July 15, 2025 • 8 mins
The Warriors recovered from early setbacks to pull out a 34-14 win against the Wests Tigers over the weekend.
It's a much needed lift for the side following back-to-back defeats in the games prior. Mid-season, the team rank 4th and have a further four matches at their Penrose home in the final nine rounds.
Assistant coach Slade Griffin joins Jason Pine to discuss the line-up for this weekend's match against the Newcastle Knights.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duncie Wildergrave
from news Talk z'd be coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Seven forty five. The Warriors traveled to newcast Or to
face the Nights on Sunday Round twenty NRL Action. It'll
be victory over the Tigers on Sunday consolidated the Warriors
place in the top four. They remained four points clear
of the Broncos. We're joined on sports Talk by Warriors
assistant coach Slade Griffin. Thanks for joining us, slave. How
(00:34):
important was the win over the Tigers after back to
back defeats.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, thanks for having me. Oh, look, it's always hard
to win in the NRL, so it was great to
get a win again. Although we've only lost two games,
which you know, you don't want to lose, but with
the two buyers and now, I think it had been
like five weeks since the actually won a game, so
it felt like a long time, which can kind of
kill your momentum a little bit. So yeah, no, it
(01:01):
was great to get a win. Obviously, the Tigers that
have been in every game the last six games, Auban
one score game, so they come and played really tough
and it worked really hard. And we had to really
earn it. It was very close, and he kind of
got a lot of hard work done early and then
and then got to put a bit of a score
on in the end. So yeah, it was really pleasing game.
(01:21):
The boys played well in a lot of areas and
great to see Yeah Tanner boyd which I'm sure you'll
probably ask a question about that. Great to see him
get his first crack because he's really earned it. He's
been awesome at Cup level and he just come in
and did a really good job.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Good to see. You can read my notes from their
because I've got here it is. How do you evaluate
evaluate Tanner Boys Warrior's dabute for you?
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah, well he actually got Player of the game, so yeah,
and a very good team as well. We'll be game.
You know three key things, you know, go kick well,
lead the team around him, and tackle well. And he
did all those very well. So look, he's been playing
really well at as a grade. He's been making it
very hard for the n Our old team training against
(02:04):
the Cup team, which has been awesome practice for us.
And then yeah, he gets his opportunity, probably a bit
longer than he might have thought, but he was awesome,
and it's just kind of a testament to his character
for sticking in there, and yeah, it's just really happy
for him.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
How much or not does having him there in place
of Luke Metcalf change the way you play?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah, Like, obviously we're always going to miss Luke. Look, Luke,
Luke's got that speed and that X factor that not
a lot of halves in the comp do have. So
we might miss a moment that Luke could provide, you
know that other people can't. But you know, we'll just
play the Tanners shrinks as well. So Tanner's kicking the
(02:50):
ball really well, he leads the team around the park,
and he's defending really well as well. So he's the
team hasn't changed the way they're going to play too much,
But we'll just tailor a little bit more to Tanner's drinks.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
All right, let's look forward to Sunday. Just the one
change to your side for this week's game. It's enforced
rock o'berry off with a dislocated shoulder on Sunday. That
was really really hard to watch. Can you give us
any update on how serious.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
That might be?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, I actually don't know. I'm sorry. Havn't heard the
results of the scan. Yeah, I think it's a little
bit more complicated because he obviously had that previous injury
on it as well, so it's just rock all over.
Like he's just competing diving on a loose ball, putting
his body and in that position just out of competitiveness,
just trying to get that loose ball for the team.
So I was just unfortunate that Jerome Loi landed on
(03:38):
his back and kind of yeah, popped his shoulder out
when he was in a bad position. So yeah, sorry,
but I don't know when he'll be back, No.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
That's okay. We remain hopeful that it'll be before the
end of the season. Kurk Capewell comes into the centers
back from victorious State of Origin duty with Queensland. He'd
been pretty good heart, wouldn't he.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yep, No, I think he had a good little head
out there after the game and yeah, back to the
next morning with his kids, so yeah, I think them
longer to coming from that they did the game. But no, yeah,
obviously just where he's at, you know, get him the
extra rest and he's ready to go. So you're really
excited to get KP back in the team, get his leadership,
(04:19):
and yeah, back in the center. So he's done a
really good job there.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
You beat the Knights in Christire John nzig day. Is
there much from that one slide you can take to
prepare for this one?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah? Well that was a really hard game, again, like
for a long period of time, So we ended up
running away for I think they were coming off a
five day turnaround and having a travel internationally, so that
was probably a tough game for them to get up for.
