Marks out of 10 for a game of two halves.
1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK (c): Another fine captain’s knock, running for 235 metres and looking to spark the Warriors’ attack at every opportunity. Excellent at the back as usual. 8
Roger tuivasa-sheck is unbelievable to watch! Puts in week in week out #NRLKnightsWarriors
— Amazon78 (@imfat78) July 6, 2019
2 DAVID FUSITU’A: Had a first-half try after a trademark finish pulled back, then made a meal of cleaning up a kick to gift the Knights a contentious four-pointer on halftime. Made an important second-half line-break but other struggled to get involved. 6
3 PETA HIKU: Strong on both sides of the ball in the first half, then exploded after the break with the Warriors’ first try and two brilliant assists for Maumalo that required amazing quick hands. KO’d by opposite number Jesse Ramien with nine minutes left but still finished with over 100 running metres. 8
18 GERARD BEALE: A late call-up for The Herb and provided an early reminder as to why he has been a fringe player in 2019, taking the worst last-tackle dummy-half run of all time near the Knights’ line. Generally attacking Kryptonite thereafter but was solid enough on D. 5.5
5 KEN MAUMALO: A couple of bad handling errors – a rarity for Big Ken this season – denied him a 9. But two superb tries, plus another farcically ruled out when he should have had his maiden NRL hat-trick, and a game-high 237 metres (86 post-contact) more than made up for those. Now equal-first in the premiership’s tryscoring race, an extraordinary turnaround from the snail-paced strike-rate of past seasons. 8
Ken Maumalo… just 100% pure Rugby League.. mentions the boys at least 10 times there in a 60 second interview…
— Rob Cucvara (@LoftusVersfeld) July 6, 2019
6 KODI NIKORIMA: Two atrocious plays inside the Knights’ danger-zone in the first 10 minutes, while a knock-on of a tough pass saw a Warriors try pulled back. Much better in the second half, however, troubling the Knights with his running game and producing a wonderful touch in the lead-up to Maumalo’s second try. 6
7 BLAKE GREEN: Ultra-clunky in the first half, with everything around the halfback happening in slow-motion and several absolute dud kicks coming off his boot. Turned things around magnificently after the break, earning a string of repeat sets with his short kicks, which later produced the match-winner for Sam Lisone. 6.5
Blake Green’s kicking in the 2nd half swang the game to NZW! wish he’d come back to HKR 😂 #NRLKnightsWarriors
— Andrew Sison (@andrewsison) July 6, 2019
8 AGNASTIUS PAASI: One of Iggy’s best of the season, leading the Warriors’ forwards with 152 metres on 17 carries and reeling off 33 tackles. Sin-binned on fulltime, but that was no biggie. Very encouraging – but that has to be the standard. 8
9 KARL LAWTON: Departed with a shoulder injury after 14 minutes. 4
10 LEESON AH MAU: Another professional front-row effort, racking up 124 metres from 12 runs and making 25 tackles with no misses. Solid. 7
11 ADAM BLAIR: Definitely upping his offensive involvement back on the edge, making 10 runs and chiming in regularly on attack. Had a hand in two tries and made 39 tackles. 7
12 ISAIAH PAPALI’I: Made 100 metres and 33 tackles, but not his best. Bad play-the-ball error handed the Knights a last-minute chance to steal the game. 5.5
13 JAZZ TEVAGA: Got through a power of work – 11 runs for 114 metres and an equal-team-high 39 tackles – in 58 minutes, but gave away a whopping four penalties before injury ended his night early. 5
You'd think after the first, second, maybe even third penalty Jazz Tevaga would get the message. But no. #NRLKnightsWarriors
— Nick Bewley (@nickbewley) July 6, 2019
14 ISSAC LUKE: Played more than two-thirds of the match and was understated, but made seven runs and 24 tackles in a controlled display. Kicked four goals from five attempts. 6.5
15 BUNTY AFOA: Strangely given just 19 minutes off the bench, in which he made 47 metres and 16 tackles. 5
16 SAM LISONE: Given the minutes usually afforded to Bunty and made them count. Tallied 12 hit-ups and 26 tackles, while his urgency saw him score a well-taken match-winning try. 6
3 – @NZWarriors prop Sam Lisone with the 3rd try of his #NRL career.
And his 1st against a team not called @SSFCRABBITOHS.
Lisone previously scored 1 try in both 2018 & 2019 against the #Rabbitohs#NRL #NRKKnightsWarriors
— NZ Warriors Stats (@NZWarriorsStats) July 6, 2019
17 LACHLAN BURR: Returned from a week off from the bench and was busy in 41 minutes, racking up 97 metres and 22 tackles. Could reclaim the No.13 jumper for next week after Tevaga’s ill-disciplined display. 6
Categories: Previews + Reviews, WARRIORS NEWS
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