March 14, 2025 • 11 mins
Few might have predicted the big Warriors bounce back that saw the Auckland NRL side thrash Manly 36-16 last night at Mt Smart.
The Warriors were humiliated by the Canberra Raiders in Las Vegas in round one by 22 points, while the Sea Eagles won by 30 over the Cowboys.
Assistant Warriors coach Slade Griffin told Jason Pine that they found their game back home.
He says they’re not the first team in rugby league to have a bad game in round one, but there was a lot hype around it.
“We got back to ourselves, and we played our type of game last night.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
GO to start with rugby leg The Warriors have produced
a stunning thirty six sixteen win over the Manly Sea
Eagles at GO Media Stadium.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Micka Harris, Corvina Pompeyah.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Wonderful staff. They conceded the first try the Warriors after
just three minutes, but led eighteen sixteen at halftime. Scored
six tries and all and all six were converted by
halfback Luke Metcalf. Your thoughts on this are welcome. Going
to have Slade Griffin, assistant coach of the side, joined
us very shortly, but a much much needed win, wasn't
(00:52):
it for the Warriors last night? After what happened in
Vegas and the fallout from that. There were you know,
poor tenths of doom weren't there ahead of last night
And it would have been a very different conversation would
be having if, in fact it had been another defeat
last night too Manly, But it wasn't. It was, in
(01:13):
fact one of the more impressive performances we've seen from
the Warriors in recent times. Assistant coach Slade Griffin joins us.
Good to have you on the show, Slade. What pleased
you the most about last night?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Yeah, thanks for having me. We just played our brand
of footy. Obviously we didn't quite play how he wanted
to in Vegas. I'm extremely disappointed. But yeah, we just
played a lot more direct and attack, create some good
momentum and then chose our moments to move the ball
out wide and we just defended much better, tackle better,
(01:45):
made some good decisions on the edges against a very
dangerous team. You know, Turbo and CAC are scary players
to come up against. But the boys held their gloves
up there.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Absolutely want to talk more about the game in a moment,
but how much soul searching and internal examination has the
team done since Vegas?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Yeah, no, the boys are really honest. They're obviously really
disappointed individually and then as a team. The biggest one.
We're obviously gutted ourselves. That really guted for our fans
that you know, put a lot of time and money
to travel over to Vegas, so it made it feel
a lot worse. And you know, not the first team
over rugby league to have a bad game in round one.
(02:29):
You know, it was just so much hype around it,
but we obviously addressed it and then we yeah, like
I said, we got back to ourselves and we played
our type of game last night.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Six tries tell us the tale of a good attacking performance,
especially that period of three tries and eleven minutes in
the first half. Obviously, you know, I think your brief
is mainly defensive, but has attacked been a major work
on since scoring just eight points in the first round.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, I think looks we lost the physical battle against
the Raiders, and you know, our attack copped a bit
of flat there. But he heard the old cliche if
you lay the platform, you know that your hearts can
shine there. So, like I said, we're a bit more direct.
We created a lot more ruck speed for our halves
to play and move the ball off the back of
(03:19):
a bit of fast playable and then obviously that got
weighed out as well, and he caused a bit of
havoc around the ruck. So yeah, look, Rugsley is a
complimentary game. When you defend well in your field position,
you get a bit more fatigue in the other team
and then you create more opportunities.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So yeah, I actually thought Luke Metcalf played okay in Vegas,
but he seemed to cop quite a bit of flak afterwards.
