September 10, 2026 • 7 mins
So for only the second time in NRL history… the Warriors have finished in the top 2 after the regular season.
They haven’t done it since topping the table back in 2002.
They’re also in the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 seasons - and it all starts tomorrow against the Dolphins…
Joining us talk about the game is friend of the show... Dai Henwood!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So for only the second time in NRL history, the
Warriors have finished in the top two after the regular season.
They haven't done it since topping the table back in 2002.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Did they top the table back.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
In 2002 because of the salary cap issue?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Yeah, that was the Bulldogs one where they went over
the salary cap.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
That's right. They're also in the playoffs for the third
time in four seasons. And it all starts tomorrow against
the Dollies, the Dolphins. TAB have got the Dolphins at 245.
The Warriors at $ 1. 55. And one man who I'm sure
has tickets to the game at 6.05 at Comedia Stadium,
Mount Smart, tomorrow night, Dai Henwood.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Dai, are you nervous or excited about this?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Well, to be honest, I'm a little chilly at the moment.
I'm just in a wheelie bin at the bottom of
the south stand out in Mount Smart, just getting my
early prep on. you know, just waiting for Lily World
to open tomorrow. How's the surface? The surface is looking good.
It's quite dewy at the moment with a bit of
(01:03):
rain overnight, but here's one of those Reg Bad Bastards.
All good. All good.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
How do you feel about this game?
Speaker 4 (01:13):
I feel like the Dolphins are the team we didn't
want to play, but, you know, we're going to have to.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Go through everyone at some point. How do you feel
about the team?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Completely. I was like, When I initially heard we were
playing the Dolphins, what worries me is their strength is
our weakness. Their, like, centres and wing combination, especially on
their left edge, which is our right edge where Ali
and Chance will be, that's where they just fire and
tear teams apart. So we've struggled over the last couple
(01:44):
of weeks that way, but also I feel we've had
an eye on the finals. We haven't been playing our
full game. At the moment, I'm not too stressed. I'm
just thinking what an awesome year it's been. The fact
that we have a really young team, so it's not
like this is the end of our premiership window. But
we have such a tight rivalry with these guys. No
(02:07):
one's ever smashed anyone. The stats are flying around. Every
game's been decided by four points or less over the
last six. We're four apiece. We're both coming in on
huge winning streaks. We've won six games in a row.
They've won seven. What does worry me is Mount Smart's
(02:27):
not actually as big a fortress as we think. We
tend to struggle a bit more at Mount Smart in
terms of we have closer wins, whereas we tend to
win with bigger margins when we play in Aussie. But
it's just going to be fizzing out there. I think
everyone should just soak it in. This is a second-chance game,
(02:48):
so if we lose, we start going sudden death. But
if we win, we skip a week, and then we're
just playing a straight prelim.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
How do you feel about the quote from Volandes this week,
who's the boss of the NRL, saying that he reckons
he's 90% sure we're going to play that next game
at Eden Park?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, I mean, I've been seeing all the conspiracy theories.
That's why they went round with it. eight-ticket allocations, so
Mount Smart sold out ridiculously quickly. I think it's a
bit of an interesting one for me because we historically
performed badly at Eden Park. The last time we played
(03:31):
there was, what, 2016, so none of this current squad
has actually played at Eden Park, so it'll be like
going to a different ground. They won't have the prep,
they won't know the changing rooms, the run-out. I do
think it's awesome for fans that it means that more
people from around Aotearoa can actually get to the game.
(03:54):
And 50,000 people is awesome. And, I mean, I live
in West Auckland, so I can walk to the train station,
discover the trains aren't working, then get a cab to
Eden Park.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
As opposed to having to do that to Mount Smart.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
What a lovely balanced view that was, do I hear you?
