September 13, 2025 • 7 mins
This won't be the Warriors season after all, as the team's been bundled out of the NRL playoffs by Penrith after a 24-8 loss at Mt Smart.
Another promising season has drawn to a close, and fans will likely be disappointed.
Warriors assistant coach Slade Griffin joined Piney to discuss.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Finald Play Tendrith, Take It In and the Penrith Panthers
cap chu to Auckland and have troven why they are
the back to back to back to back champions. They
have won the elimination final, they have beaten the Warriors.
Hair in Auckland twenty four points to.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Wait as the Warriors beaten by the Penrith Panthers in
the first round of the NRL Finals at go Media
Stadium last night. They trailed just six two at halftime.
Leka Halasima gave them hope with a try on the
second half to bring it back to twelve eight before
two late tries to the Panthers sealed the win and
sent them through to the next round of the finals.
For the Warriors, it is season over. Warriors assistant coach
(00:59):
Slade Griffin is with a slade twenty four to eight
doesn't actually feel like it reflects the game that well,
how it feels to you.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, look, we felt like, you know, we're in the
arm wrestle with them. We felt we were doing a
really good job and then obviously when you're chasing the
game a little bit late. We had that drop ball
for a try and they had that bounce to the ball,
which we still we know there's things we can do better,
but at that point in the game, it was a
big moment because it was probably our best defensive set
(01:29):
of the night, and you know, it was just tough
conditions with the wind. The ball probably didn't go as
far as as some guys are anticipating. They got the balance,
and to their credit, they icd their moment. So yeah,
it's frustrating. I mean, you know, probably if you come
off with the field knowing you couldn't keep up with them,
you'd be a bit more disappointed. But no one that
(01:51):
we can un wrestle for a team like Penrith, like
a lot of teams can't. So you know, we fit
enough and we could handle their power game.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
But it was just moments and that's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
And the moment that you've alluded to there the sixty
fifth minute, twelve eight to them, you kicked the corner.
Paul Animalty has a freak player to keep it in.
You pin them down that end. Nathan Clary kicks from
his own twenty. It's a freakish bounce, they pick it
up for a forward pass.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Score one. It's eighteen eight. Is that the turning point?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Oh? Yeah, Like the in the context of the game
is a big playing. Look. They come up some huge players,
like Clary's kicking game. He got a lot of repeats it.
Dylan Edwards keep the ball in on a forty twenty
a tent he gets out of his n goal. Yeah,
the crowd was really getting behind us at that period though.
It was like the roof would have come off the place.
It was just, you know, the bummer. We didn't get
(02:40):
that ball back because yeah, I just like the crowd
would give us that ford X man on the field
at that point.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
I know it doesn't matter now, but that passes forward?
How gutting is that?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Ah? Yeah, look, I know it's hard on the rests,
like we'd our position kind of feels like we've got
a couple of in ones. But they could probably say
the same. It's just, yeah, it's a tough one.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
Why don't you reckon?
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You could capitalize on your first half showing with more points,
like we got it.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
We got a lot of chunk early. We are fish,
so they didn't have much fatigue into them, so they
turned up at that period as well. It was raining,
so it was probably a bit harder to come away with,
you know, some really clean catch pass and we're still
building the game. But yeah, like they're a really good
defensive team, especially down on their try line, So it
(03:31):
probably was going to be a really low scoring game.
Like two tries might have been enough to win it.
Two or three tries and unfortunately, like you said, we
let the score blow out because we had you know,
two tries against the runner play. But and those conditions,
there's probably always going to be a low scoring game.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Andrew Whipster talked afterwards about the missing piece. It's probably
a little bit loosive and hard to define that will
take it to the next level.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
What do you reckon that that piece?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Is?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
It just probably consistency or just detail. Some games of
just miss like whether it's execution and attack or just
just nailing our role and getting the detail right. Sometimes
those real small things create the moments we're talking about.
Like I said, even on that kick, they got the balance,
but we still know that if we've got guys who's
(04:20):
moving towards the ball, or we make a tackle here
or there, we can still stop it. So there's always
little things that you can control. So yeah, we're just
we're really hunting that part because we feel like the
boys have played with for a lot of effort, and
they've played tough for each other, and they trained really
hard all year, had a really tough preseason, which a
lot of people don't see, and that's why, you know,
(04:41):
we felt we built a game that could hold up
in finals games, like we could arm wrestle with a
team at Penriff. And yeah, unfortunately, just those little details
turn into big moments.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Lecqua Helosima into the centers last night are late change
there with Kirk Capall going back to the second row,
another try for Leka. I think that has some as
your leading triscorer of the season. He goes, all right,
doesn't he lack a hello?
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Sema?
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Wow, Yeah that's that's well, Yeah, who knows that center?