How pleased were you to see him rebound from that
to play Look he did last night, as you say,
off the back of a much much sterner platform that
was provided for him.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah. Like people think like, we're not relieved because we've
seen it over preseason and Lukey's done a really good
apprenticeship here under Sean and he's been in the system
for three years, so he knows the attack. Like I said,
we didn't have the platform to playoff over in Vegas,
and he did cop a lot of flack, but yeah,
we just knew if we create more ruckspeed' seeing what
(04:12):
he's done over preseason, and there was even some people
call them out like selections and stuff in the media,
But he showed what he's capable of and we knew that,
and I had asked, but we had one hundred percent
faith in that. So we obviously backed the team we've
picked in Las Vegas, and the boys really repaid that
face and put a really good performance in last night.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Absolutely, yeah, same seventeen as you say from Vegas. Aaron Clark,
though started at lock last night, had a good game
after coming off the interchange in Vegas. Were also keen
to have one of Mitch Barnett and James Fisher Harris
on the field as often as you can, you know,
not have as much overlap when neither of them is
on there.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Yep, yep. Obviously the front rollers, so you know, they
got that in the washing machine, you know, up back,
making tackles, carrying the ball like it. It's the most
fatiguing position on the field, so he obviously wanted them
on as long as you can. But the nature of
the position that most front rollers only play so many minutes,
so when you start them, both are probably both going
(05:13):
to need to put their hand up around the similar time.
And that's where you got a back your bench and
we're extremely confident in our bench. Bench played really well,
but yeah, it was it was great to kind of
mix them up, and in the secondstant we brung Barney
on a bit of it. He got to get to
halftime and then we brung Fish back onto him, so
we had one of those big dogs out there at
(05:34):
all time.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Were you at all worried in the first five minutes
or so, Oh.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You know, just knew like they have that in them like,
they obviously are higher risk, high reward team. So we've
actually done a really good job defensively. They didn't make
many meters that whole set, and then one play Turbo
just turns up on the edge and he can crucify,
you know, And they got stab out there, who's just
lightning fast, and we ended up forcing a few ears
(06:08):
out of them and yarded just then scoring on the
next set. So you know, they're kind of that type
of team where they roll the dice a bit. But yeah,
just high class players. We end up making a few
adjustments there. But yeah, off the back of their big forwards,
if you lose one tackle and you have a man
out of your defensive line, Turbo pops up on the
edge of the overlap. He's so skillful he can just
(06:30):
pull your pull you apart. So yeah, obviously we made
the adjustments and the boys did a pretty good job
for the rest of the game.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
You reckon manly winger Jason sab got that one down
in the corner early in the second half. I mean
didn't affect the results, so you can be honest.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Ah, they put down, Yeah, what do you.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Think, I don't think I don't think you got it down.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
But you know, yeah, those ones are that's tough for
the rest, aren't they? Like you know what he's saying.
They're probably saying try and man, you're probably saying it
is a try, Like it's a tough job for a rest.
So I'll keep out of that one. I think I
don't know how they're kind of rolling on that one
right now. I remember it used to be you know,
you had to done with pressure out. It's like, as
(07:12):
long as there's one, I'm pinky on it. So yeah,
that's just one.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, no, very diplomatically answered mate, well done. That was. Look,
I'm sure you'll you'll as you say. You know, the
lot of Warriors fans said, there's no way it was.
It was like the the daily chair evens try as
well that you know, tiptoeing along the touch line to
pull it back this. You know there's millimeters in these things. Ah,
I mean, do you are you watching the footage from
the coaching box when these decisions are being made by
(07:39):
the bunker.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, we are ent a little bit away from the
big screen. We'll only go like a little tally in
the coach's box. So sometimes that hard, but yeah, that
were again, you know, you could say either way on
that one. When the ref calls one way, that generally
gives them the benefit of it out. But yeah, that's
just how classy they are, Like they make a breakdown
(08:01):
and right they kicked back at the post and they
tapped the ball back and the deadly teams.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, much as it was con reversy over those two tries,
and and there was obviously trying the first half, they
all came down the right edge Slater. Is that a
defensive focus for you?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
No, not not really, Like we'll look at it, we'll
make adjustments, and I just again, I just think it's
like Tom Traboy, like they are a very dangerous team.
I think that they would have been up there and
the most points scored last year and some areas out
of them as well, but they just yeah, they're ready
(08:38):
to either throw the ball over the sideline or make
a line break, so sometimes you go to wear those ones.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Pretty special acknowledgment of Tahu Harris pre game. Can you
talk about the impact that he's had on this team?
