August 7, 2026 • 7 mins
The Warriors have strengthened their push for a top two finish with an impressive win over the Panthers.
The third-placed Warriors pulled out to a 22-nil lead before their opponents threatened to make a late charge before ultimately going down 28-12 at Mt Smart.
Assistant Coach Slade Griffin joined Piney to discuss their performance, praising his side’s physicality and the impact of the pre-match haka led by James Fisher-Harris, which helped set the tone for a memorable night.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Warriors assistant coach Slade Griffin with us. Thanks for your
time mate. How pleasing a night was there?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Yeah, obviously, like it was just a great night for
the club, Like just really proud of the boys, really
proud to be a part of the club. You know,
Fish come to the club, wanted to come home and
ever since he's been really proud about obviously his culture
and we wanted to do something like that last year
and boys just went ready. But they've practiced it and
(00:39):
you know, they did the hucker and it was just
spine tingling scenes and I think that just obviously got
them going. And yeah, look the boys have trained really
hard for a couple of years and the build a
game that we fell hold up in the big games.
You know that Army stole style of footy and they
got that on last night. And yeah, it was just
a really good performance, like you said, against the minor
(01:02):
premiers at the moment. So yeah, awesome night.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, the pregame like a Tamata man. Spine shilling is right, man,
It was amazing, even iman on television. It was amazing.
I can't imagine what it must have been like there.
So James Fisher Harris was one of the drivers of that.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Yeah he was, Yeah, and he was. You know, some
of the boys are a little bit nervous, they haven't
done much of that in front of a big crowd
like that, but he just gave them confidence. And really
it was about representing obviously our country to be a culture,
even Pacifica and the Maldi boys. So yeah, it was
just awesome and like our crowd just got right behind them.
(01:38):
You know. It was one of the loudest crowds ever
been a part of SOS. Just an awesome night.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Electric, Yeah, certainly was. And then on the field James
Fisher Harris goes out there and has an absolute stormer.
I mean, how influential is he in your playing group
because we see him slat and this is no surprise
to anybody. You know, he doesn't say a heck of
a lot in media situations, right, and he's you know,
he's pretty he's pretty low key, he's pretty understated. How
influential is he within your group?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah? Very He just has an aura about him. He
obviously believes in the hard stuff as well. Which has
been very vital for us, and he leads that with
his actions. But he doesn't speak a ton of training
as well, but when he does speak, everyone listens, and yeah,
he's obviously like he started really good. People hadn't even
seen at the back end of the game when they were,
(02:25):
you know, really coming home strong. He made a cover
tackle after playing sixty minutes or something, so yeah, just
those top of efforts instrumental for us.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Luke Metcalf comes back into the side. Couldn't really have
scripted a better return after such a long layoff in
time out of the side. Were you expecting him to
make that sort of impact straight away?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, we all know what he's capable of. I think
it's also a credit to our forward pack like that
just lay in such a good platform for us buying
to playoff. But yeah, he obviously had his time out
of the team and has been confident the bit to
get his moment and he's been training really well for
his moment. So yeah, we all know the class player
(03:09):
he is. He obviously did it last year, so he's
done his apprenticeship under Shawn Johnson as well, so he
knows the club, he knows the system, so just really
happy for him to get his moment coming back from
that injury, and it seemed.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
As though he didn't try to do too much. And
I guess that could have been the temptation, right, you
come back in after so long away, So right, I'm
going to I'm going to just take this game by
the scruff of the neck and really take charge, which
he did on occasion. But did you consciously speak to
him or did the coaches consciously speak to him about
not trying to do too much?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, I mean on the defense coach where he might
have given him a little bit more of a clear
game plan. But I think the whole year, we're just
so confident in our Ford pack and our style of play,
you know, playing a long game, dragging him into the
deep ends of the Armory sole and then looking for
the cues off that. So yeah, he brought him to
the game plan and then he obviously added his what
(04:00):
he can do on top of it. You know, he's
such a good support player. Whenever he plays, he gets
on the man he wants and can put people in
the holy ones. So yeah, his speeds not many people
have it, and it's nice to get that. Plus is
kicking game that was obviously really helped us put them
in some tough spots.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Laka hello, Seema. Man, he just keeps on producing moments
that make people set up and take notice. But from
your point of view, Slat and that defensive sense, you
know he's playing in the centers, that's different. You know.
Have you had to work with them on his defensive
reads and such, l.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Like, Yeah, so we just have a long story short.
We practiced our defensive fundamentals a lot, so our forwards
train like our backs with our defensive movement. So we
want to be a really well moving team, and Leck
is one of our best defensive players. So yeah, when
(04:51):
he gets thrown out there, he's just such a confident kid.