Is that not awesome? Here? I think he's played nearly
every game for how far he's come within the year
and he's still only nineteen, Like, yeah, it's really exciting.
Another good preseason to build on what he's done already
this year is really exciting.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You lost Adam Vanua, Blake Tahu how As, Shan Johnson
and Dylan Walker from last season, then Mitch Barnett and
Luke Metcalf. At the midway point of this season, many
people thought you'd missed the eight and yet you hosted
a finals match. Can you take some degree of satisfaction
from that?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Yeah, oh, look, it was probably early on, like that
Vegas game. We probably you know, we're a huge team,
and we had a good lesson over there with the
new guys coming in after you take year seven and yeah,
your captain out, any team, I think it will take
the little older to get going and build those combinations again,
because you dismiss all those reps that the Harves get
(06:07):
in the preseason. In the combination they build just know
one kind of what each other's thinking. But there's never
an excuse for us that we feel Tanner did a
really good job and all season, like him and Tom
from the other team given us really good practice. So
it's been great competition in that spot, and we've just
(06:29):
always had that next man up mentality. But yeah, obviously
Mitch Barnett's leadership and just his aggression through the middle,
what he kind of does for the other younger Fords
is always hard to replace.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
All right, So Penrith go on to play the Bulldogs
next week now in an elimination semi final. This isn't
something they're used to having to come from so far
down the table, but you reckon they could win it
from seventh place again.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah, why not. I've done it four times. Our big
game players, origin players. I know they love a challenge,
so they've already framed it that way never before, so
that's a trademark I think. Look, yeah, obviously Cleary Edwards
like they just got such a potent team who were
ready for the moment. So I think it's gonna be
(07:14):
a really good game between them and the Bulldogs. That'd
be great. Top eight, I think it's Yeah, every teams
got their number in the head.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Slade.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Appreciate your accessibility and honesty across the season. It's been
great to get the chance to regularly chat with you
on the radio.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Mate. Enjoy the offseason.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
If that's the writer, write phrase useless for fuel for
twenty twenty six and look forward to catching up again
in the new year.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah. No, I thanks to the support all Yeah, it's
been awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
No, thank you for joining US slate Slake Griffin there,
assistant coach of the Warriors or one of the assistant coaches.
They can now start thinking about next season. Week one
of the finals is as far as the I'll go
twenty four to eight, the margin of defeat last night
to the Penrith Panthers.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Z'B weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on Iheard Radio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks, EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Finald Play Tendrith, Take It In and the Penrith Panthers
cap chu to Auckland and have troven why they are
the back to back to back to back champions. They
have won the elimination final, they have beaten the Warriors.
Hair in Auckland twenty four points to.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Wait as the Warriors beaten by the Penrith Panthers in
the first round of the NRL Finals at go Media
Stadium last night. They trailed just six two at halftime.
Leka Halasima gave them hope with a try on the
second half to bring it back to twelve eight before
two late tries to the Panthers sealed the win and
sent them through to the next round of the finals.
For the Warriors, it is season over. Warriors assistant coach
(00:59):
Slade Griffin is with a slade twenty four to eight
doesn't actually feel like it reflects the game that well,
how it feels to you.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, look, we felt like, you know, we're in the
arm wrestle with them. We felt we were doing a
really good job and then obviously when you're chasing the
game a little bit late. We had that drop ball
for a try and they had that bounce to the ball,
which we still we know there's things we can do better,
but at that point in the game, it was a
big moment because it was probably our best defensive set
(01:29):
of the night, and you know, it was just tough
conditions with the wind. The ball probably didn't go as
far as as some guys are anticipating. They got the balance,
and to their credit, they icd their moment. So yeah,
it's frustrating. I mean, you know, probably if you come
off with the field knowing you couldn't keep up with them,
you'd be a bit more disappointed. But no one that
(01:51):
we can un wrestle for a team like Penrith, like
a lot of teams can't. So you know, we fit
enough and we could handle their power game.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
But it was just moments and that's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
And the moment that you've alluded to there the sixty
fifth minute, twelve eight to them, you kicked the corner.
Paul Animalty has a freak player to keep it in.
You pin them down that end. Nathan Clary kicks from
his own twenty. It's a freakish bounce, they pick it
up for a forward pass.
Speaker 5 (02:15):
Score one. It's eighteen eight. Is that the turning point?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Oh? Yeah, Like the in the context of the game
is a big playing. Look. They come up some huge players,
like Clary's kicking game. He got a lot of repeats it.
Dylan Edwards keep the ball in on a forty twenty
a tent he gets out of his n goal. Yeah,
the crowd was really getting behind us at that period though.
It was like the roof would have come off the place.