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah. I was going to say, Dai, the phrase our
year gets bandied about a lot. I think a lot
of people think that that means we're going to win
the whole thing, and I do think we are this year.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
But even if we don't, it's still our year, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Like the groundswell behind the Warriors, the way they've been playing,
the record that they've had, I consider that to be
our year.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Look, I've been sort of trawling through lists and all
the carry-on, and the reason why it is our year,
regardless of what happens– No team has been on their fourth, fifth,
and sixth string hards and made it to the top two, right? Like, historically,
(04:51):
you need to have a gun halfback, which is why
a lot of the Aussie media pundits are saying only
the Roosters and Penrith can do the grand final, because
they've got, like, DCE and Nathan Cleary. But this team...
This is just becoming our year every year because Andrew
Webster has set up such an amazing vibe in the team.
(05:14):
The owner has set up such an amazing club from
the top down. Cameron George, the CEO, is epic. We're
just in such a lovely window at the moment that
everyone should enjoy the Warriors. They're exactly how a sporting
franchise should be run.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Dianne, I know that you... go deep into some pretty
weird stats and analysis during the week. Can you just
share with us, this is a question without warning, but
I'm quite keen to know, what's the weirdest, deepest, darkest
hole that you've gone into in terms of research this week?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Strangely, my research has been around why all teams in
our club tend to have the same defensive deficiency of
having our wingers jag in. Like, for instance, against the Knights,
they had a player extra, yet still felt like they
(06:11):
had an overlap. And so this got me down into
subscriptions for Schoolboy League. And, you know, your partner comes
in and you're here playing somebody under 14 for the TV.
and you keep pausing and rewinding. It's quite disturbing for
(06:31):
those who don't know what you're doing. But I've been
watching a lot of the younger teams, the Jersey flag
and that, and I find it very interesting, and I
haven't quite found the answer why our defensive structures are
like that. And it seems to be people are running
out and trying to do spot tackles and fix the
(06:54):
issue by themselves. I think we beat the Dolphins. is
our back line just sticks in its defensive structure. Webby
didn't seem too stressed about this at the press conference,
and we hold them back. My pick is, though, that
we're going to do what we did to Penrith a
few weeks ago at home, where we just come out
(07:14):
and we play so hard in the first 20 minutes
and blow them off the park.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Amen. Di Henwood, thank you so much for your time
this morning.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Have a beautiful weekend. Up the wards. Enjoy your rugby league.
So for only the second time in NRL history, the
Warriors have finished in the top two after the regular season.
They haven't done it since topping the table back in 2002.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Did they top the table back.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
In 2002 because of the salary cap issue?
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Yeah, that was the Bulldogs one where they went over
the salary cap.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
That's right. They're also in the playoffs for the third
time in four seasons. And it all starts tomorrow against
the Dollies, the Dolphins. TAB have got the Dolphins at 245.
The Warriors at $ 1. 55. And one man who I'm sure
has tickets to the game at 6.05 at Comedia Stadium,
Mount Smart, tomorrow night, Dai Henwood.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Dai, are you nervous or excited about this?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Well, to be honest, I'm a little chilly at the moment.
I'm just in a wheelie bin at the bottom of
the south stand out in Mount Smart, just getting my
early prep on. you know, just waiting for Lily World
to open tomorrow. How's the surface? The surface is looking good.
It's quite dewy at the moment with a bit of
(01:03):
rain overnight, but here's one of those Reg Bad Bastards.
All good. All good.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
How do you feel about this game?
Speaker 4 (01:13):
I feel like the Dolphins are the team we didn't
want to play, but, you know, we're going to have to.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Go through everyone at some point. How do you feel
about the team?
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Completely. I was like, When I initially heard we were
playing the Dolphins, what worries me is their strength is
our weakness. Their, like, centres and wing combination, especially on
their left edge, which is our right edge where Ali
and Chance will be, that's where they just fire and
tear teams apart. So we've struggled over the last couple
(01:44):
of weeks that way, but also I feel we've had
an eye on the finals. We haven't been playing our
full game. At the moment, I'm not too stressed. I'm
just thinking what an awesome year it's been. The fact
that we have a really young team, so it's not
like this is the end of our premiership window. But
we have such a tight rivalry with these guys. No
(02:07):
one's ever smashed anyone. The stats are flying around. Every
game's been decided by four points or less over the
last six. We're four apiece. We're both coming in on
huge winning streaks. We've won six games in a row.