He's not scared of anything. He actually played centers growing up,
but it's obviously different at n our ol level. But yeah,
he's so sound defensively that we all have confidence in
trying them out there with his reeds the.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Ten minute period where the Panthers sort of started to
become the Panthers again, desperate to get back in the game.
We know that they've got that in them. They have
come back from deficits of that sort before a couple
of tries, another one just allowed. What did you make
of that segment of the game.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, we just got a few things wrong on our
right edge there, so we'll tide of that up this week.
We're just a little bit disconnected, guys making reads outside
of the system and they're not doing it together. So look,
we had obviously wanted idea where Nathan was, because where
he is, Jenny, the ball is going to follow, and
he really took the game by the scruff of the
neck there. Thought in that here we also didn't be
(05:45):
ruthless enough, like we were giving them fast start to
put a kicking down our left edge and Brian too
picks it up and runs forty meters and gets a
fast start where we could have turned it over in
the corner and they're probably kicking it from inside their
forty So there's a few moments we kind of let
them out of their end and then put a lot
of pressure on our defense. But we've got to be
able to handle that as well, because you need the
perfect But yeah, just shows the quality of Nathan a.
(06:07):
So they left opportunities like that you give them to, you.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Know, to be of you off and just to Finnish,
so I'm just looking at the table here. Panthers thirty
six rooster, thirty six, Warriors thirty four. The Sharks will
probably beat the Dragon, so they'll go to thirty four,
four games each. Left man, this is going to be
a sprint down the home straight. How do you keep
your heads?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yeah, obviously you just got to worry week by week,
even training session by training session. So the boys get
three days off this weekend. We give them a little
mini buyers to freshen up again. The travel schedule has
been really tough for them, so they'll come back in
fresh and then yeah, obviously the goal is to get
that top two because we'd love to play at home
(06:46):
in front of our fans. I think they deserve it.
So the boys, we're doing everything they can, but you'll
literally have to take it week by week because every
team's hard in this competition and they will deserve respect.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Congratulations on last night's laid really special, special performance from
the team. All the best as you hopefully get a
bit of a break as well, and we look forward
to seeing how the back end of the regular as
implies out and beyond. Thanks for chatting as always, mate.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, thanks so kids at home, so a little bit harder.
I'm on told of How'm going to work for it easier,
but no, thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Thank you. Slide back to the family. Slide Griffin on
News Talk Sead Basis
Speaker 1 (07:20):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, Listen live
to News Talk Shad b weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Warriors assistant coach Slade Griffin with us. Thanks for your
time mate. How pleasing a night was there?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Yeah, obviously, like it was just a great night for
the club, Like just really proud of the boys, really
proud to be a part of the club. You know,
Fish come to the club, wanted to come home and
ever since he's been really proud about obviously his culture
and we wanted to do something like that last year
and boys just went ready. But they've practiced it and
(00:39):
you know, they did the hucker and it was just
spine tingling scenes and I think that just obviously got
them going. And yeah, look the boys have trained really
hard for a couple of years and the build a
game that we fell hold up in the big games.
You know that Army stole style of footy and they
got that on last night. And yeah, it was just
a really good performance, like you said, against the minor
(01:02):
premiers at the moment. So yeah, awesome night.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, the pregame like a Tamata man. Spine shilling is right, man,
It was amazing, even iman on television. It was amazing.
I can't imagine what it must have been like there.
So James Fisher Harris was one of the drivers of that.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Yeah he was, Yeah, and he was. You know, some
of the boys are a little bit nervous, they haven't
done much of that in front of a big crowd
like that, but he just gave them confidence. And really
it was about representing obviously our country to be a culture,
even Pacifica and the Maldi boys. So yeah, it was
just awesome and like our crowd just got right behind them.
(01:38):
You know. It was one of the loudest crowds ever
been a part of SOS. Just an awesome night.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Electric, Yeah, certainly was. And then on the field James
Fisher Harris goes out there and has an absolute stormer.