And we know it's going to be really hard going
to their home stadium. They've got a really passionate supporter
(04:52):
base there who really get stuck into you. So yeah,
it's going to be a really tough game. They work
really hard. They're a very good defensive team. I think
they set up there in like the top four defensively.
So yeah, it's going to be a long game that
we're just gonna have to keep grinding. We've got a
little game plane there that hopefully we can mail, but yeah,
(05:13):
we're expecting a really hard one.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Lots of chat around about the star player, Kaylon Ponger
assessing his options. I'm sure we've seen the speculation how disruptive.
Would that sort of speculation be inside a playing group?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I have for me to comment on how they're handling that.
I think him going to rugby, I don't know. I
think Kalen's always having that sort of stuff to stuff
around him, and he's They probably don't even read into
it too much. There's a bit of a small town there,
so the papers get onto all that sort of stuff.
But yeah, I could imagine. I know Kalens are really
(05:52):
low broken. I think he's here stay true as worth there.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I guess. I just I mean rugby leagu's like that,
professional sports like that. Players come and go, they change colds,
all that sort of thing. Within a playing group, it
is it usually reasonably easy to kind of put that
off to one side and just focus on a team goal.
Even with all that speculation swirling around one of your players.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Yeah, of course, like he's like, just how credible the
sources are? Who knows? Come to say, boys, there's actually
nothing there and no just trust him? So yeah, hard one.
But I know that around those big players there's always
some sort of speculation.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Indeed, back to your team without wanting to pump a
young guy's ties up too much how good could lack
a hell of seem have become.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, it's funny when you remind yourself he's only nine times,
I know, I know. Yeah, yeah, it's the wild Oh look, yeah,
he's he's been working really hard as well, so we
obviously can see how talented he is, and he's just
working really hard on his game. He's he's playing bigger minutes,
he's got a high defensive workload, and the boys are
(07:00):
training really hard as well. So that's kind of showing
off on the weekends as well. But I put it
in some really hard work during the week as well,
and that's led by Fisher Harris. So having someone like
him show the young boys that you don't just tune
up on the weekend, you still got to put it
in the work through the week. He's been awesome for
our younger point well for our whole team, and I
(07:21):
just know that those youngkers will just get keep getting
better and better. His guidance.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, absolutely, just on charms as well. Look a click start.
He was rolled out for four weeks after the Broncos game.
I think that's be a month when you welcome the
Titans Saturday week, Sunday Week is he on track. Do
you think to come back?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, I think he was pretty close, So again, just
don't want to risk it too much. I want to
make sure he's good to go because you don't want
to have a relapse and then lose more time, especially
at this point of the season. So I just want
to make sure he's one hundred percent get him back
in the team when he's fully healthy. So I don't
think he's too far off.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Good man, Slate, Always appreciate your time, mate, all the
best against the Nights on Sunday, Yeah, thank you very much,
thank you slat Slake Griffin, they're assistant coach of the Warriors.
So five sixth Sunday night, New Zealand Time Warriors v
Nights at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. Immediately followed by
the two women's teams, the Newcastle Knights women up against
our Warriors women, so a double header on Sunday night.
(08:19):
Just confirming just the one change to the Warrior's side
that beat the Tigers on Sunday enforced. It is Rock
o'berry who's out for well an indeterminate length of time.
There's varying reports around that it's five or six weeks.