They've won seven. What does worry me is Mount Smart's
(02:27):
not actually as big a fortress as we think. We
tend to struggle a bit more at Mount Smart in
terms of we have closer wins, whereas we tend to
win with bigger margins when we play in Aussie. But
it's just going to be fizzing out there. I think
everyone should just soak it in. This is a second-chance game,
(02:48):
so if we lose, we start going sudden death. But
if we win, we skip a week, and then we're
just playing a straight prelim.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
How do you feel about the quote from Volandes this week,
who's the boss of the NRL, saying that he reckons
he's 90% sure we're going to play that next game
at Eden Park?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, I mean, I've been seeing all the conspiracy theories.
That's why they went round with it. eight-ticket allocations, so
Mount Smart sold out ridiculously quickly. I think it's a
bit of an interesting one for me because we historically
performed badly at Eden Park. The last time we played
(03:31):
there was, what, 2016, so none of this current squad
has actually played at Eden Park, so it'll be like
going to a different ground. They won't have the prep,
they won't know the changing rooms, the run-out. I do
think it's awesome for fans that it means that more
people from around Aotearoa can actually get to the game.
(03:54):
And 50,000 people is awesome. And, I mean, I live
in West Auckland, so I can walk to the train station,
discover the trains aren't working, then get a cab to
Eden Park.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
As opposed to having to do that to Mount Smart.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
What a lovely balanced view that was, do I hear you?
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah. I was going to say, Dai, the phrase our
year gets bandied about a lot. I think a lot
of people think that that means we're going to win
the whole thing, and I do think we are this year.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
But even if we don't, it's still our year, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Like the groundswell behind the Warriors, the way they've been playing,
the record that they've had, I consider that to be
our year.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Look, I've been sort of trawling through lists and all
the carry-on, and the reason why it is our year,
regardless of what happens– No team has been on their fourth, fifth,
and sixth string hards and made it to the top two, right? Like, historically,
(04:51):
you need to have a gun halfback, which is why
a lot of the Aussie media pundits are saying only
the Roosters and Penrith can do the grand final, because
they've got, like, DCE and Nathan Cleary. But this team...
This is just becoming our year every year because Andrew
Webster has set up such an amazing vibe in the team.
(05:14):
The owner has set up such an amazing club from
the top down. Cameron George, the CEO, is epic. We're
just in such a lovely window at the moment that
everyone should enjoy the Warriors. They're exactly how a sporting
franchise should be run.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Dianne, I know that you... go deep into some pretty
weird stats and analysis during the week. Can you just
share with us, this is a question without warning, but
I'm quite keen to know, what's the weirdest, deepest, darkest
hole that you've gone into in terms of research this week?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Strangely, my research has been around why all teams in
our club tend to have the same defensive deficiency of
having our wingers jag in. Like, for instance, against the Knights,
they had a player extra, yet still felt like they
(06:11):
had an overlap. And so this got me down into
subscriptions for Schoolboy League. And, you know, your partner comes
in and you're here playing somebody under 14 for the TV.
and you keep pausing and rewinding. It's quite disturbing for
(06:31):
those who don't know what you're doing. But I've been
watching a lot of the younger teams, the Jersey flag
and that, and I find it very interesting, and I
haven't quite found the answer why our defensive structures are
like that. And it seems to be people are running
out and trying to do spot tackles and fix the
(06:54):
issue by themselves. I think we beat the Dolphins. is
our back line just sticks in its defensive structure. Webby
didn't seem too stressed about this at the press conference,
and we hold them back. My pick is, though, that
we're going to do what we did to Penrith a
few weeks ago at home, where we just come out
(07:14):
and we play so hard in the first 20 minutes
and blow them off the park.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Amen. Di Henwood, thank you so much for your time
this morning.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Have a beautiful weekend. Up the wards. Enjoy your rugby league.
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