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Yeah, monumental. I actually played with Toto and through the
juniors and just amazing. See the man's turned into I thought,
just as a footy fan, that was an awesome moment
as a Kiwi seeing him hand over the hoy to
Fish and Darney like it's your ship and now boys
like it was just a really cool moment he blacked
(09:15):
out the stadium. I just think that's a real inspirational
moment for young Kiwis in the country want to play
regularly growing up, and the Warriors fans. But yeah, obviously
he's up on our wall for Player of the Year
three years in a row. I think people didn't realize
the impact he had on the game until they kind
of were involved with the club or with him, Like
he got through so much work, but then he is
(09:36):
so highly skilled and again he kind of him and
is Ao a couple of guys kind of brung back
the ball playing thirteen. So when you've made a difference
to the game and everyone starts, try and emulate that
you're a pretty special.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Player and go media Satam just jumps, doesn't it On
nights like last night? How good is the energy inside
that ground?
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Amazing? Like I think when they sid down the ships,
I heard the halftime fireworks were unbelievable. So that's done
a really good job George and the team here. I
really want to make it, you know, the hottest ticket
in town, and they're always thinking outside the box. But
then you just got our fans are passionate, you know,
turn up after that game in Vegas and they just
(10:22):
the crowds rocking. They're fully behind the team, whether you
know it's our best night or not our best night.
So yeah, that's the boys are just really happy to
get home and put another performance in front of him and.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
See your nixt to Potters. The Roosters beat the Panthers
last night. You see that.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Yeah, similar similar to us. Had a obviously rough round
one and bounce back and they did against you know,
obviously the full time Premieers. So look, it doesn't get
any easier. We know they're a classy outfit. I've been
up the top for a long time. They're a really
good club. And yeah, we're just excited we get to
play at home again. So it's going to be a
(10:58):
very tough clash.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Great to chat, Slide, Thanks for taking that, cool mate,
enjoy the rest of your weekend and world on last night.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Cool, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Thanks late Slick Griffin, their assistant coach of the Warriors. Yeah,
Phiry happy assistant coach, you'd have to think, yeah, sure,
it's only the second game, but after what happened in Vegas,
that can stay in Vegas, as they say.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks at B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
GO to start with rugby leg The Warriors have produced
a stunning thirty six sixteen win over the Manly Sea
Eagles at GO Media Stadium.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Micka Harris, Corvina Pompeyah.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Wonderful staff. They conceded the first try the Warriors after
just three minutes, but led eighteen sixteen at halftime. Scored
six tries and all and all six were converted by
halfback Luke Metcalf. Your thoughts on this are welcome. Going
to have Slade Griffin, assistant coach of the side, joined
us very shortly, but a much much needed win, wasn't
(00:52):
it for the Warriors last night? After what happened in
Vegas and the fallout from that. There were you know,
poor tenths of doom weren't there ahead of last night
And it would have been a very different conversation would
be having if, in fact it had been another defeat
last night too Manly, But it wasn't. It was, in
(01:13):
fact one of the more impressive performances we've seen from
the Warriors in recent times. Assistant coach Slade Griffin joins us.
Good to have you on the show, Slade. What pleased
you the most about last night?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Yeah, thanks for having me. We just played our brand
of footy. Obviously we didn't quite play how he wanted
to in Vegas. I'm extremely disappointed. But yeah, we just
played a lot more direct and attack, create some good
momentum and then chose our moments to move the ball
out wide and we just defended much better, tackle better,
(01:45):
made some good decisions on the edges against a very
dangerous team. You know, Turbo and CAC are scary players
to come up against. But the boys held their gloves
up there.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Absolutely want to talk more about the game in a moment,
but how much soul searching and internal examination has the
team done since Vegas?
Speaker 4 (02:06):
Yeah, no, the boys are really honest. They're obviously really
disappointed individually and then as a team. The biggest one.
We're obviously gutted ourselves. That really guted for our fans
that you know, put a lot of time and money
to travel over to Vegas, so it made it feel
a lot worse. And you know, not the first team
over rugby league to have a bad game in round one.
