory over the Eels.

With greater depth in the squad and a more believable desire to put together genuinely solid performances, the Warriors are already looking like potential top eight material. And with an even starting position in 2007, they are already six points ahead of where they were this time last year.

The game day experience has also improved, with local band The Black Seeds entertaining the crowd shortly after the Auckland Lions ran out 27-8 victors over the Paramatta Eels Premier League team. A three hundred member kapa haka group performed to a respectfully silent crowd who soaked in the impressive display, and fireworks were set off above the Eastern Stand shortly before the two teams took to the field.

All of these things are contributing to the atmosphere of seeing a game live at Mt Smart Stadium – an atmosphere that has waned over recent years.

With better performances on the field, and better entertainment off it, the Warriors are working hard to win back fans. A sizeable crowd for their round two match against reigning Premiers the Broncos would be just desserts for a solid pre-season from the players and staff alike.