Let's hope that he will be back before the end
of the season. He's out Kirk, Cape Wellers in So
too our Picky Wa Tennis, Elesniak, Pompey, Cape well Tuivarsashek, Harris,
(08:42):
Tavita and Boyd the Ford Pack for Sha Harris, Egan, Ford, Halaseima,
Near Caudy and Clark. That is the team to take
on the Newcastle Knights on Sunday For the Warriors Men.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Duncie Wildergrave
from news Talk z'd be coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Seven forty five. The Warriors traveled to newcast Or to
face the Nights on Sunday Round twenty NRL Action. It'll
be victory over the Tigers on Sunday consolidated the Warriors
place in the top four. They remained four points clear
of the Broncos. We're joined on sports Talk by Warriors
assistant coach Slade Griffin. Thanks for joining us, slave. How
(00:34):
important was the win over the Tigers after back to
back defeats.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yeah, thanks for having me. Oh, look, it's always hard
to win in the NRL, so it was great to
get a win again. Although we've only lost two games,
which you know, you don't want to lose, but with
the two buyers and now, I think it had been
like five weeks since the actually won a game, so
it felt like a long time, which can kind of
kill your momentum a little bit. So yeah, no, it
(01:01):
was great to get a win. Obviously, the Tigers that
have been in every game the last six games, Auban
one score game, so they come and played really tough
and it worked really hard. And we had to really
earn it. It was very close, and he kind of
got a lot of hard work done early and then
and then got to put a bit of a score
on in the end. So yeah, it was really pleasing game.
(01:21):
The boys played well in a lot of areas and
great to see Yeah Tanner boyd which I'm sure you'll
probably ask a question about that. Great to see him
get his first crack because he's really earned it. He's
been awesome at Cup level and he just come in
and did a really good job.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Good to see. You can read my notes from their
because I've got here it is. How do you evaluate
evaluate Tanner Boys Warrior's dabute for you?
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yeah, well he actually got Player of the game, so yeah,
and a very good team as well. We'll be game.
You know three key things, you know, go kick well,
lead the team around him, and tackle well. And he
did all those very well. So look, he's been playing
really well at as a grade. He's been making it
very hard for the n Our old team training against
(02:04):
the Cup team, which has been awesome practice for us.
And then yeah, he gets his opportunity, probably a bit
longer than he might have thought, but he was awesome,
and it's just kind of a testament to his character
for sticking in there, and yeah, it's just really happy
for him.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
How much or not does having him there in place
of Luke Metcalf change the way you play?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah, Like, obviously we're always going to miss Luke. Look, Luke,
Luke's got that speed and that X factor that not
a lot of halves in the comp do have. So
we might miss a moment that Luke could provide, you
know that other people can't. But you know, we'll just
play the Tanners shrinks as well. So Tanner's kicking the
(02:50):
ball really well, he leads the team around the park,
and he's defending really well as well. So he's the
team hasn't changed the way they're going to play too much,
But we'll just tailor a little bit more to Tanner's drinks.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
All right, let's look forward to Sunday. Just the one
change to your side for this week's game. It's enforced
rock o'berry off with a dislocated shoulder on Sunday. That
was really really hard to watch. Can you give us
any update on how serious.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
That might be?
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, I actually don't know. I'm sorry. Havn't heard the
results of the scan. Yeah, I think it's a little
bit more complicated because he obviously had that previous injury
on it as well, so it's just rock all over.
Like he's just competing diving on a loose ball, putting
his body and in that position just out of competitiveness,
just trying to get that loose ball for the team.
So I was just unfortunate that Jerome Loi landed on
(03:38):
his back and kind of yeah, popped his shoulder out
when he was in a bad position. So yeah, sorry,
but I don't know when he'll be back, No.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
That's okay. We remain hopeful that it'll be before the
end of the season. Kurk Capewell comes into the centers
back from victorious State of Origin duty with Queensland. He'd
been pretty good heart, wouldn't he.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yep, No, I think he had a good little head
out there after the game and yeah, back to the
next morning with his kids, so yeah, I think them
longer to coming from that they did the game. But no, yeah,
obviously just where he's at, you know, get him the
extra rest and he's ready to go. So you're really
excited to get KP back in the team, get his leadership,
(04:19):
and yeah, back in the center. So he's done a
really good job there.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
You beat the Knights in Christire John nzig day. Is
there much from that one slide you can take to
prepare for this one?