(02:29):
You know, it was just so much hype around it,
but we obviously addressed it and then we yeah, like
I said, we got back to ourselves and we played
our type of game last night.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Six tries tell us the tale of a good attacking performance,
especially that period of three tries and eleven minutes in
the first half. Obviously, you know, I think your brief
is mainly defensive, but has attacked been a major work
on since scoring just eight points in the first round.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Yeah, I think looks we lost the physical battle against
the Raiders, and you know, our attack copped a bit
of flat there. But he heard the old cliche if
you lay the platform, you know that your hearts can
shine there. So, like I said, we're a bit more direct.
We created a lot more ruck speed for our halves
to play and move the ball off the back of
(03:19):
a bit of fast playable and then obviously that got
weighed out as well, and he caused a bit of
havoc around the ruck. So yeah, look, Rugsley is a
complimentary game. When you defend well in your field position,
you get a bit more fatigue in the other team
and then you create more opportunities.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
So yeah, I actually thought Luke Metcalf played okay in Vegas,
but he seemed to cop quite a bit of flak afterwards.
How pleased were you to see him rebound from that
to play Look he did last night, as you say,
off the back of a much much sterner platform that
was provided for him.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Yeah. Like people think like, we're not relieved because we've
seen it over preseason and Lukey's done a really good
apprenticeship here under Sean and he's been in the system
for three years, so he knows the attack. Like I said,
we didn't have the platform to playoff over in Vegas,
and he did cop a lot of flack, but yeah,
we just knew if we create more ruckspeed' seeing what
(04:12):
he's done over preseason, and there was even some people
call them out like selections and stuff in the media,
But he showed what he's capable of and we knew that,
and I had asked, but we had one hundred percent
faith in that. So we obviously backed the team we've
picked in Las Vegas, and the boys really repaid that
face and put a really good performance in last night.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Absolutely, yeah, same seventeen as you say from Vegas. Aaron Clark,
though started at lock last night, had a good game
after coming off the interchange in Vegas. Were also keen
to have one of Mitch Barnett and James Fisher Harris
on the field as often as you can, you know,
not have as much overlap when neither of them is
on there.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Yep, yep. Obviously the front rollers, so you know, they
got that in the washing machine, you know, up back,
making tackles, carrying the ball like it. It's the most
fatiguing position on the field, so he obviously wanted them
on as long as you can. But the nature of
the position that most front rollers only play so many minutes,
so when you start them, both are probably both going
(05:13):
to need to put their hand up around the similar time.
And that's where you got a back your bench and
we're extremely confident in our bench. Bench played really well,
but yeah, it was it was great to kind of
mix them up, and in the secondstant we brung Barney
on a bit of it. He got to get to
halftime and then we brung Fish back onto him, so
we had one of those big dogs out there at
(05:34):
all time.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Were you at all worried in the first five minutes
or so, Oh.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You know, just knew like they have that in them like,
they obviously are higher risk, high reward team. So we've
actually done a really good job defensively. They didn't make
many meters that whole set, and then one play Turbo
just turns up on the edge and he can crucify,
you know, And they got stab out there, who's just
lightning fast, and we ended up forcing a few ears
(06:08):
out of them and yarded just then scoring on the
next set. So you know, they're kind of that type
of team where they roll the dice a bit. But yeah,
just high class players. We end up making a few
adjustments there. But yeah, off the back of their big forwards,
if you lose one tackle and you have a man
out of your defensive line, Turbo pops up on the
edge of the overlap. He's so skillful he can just
(06:30):
pull your pull you apart. So yeah, obviously we made
the adjustments and the boys did a pretty good job
for the rest of the game.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
You reckon manly winger Jason sab got that one down
in the corner early in the second half. I mean
didn't affect the results, so you can be honest.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
Ah, they put down, Yeah, what do you.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Think, I don't think I don't think you got it down.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
But you know, yeah, those ones are that's tough for
the rest, aren't they? Like you know what he's saying.
