When you think of Warriors fans, they tend to split fairly cleanly into two groups; the pessimists and the optimists.

The beauty of being a pessimist is that is it is harder to be disappointed. If you expect the worst, nothing bad can ever shock you. There’s only an upside.

On the other hand, the optimist goes into every game believing and expecting they will win. Even going as far as reframing a negative event into a positive – the belief that they could have won.

When you look at the Warriors next five games, even the pessimist will glance at the fixture list and think they are a fair chance of winning at least four of the five.

And based on the majority of what we have seen post-Covid, why not ? The Warriors were at their ad-lib best, looking a completely different team to the one that failed to score against the Panthers.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Peta Hiku, Kodi Nikorima, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Eliesa Katoa, Tohu Harris, Adam Blair, Poasa Fa’amausili. Take your pick, but we’re starting to build a pretty decent side here.

Head to Head:
45 – This was the 42nd instalment of this rivalry, dating back to 1995 when both clubs entered the ARL competition, as it was known back then.

21 – This was the Warriors 21st victory over the Cowboys in the clubs history. Nudging one win ahead of the Cowboys, in what has been a very even ledger.

3 – This was the Warriors third win in their last four games against the Cowboys.

Match Stats:
4 – The Warriors are now four wins from five games at their adopted home in Gosford. Including three in a row.
37 – This was the Warriors third highest points tally scored in the past four years. And their first time scoring 35 points or more since Round 1, 2019.

Player Stats:
100 – Five of the starting forwards, bar Wayde Egan, ran for over 100 metres. The second occasion since the resumption of the competition, both games resulting in Warriors wins.

150 – Form forwards Tohu Harris and Adam Blair were backed up ably by Jamayne Taunoa-Brown in crossing the 150 metre mark, closely followed by Eliesa Katoa with 146 metres.

100 – Still missing the attacking flair of Ken Maumalo and David Fusitu’a, the yardage from the back is still being lumped with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Gerard Beale and Peta Hiku the only other backs to cross the 100 metre threshold.

12 – The Warriors defence was resolute, in missing just 12 tackles in the entire game.

100 – Jamayne Taunoa-Brown, Poasa Fa’amausili and King Vuniyayawa all coming up with 100% tackling records.

438 – Blake Green’s kept up his kicking meterage, topping last weeks 416 metres by 22 to see him sitting comfortably in fourth place for the most metres kicked in the NRL in 2020, he is kicking for nearly 120 metres more per match than his previous seasons best of 284 metres per match in 2019.

5 – Blake Green and Kodi Nikorima combined for five try assists, more than the whole team had managed to rack up in 2020.

3 – Peta Hiku scored the third hat-trick of his NRL career. He previously scored four in a game for Manly against the Raiders in 2014 and a hat-trick the following season against the Rabbitohs, also for the Sea Eagles.

ROUND SIX PREVIEW: WARRIORS v RABBITOHS.

They say that statistics don’t always tell the full story, and they can misconstrue the truth. You can cherry pick stats to make things look good.

Well, regardless of how you look at it – the Warriors are two from three since the resumption of the NRL. I think if you had offered that to any Warriors fan given the initial start to the season they would have snapped your arm off for it.

Head to Head:
36 – This will be the 36th instalment of the Warriors v Rabbitohs rivalry.

19 – History will show that the Warriors have a 54% winning record against the Rabbitohs, winning 19 of 35 previous encounters.

1 – But things have been one way traffic in the wrong direction over the past 10 games between the two sides, with the Warriors winning just one of these games. A 32-20 victory in Perth, in 2018.

26.5 – Against no other current NRL side do the Warriors average more points, than the 26.5 per game against the Rabbitohs, overall.

12 – It was a different story from 2002-2007, where the Warriors won 12 straight games against the Rabbitohs.

Match Stats:
8 – This will be the eighth venue the Warriors have played against the Rabbitohs, and their second time playing at the new Bankwest Stadium. Formerly Parramatta Stadium – the Warriors have won just six of their previous 19 games there.

4 – The Warriors have won just three of their last 11 games in Australia.

12 – The Warriors have won 12 of their past 17 Friday night games, dating back to the start of the 2018 season.

16.5 – The Warriors average losing margin to the Rabbitohs in their past 10 encounters, is 16.5 points per game.

The Coach:
1 – Stephen Kearney has won just one of his eight games against the Rabbitohs as a head coach. The one victory coming in 2018, in Perth.

14 – All bar one of his seven losses have been by 14 points or more. Including a 6-56 hiding in 2011 in his time in charge of the Eels.

133 – He has a negative deficit of 133 points across his eight games against the Rabbitohs, as a coach.

Player Stats:
112 – It’s early days, but Adam Blair is running at a career high 112 metres per game currently in 2020. Virtually double his previous season averages in his time at the Warriors.

11 – Much has been made about Wayde Egan’s lack of running game. Interestingly, he has made the same amount of runs from dummy-half as the man who he replaced at the Warriors, Issac Luke. Despite playing 173 more minutes than his predecessor. The competitions leading runner from the ruck, is Damien Cook – 41.

1050 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck continues to lead all comers for the most ground covered in 2020. He is currently averaging 210 metres per game, taking his overall tally to 1,050 metres so far this season.

8 – Tohu Harris is currently sitting in eighth place overall on the top tacklers in the NRL this season. One of only three backrowers to sit in the top eight, the rest being hookers.

6 – Harris has also run for the sixth highest average metres for a forward in 2020. His 178 metres per game, sits him behind only Jason Taumalolo, James Fisher-Harris, Addin Fonua-Blake, Josh McGuire and Payne Haas.

6 – Kodi Nikorima has won six of his seven NRL games he has played against the Rabbitohs. His only loss coming last season with the Warriors.

3 – Peta Hiku has scored in three of his last four games against the Rabbitohs, in Sydney.

2 – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been the first try-scorer in two of the Warriors last three away games against the Rabbitohs.

Milestones:
49 – Skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck needs just one more try to bring up 50 in his NRL career. Tellingly, he has scored in his past two games against the Cowboys.

Did you Know:
66 – The Warriors biggest ever win came against the Rabbitohs, in 2006 when they beat them 66 – 0. This is the sixth highest margin of victory in NSWRL/ARL/NRL history, and the Rabbitohs heaviest defeat in their history.

Categories: Team News + Stats, WARRIORS NEWS