Richie Barnett: Former Kiwis captain and NRL commentator on the Warriors' win over the Tigers

A week off has done the trick for the Warriors, after a return to the winner's circle in league's NRL. 

Despite making 15 errors in a sometimes disjointed display, they've still eased away to a 32-6 win away to the Tigers in Sydney. 

Richie Barnett, former Kiwis captain and NRL commentator, joined D’Arcy Waldegrave to review the match. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk z'b.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Some handling as stout the mats, but the Warriors still
managed to get the job done thirty two six over
West Tiger's Campertown last night, which Barnett, former Kiwi captain
and man about town. When it comes to commenting on
Rugby League red Gie, how are your mate? Welcome to
the program? You were sky as well. You're addicted to it.
You can't help yourself.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
What did you make of that? Well? What a game?
You know, it was always one of those sides that unpredictable.
They haven't got much to really, I mean they've struggled
clearly with their roster, the Tigers, and they started pretty poorly.
I thought the energy levels of Tigers were pretty low.
I thought the Warriors themselves really started with the hyper

(00:53):
centers played like they normally would and you could just
see they were dominating through the middle. And then the
wheel started to fall off a little when a little
in the game, when you know, when you had the
ruck infringements, when you had the error rates started to
creep up, and but they're always in control. But I
just thought overall, they thirty two six, still with a
with an underperformed performing game. They go into that with

(01:17):
a secured win, which was vitally important for them.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Can you look though back at the last few weeks,
with the nature of the buyers that they've been cursed
with so many of them, Is that's a short amount
of time? Does that make up for a degree that
there's a lot of a ring rast or is that
just being generous?

Speaker 3 (01:35):
No, I just think I just think it was the
perfect timing for a side that struggled with injuries. You know,
it was it was it was time to reset. There's
a number of players that you know, with with with
Capewell and Mitch Barnett out and the injury concerns with
Praira and then you'd Fisher Harris out. They really had
been put under the sword for the last month or
so and they desperately needed to players to get some

(01:56):
some time to rest up before they kick kicked to
the end of the season, which is vitally important. You
want your you want your side in good bill of
health when you reach those finals, and this win will
go a long way to securing well. I think we
should be a second, second they should get to the
number two and that'll change the game for the Warriors.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Not how you start, now you finished. And we know
the Warriors predominantly through injury of recent seasons, they stumble
at the last, they can't get it done. You're feeling
more confident about their ability to lift again like they
did at the start of the season.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
Ritchie, there is no question that what I'm seeing this
year is critically important. You know, they're discipline and what
they're doing the season. They're grunt through the middle and there.
I think the Spine is performing extremely well. I love
what they're doing at the moment. I love Chanelle the

(02:50):
way he's been playing in partnership with Tomiti. Tomighty's just
owning that space. He really has time and space about
to deliver those passes that he did last night, that
slipped long pass out to the Pompey, and you know,
like players like that are just gold and he's got
He's just patient and both those players and particularly tamed

(03:11):
to I pick at the back. I think their combination
with the Spine is extraordinary, extraordinary.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
What needs to be tightened is there some slop in
their rich You plenty that were handling eras. Dad's got
to be looked at. But anything strikes really you think
needs to be re observed.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
I think, you know they it's always tough to defend
on the edges. I think there's times and games where
selection of play is important, the timing of the play,
and I think the their halves and the spina are
starting to work well. I thought, you know, weighed last
night forcing the pass on the line to players that
are in traffic, you know, like simple things like that

(03:47):
can change the game. And you're right about the eras
that that is a big part of what we're talking about.
When you're ten percent lower than your completion rate from
your average, then these are concern And when your eras
are up six more eras during a game more than
the average, then that plays into it big time. But
there's nothing that it really changes. When you've got Fisher,

(04:07):
Harris here and Clark continue to punch through that middle
and play through the middle, and I think that's a
big part of I think where they could really benefit
this year. And you've seen it in portions of it.
When Aaron Clark runs to the line and sways out
and plays on the advantage line inside inside shoulder play
and that's I think that that's the dynamic I think

(04:29):
I've seen this year better than any other They've they've
actually got they could own that middle space better than that.
Wade Egan is an extraordinary rock recognition player that I've seen.
You know, when you've got erin coming onto the ball
playing through the middle, then that's a different dynamic that
I've seen the Warriors, and that could really be beneficial
with the way they play the game now, you know,

(04:50):
very quick, quick play the ball and play through the middle.
That's where they can actually make massive advantage.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
And finally, Rich Barnett always a pleasure as well. That's
more more of an exception than a rule though they're
handling errors they've they've genuinely been fairly crisp haven't made
so far this season.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah they have, and you know that's that's gonna happen
during the year, you know, it really does, and they'll
be really disappointed with should have posted more points, you know,
when those eras did arrive, like you're saying, forcing the
pass through the in traffic and dropping just simple drop balls,
and yeah, they'll be disappointed with it, but disappointed with
a thirty two six, and they would they would go

(05:30):
back to the drawing board and really analyze that. But
you've got it, you know, like lique Halosem, I want
the positives are you come back? And Lequa just plays
the way he does. And then Fisher Harris just I
just cannot believe how good a player he is and
the way he started that game. You know, he scored
a try, He started with vengeance and passion as he
always does, but just grunt through the middle and liquor

(05:52):
like lock Alasima, Like wow, just just just watch this
guy play. It's amazing.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
Now we all do. And look, as you said, yeah,
complaining about a thirty two six win, that's so like
moaning at a few. Wasn't it really good?

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Iverty?

Speaker 2 (06:06):
Thanks for your time, mate, it's talk again about Thank.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
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