It was just, you know, the bummer. We didn't get
(02:40):
that ball back because yeah, I just like the crowd
would give us that ford X man on the field
at that point.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
I know it doesn't matter now, but that passes forward?
How gutting is that?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Ah? Yeah, look, I know it's hard on the rests,
like we'd our position kind of feels like we've got
a couple of in ones. But they could probably say
the same. It's just, yeah, it's a tough one.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
Why don't you reckon?
Speaker 3 (03:03):
You could capitalize on your first half showing with more points,
like we got it.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
We got a lot of chunk early. We are fish,
so they didn't have much fatigue into them, so they
turned up at that period as well. It was raining,
so it was probably a bit harder to come away with,
you know, some really clean catch pass and we're still
building the game. But yeah, like they're a really good
defensive team, especially down on their try line, So it
(03:31):
probably was going to be a really low scoring game.
Like two tries might have been enough to win it.
Two or three tries and unfortunately, like you said, we
let the score blow out because we had you know,
two tries against the runner play. But and those conditions,
there's probably always going to be a low scoring game.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Andrew Whipster talked afterwards about the missing piece. It's probably
a little bit loosive and hard to define that will
take it to the next level.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
What do you reckon that that piece?
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Is?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
It just probably consistency or just detail. Some games of
just miss like whether it's execution and attack or just
just nailing our role and getting the detail right. Sometimes
those real small things create the moments we're talking about.
Like I said, even on that kick, they got the balance,
but we still know that if we've got guys who's
(04:20):
moving towards the ball, or we make a tackle here
or there, we can still stop it. So there's always
little things that you can control. So yeah, we're just
we're really hunting that part because we feel like the
boys have played with for a lot of effort, and
they've played tough for each other, and they trained really
hard all year, had a really tough preseason, which a
lot of people don't see, and that's why, you know,
(04:41):
we felt we built a game that could hold up
in finals games, like we could arm wrestle with a
team at Penriff. And yeah, unfortunately, just those little details
turn into big moments.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Lecqua Helosima into the centers last night are late change
there with Kirk Capall going back to the second row,
another try for Leka. I think that has some as
your leading triscorer of the season. He goes, all right,
doesn't he lack a hello?
Speaker 5 (05:06):
Sema?
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Wow, Yeah that's that's well, Yeah, who knows that center?
Is that not awesome? Here? I think he's played nearly
every game for how far he's come within the year
and he's still only nineteen, Like, yeah, it's really exciting.
Another good preseason to build on what he's done already
this year is really exciting.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
You lost Adam Vanua, Blake Tahu how As, Shan Johnson
and Dylan Walker from last season, then Mitch Barnett and
Luke Metcalf. At the midway point of this season, many
people thought you'd missed the eight and yet you hosted
a finals match. Can you take some degree of satisfaction
from that?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Yeah, oh, look, it was probably early on, like that
Vegas game. We probably you know, we're a huge team,
and we had a good lesson over there with the
new guys coming in after you take year seven and yeah,
your captain out, any team, I think it will take
the little older to get going and build those combinations again,
because you dismiss all those reps that the Harves get
(06:07):
in the preseason. In the combination they build just know
one kind of what each other's thinking. But there's never
an excuse for us that we feel Tanner did a
really good job and all season, like him and Tom
from the other team given us really good practice. So
it's been great competition in that spot, and we've just
(06:29):
always had that next man up mentality. But yeah, obviously
Mitch Barnett's leadership and just his aggression through the middle,
what he kind of does for the other younger Fords
is always hard to replace.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
All right, So Penrith go on to play the Bulldogs
next week now in an elimination semi final. This isn't
something they're used to having to come from so far
down the table, but you reckon they could win it
from seventh place again.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah, why not. I've done it four times. Our big
game players, origin players. I know they love a challenge,
so they've already framed it that way never before, so
that's a trademark I think. Look, yeah, obviously Cleary Edwards
like they just got such a potent team who were
ready for the moment. So I think it's gonna be
(07:14):
a really good game between them and the Bulldogs. That'd
be great. Top eight, I think it's Yeah, every teams
got their number in the head.
Speaker 5 (07:23):
Slade.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Appreciate your accessibility and honesty across the season. It's been
great to get the chance to regularly chat with you
on the radio.
Speaker 5 (07:29):
Mate. Enjoy the offseason.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
If that's the writer, write phrase useless for fuel for
twenty twenty six and look forward to catching up again
in the new year.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah. No, I thanks to the support all Yeah, it's
been awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
No, thank you for joining US slate Slake Griffin there,
assistant coach of the Warriors or one of the assistant coaches.
They can now start thinking about next season. Week one
of the finals is as far as the I'll go
twenty four to eight, the margin of defeat last night
to the Penrith Panthers.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Z'B weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on Iheard Radio.
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