I mean, how influential is he in your playing group
because we see him slat and this is no surprise
to anybody. You know, he doesn't say a heck of
a lot in media situations, right, and he's you know,
he's pretty he's pretty low key, he's pretty understated. How
influential is he within your group?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah? Very He just has an aura about him. He
obviously believes in the hard stuff as well. Which has
been very vital for us, and he leads that with
his actions. But he doesn't speak a ton of training
as well, but when he does speak, everyone listens, and yeah,
he's obviously like he started really good. People hadn't even
seen at the back end of the game when they were,
(02:25):
you know, really coming home strong. He made a cover
tackle after playing sixty minutes or something, so yeah, just
those top of efforts instrumental for us.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Luke Metcalf comes back into the side. Couldn't really have
scripted a better return after such a long layoff in
time out of the side. Were you expecting him to
make that sort of impact straight away?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, we all know what he's capable of. I think
it's also a credit to our forward pack like that
just lay in such a good platform for us buying
to playoff. But yeah, he obviously had his time out
of the team and has been confident the bit to
get his moment and he's been training really well for
his moment. So yeah, we all know the class player
(03:09):
he is. He obviously did it last year, so he's
done his apprenticeship under Shawn Johnson as well, so he
knows the club, he knows the system, so just really
happy for him to get his moment coming back from
that injury, and it seemed.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
As though he didn't try to do too much. And
I guess that could have been the temptation, right, you
come back in after so long away, So right, I'm
going to I'm going to just take this game by
the scruff of the neck and really take charge, which
he did on occasion. But did you consciously speak to
him or did the coaches consciously speak to him about
not trying to do too much?
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, I mean on the defense coach where he might
have given him a little bit more of a clear
game plan. But I think the whole year, we're just
so confident in our Ford pack and our style of play,
you know, playing a long game, dragging him into the
deep ends of the Armory sole and then looking for
the cues off that. So yeah, he brought him to
the game plan and then he obviously added his what
(04:00):
he can do on top of it. You know, he's
such a good support player. Whenever he plays, he gets
on the man he wants and can put people in
the holy ones. So yeah, his speeds not many people
have it, and it's nice to get that. Plus is
kicking game that was obviously really helped us put them
in some tough spots.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Laka hello, Seema. Man, he just keeps on producing moments
that make people set up and take notice. But from
your point of view, Slat and that defensive sense, you
know he's playing in the centers, that's different. You know.
Have you had to work with them on his defensive
reads and such, l.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Like, Yeah, so we just have a long story short.
We practiced our defensive fundamentals a lot, so our forwards
train like our backs with our defensive movement. So we
want to be a really well moving team, and Leck
is one of our best defensive players. So yeah, when
(04:51):
he gets thrown out there, he's just such a confident kid.
He's not scared of anything. He actually played centers growing up,
but it's obviously different at n our ol level. But yeah,
he's so sound defensively that we all have confidence in
trying them out there with his reeds the.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Ten minute period where the Panthers sort of started to
become the Panthers again, desperate to get back in the game.
We know that they've got that in them. They have
come back from deficits of that sort before a couple
of tries, another one just allowed. What did you make
of that segment of the game.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Yeah, we just got a few things wrong on our
right edge there, so we'll tide of that up this week.
We're just a little bit disconnected, guys making reads outside
of the system and they're not doing it together. So look,
we had obviously wanted idea where Nathan was, because where
he is, Jenny, the ball is going to follow, and
he really took the game by the scruff of the
neck there. Thought in that here we also didn't be
(05:45):
ruthless enough, like we were giving them fast start to
put a kicking down our left edge and Brian too
picks it up and runs forty meters and gets a
fast start where we could have turned it over in
the corner and they're probably kicking it from inside their
forty So there's a few moments we kind of let
them out of their end and then put a lot
of pressure on our defense. But we've got to be
able to handle that as well, because you need the
perfect But yeah, just shows the quality of Nathan a.
(06:07):
So they left opportunities like that you give them to, you.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Know, to be of you off and just to Finnish,
so I'm just looking at the table here. Panthers thirty
six rooster, thirty six, Warriors thirty four. The Sharks will
probably beat the Dragon, so they'll go to thirty four,
four games each. Left man, this is going to be
a sprint down the home straight. How do you keep
your heads?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yeah, obviously you just got to worry week by week,
even training session by training session. So the boys get
three days off this weekend. We give them a little
mini buyers to freshen up again. The travel schedule has
been really tough for them, so they'll come back in
fresh and then yeah, obviously the goal is to get
that top two because we'd love to play at home
(06:46):
in front of our fans. I think they deserve it.
So the boys, we're doing everything they can, but you'll
literally have to take it week by week because every
team's hard in this competition and they will deserve respect.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Congratulations on last night's laid really special, special performance from
the team. All the best as you hopefully get a
bit of a break as well, and we look forward
to seeing how the back end of the regular as
implies out and beyond. Thanks for chatting as always, mate.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
Yeah, thanks so kids at home, so a little bit harder.
I'm on told of How'm going to work for it easier,
but no, thank you.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Thank you. Slide back to the family. Slide Griffin on
News Talk Sead Basis
Speaker 1 (07:20):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Pine, Listen live
to News Talk Shad b weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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