They're probably saying try and man, you're probably saying it
is a try, Like it's a tough job for a rest.
So I'll keep out of that one. I think I
don't know how they're kind of rolling on that one
right now. I remember it used to be you know,
you had to done with pressure out. It's like, as
(07:12):
long as there's one, I'm pinky on it. So yeah,
that's just one.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, no, very diplomatically answered mate, well done. That was. Look,
I'm sure you'll you'll as you say. You know, the
lot of Warriors fans said, there's no way it was.
It was like the the daily chair evens try as
well that you know, tiptoeing along the touch line to
pull it back this. You know there's millimeters in these things. Ah,
I mean, do you are you watching the footage from
the coaching box when these decisions are being made by
(07:39):
the bunker.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Yeah, we are ent a little bit away from the
big screen. We'll only go like a little tally in
the coach's box. So sometimes that hard, but yeah, that
were again, you know, you could say either way on
that one. When the ref calls one way, that generally
gives them the benefit of it out. But yeah, that's
just how classy they are, Like they make a breakdown
(08:01):
and right they kicked back at the post and they
tapped the ball back and the deadly teams.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, much as it was con reversy over those two tries,
and and there was obviously trying the first half, they
all came down the right edge Slater. Is that a
defensive focus for you?
Speaker 4 (08:17):
No, not not really, Like we'll look at it, we'll
make adjustments, and I just again, I just think it's
like Tom Traboy, like they are a very dangerous team.
I think that they would have been up there and
the most points scored last year and some areas out
of them as well, but they just yeah, they're ready
(08:38):
to either throw the ball over the sideline or make
a line break, so sometimes you go to wear those ones.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Pretty special acknowledgment of Tahu Harris pre game. Can you
talk about the impact that he's had on this team?
Speaker 4 (08:53):
Yeah, monumental. I actually played with Toto and through the
juniors and just amazing. See the man's turned into I thought,
just as a footy fan, that was an awesome moment
as a Kiwi seeing him hand over the hoy to
Fish and Darney like it's your ship and now boys
like it was just a really cool moment he blacked
(09:15):
out the stadium. I just think that's a real inspirational
moment for young Kiwis in the country want to play
regularly growing up, and the Warriors fans. But yeah, obviously
he's up on our wall for Player of the Year
three years in a row. I think people didn't realize
the impact he had on the game until they kind
of were involved with the club or with him, Like
he got through so much work, but then he is
(09:36):
so highly skilled and again he kind of him and
is Ao a couple of guys kind of brung back
the ball playing thirteen. So when you've made a difference
to the game and everyone starts, try and emulate that
you're a pretty special.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Player and go media Satam just jumps, doesn't it On
nights like last night? How good is the energy inside
that ground?
Speaker 4 (09:59):
Amazing? Like I think when they sid down the ships,
I heard the halftime fireworks were unbelievable. So that's done
a really good job George and the team here. I
really want to make it, you know, the hottest ticket
in town, and they're always thinking outside the box. But
then you just got our fans are passionate, you know,
turn up after that game in Vegas and they just
(10:22):
the crowds rocking. They're fully behind the team, whether you
know it's our best night or not our best night.
So yeah, that's the boys are just really happy to
get home and put another performance in front of him and.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
See your nixt to Potters. The Roosters beat the Panthers
last night. You see that.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Yeah, similar similar to us. Had a obviously rough round
one and bounce back and they did against you know,
obviously the full time Premieers. So look, it doesn't get
any easier. We know they're a classy outfit. I've been
up the top for a long time. They're a really
good club. And yeah, we're just excited we get to
play at home again. So it's going to be a
(10:58):
very tough clash.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Great to chat, Slide, Thanks for taking that, cool mate,
enjoy the rest of your weekend and world on last night.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Cool, Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Thanks late Slick Griffin, their assistant coach of the Warriors. Yeah,
Phiry happy assistant coach, you'd have to think, yeah, sure,
it's only the second game, but after what happened in Vegas,
that can stay in Vegas, as they say.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks at B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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