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Yeah? Well that was a really hard game, again, like
for a long period of time, So we ended up
running away for I think they were coming off a
five day turnaround and having a travel internationally, so that
was probably a tough game for them to get up for.
And we know it's going to be really hard going
to their home stadium. They've got a really passionate supporter
(04:52):
base there who really get stuck into you. So yeah,
it's going to be a really tough game. They work
really hard. They're a very good defensive team. I think
they set up there in like the top four defensively.
So yeah, it's going to be a long game that
we're just gonna have to keep grinding. We've got a
little game plane there that hopefully we can mail, but yeah,
(05:13):
we're expecting a really hard one.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Lots of chat around about the star player, Kaylon Ponger
assessing his options. I'm sure we've seen the speculation how disruptive.
Would that sort of speculation be inside a playing group?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I have for me to comment on how they're handling that.
I think him going to rugby, I don't know. I
think Kalen's always having that sort of stuff to stuff
around him, and he's They probably don't even read into
it too much. There's a bit of a small town there,
so the papers get onto all that sort of stuff.
But yeah, I could imagine. I know Kalens are really
(05:52):
low broken. I think he's here stay true as worth there.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I guess. I just I mean rugby leagu's like that,
professional sports like that. Players come and go, they change colds,
all that sort of thing. Within a playing group, it
is it usually reasonably easy to kind of put that
off to one side and just focus on a team goal.
Even with all that speculation swirling around one of your players.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Yeah, of course, like he's like, just how credible the
sources are? Who knows? Come to say, boys, there's actually
nothing there and no just trust him? So yeah, hard one.
But I know that around those big players there's always
some sort of speculation.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Indeed, back to your team without wanting to pump a
young guy's ties up too much how good could lack
a hell of seem have become.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, it's funny when you remind yourself he's only nine times,
I know, I know. Yeah, yeah, it's the wild Oh look, yeah,
he's he's been working really hard as well, so we
obviously can see how talented he is, and he's just
working really hard on his game. He's he's playing bigger minutes,
he's got a high defensive workload, and the boys are
(07:00):
training really hard as well. So that's kind of showing
off on the weekends as well. But I put it
in some really hard work during the week as well,
and that's led by Fisher Harris. So having someone like
him show the young boys that you don't just tune
up on the weekend, you still got to put it
in the work through the week. He's been awesome for
our younger point well for our whole team, and I
(07:21):
just know that those youngkers will just get keep getting
better and better. His guidance.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, absolutely, just on charms as well. Look a click start.
He was rolled out for four weeks after the Broncos game.
I think that's be a month when you welcome the
Titans Saturday week, Sunday Week is he on track. Do
you think to come back?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yeah, I think he was pretty close, So again, just
don't want to risk it too much. I want to
make sure he's good to go because you don't want
to have a relapse and then lose more time, especially
at this point of the season. So I just want
to make sure he's one hundred percent get him back
in the team when he's fully healthy. So I don't
think he's too far off.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Good man, Slate, Always appreciate your time, mate, all the
best against the Nights on Sunday, Yeah, thank you very much,
thank you slat Slake Griffin, they're assistant coach of the Warriors.
So five sixth Sunday night, New Zealand Time Warriors v
Nights at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. Immediately followed by
the two women's teams, the Newcastle Knights women up against
our Warriors women, so a double header on Sunday night.
(08:19):
Just confirming just the one change to the Warrior's side
that beat the Tigers on Sunday enforced. It is Rock
o'berry who's out for well an indeterminate length of time.
There's varying reports around that it's five or six weeks.
Let's hope that he will be back before the end
of the season. He's out Kirk, Cape Wellers in So
too our Picky Wa Tennis, Elesniak, Pompey, Cape well Tuivarsashek, Harris,
(08:42):
Tavita and Boyd the Ford Pack for Sha Harris, Egan, Ford, Halaseima,
Near Caudy and Clark. That is the team to take
on the Newcastle Knights on Sunday For the Warriors Men.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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