September 12, 2025 • 6 mins
The Warriors have qualified for finals football for the second time in the last three seasons.
Finishing 6th on the ladder has resulted in a home elimination final, the team facing the four-time defending champions, the Penrith Panthers.
D’Arcy caught up with the Warriors’ assistant coach Slade Griffin ahead of the clash to see how the team’s looking heading into their biggest game of the season thus far.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk S'B.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
We're going to kick things off for the fun and
Games with the Warriors hosting the Penrith Panthers. It's an
elimination showdown at Mount Smart Stadium tonight. Massive for the
Warriors because they have stumbled and staggered toward the finals,
but they got there. They finished in the top eight,
not really where they wanted to finish, but they're there.
They take on the full time defending champ. They might
(00:33):
keep their season alive and they might destroy the run
and that'd be peak Warry has to do something like that.
Out of nowhere. To preview the game now, Warrior's assistant
coach Slade Griffin joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Hey Slade, Hey mate, thanks having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, thanks very much for joining us set here on
the All Sport Breakfast. Look, you've got a big game
coming out. There's an understatement. This could be your last
fixture of twenty twenty five, but it could be the
first of a big run. How are you approaching this
game from a coaching point of view around that?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, the boys know the situation.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
We're just excited for a new season, like finals is
a different style of footy. We get to play at
our home stadium. It's been a long year and the
boys have earned the right with you know, some consistent footy.
We're coming up against a really tough team.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So yeah, they know the situation. We're not promised Monday.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Each sessions are possibly our last session of that day,
so we're just making the most of each day, trying
to win each day.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
And yeah, just really looking forward to the challenge.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
So it's a reset essentially, you're going back to square
one forget about everything and now it's as you said,
it's a new season.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, exactly, and like just to draw back, Like the boys,
I've put in all the workover preseason.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
They know their style.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, so we've just we've we've tried being real process based,
so not focusing on outcomes. Just focus on on, you know,
what their process is, whether it's positionally or or their
job for the team, and that just should present and
you're not worried about the outcome.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
You just dived into what you actually need to do.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You can't really look back, but you've got to take
something from the last couple of games, not an ideal
way to run into a must win game of football.
What do you say to them in that space?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Oh, yeah, we just don't want to beat ourselves this weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
You know, we're just haven't.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Quite played us the last couple of weeks. We've had
some moments where we have been putting together some good
footy for a long period of time and then maybe
just a few concentration things have given the other team
the advantage. So yeah, look, penrif they don't give you anything,
they're going to make it a really hard game. So
it's going to be a real arm wrestle with them.
We're prepared for that. So yeah, we just don't want
(02:45):
to beat ourselves. But kind of just drawing on things
we have done well this year, and boys have actually
trained really well this week.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
They were given confidence going into this game.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You guys have relied so much on the young talent
that you've had. You could almost say too much. Some
of these guys are getting a bit gas. But the
fact this is a last shot do you think that's
injected a bit of extra into the likes of you
Tivers and your and your viimemongers and your statis Smith's
and Clarks. I mean, the list goes on. I can't
forget the leak of the record either. How are they
(03:14):
coping with this pressure?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Oh man, they've come so far, even just thinking about
ten games ago. Look just the experience I've gained from
being out there. It's it's one thing to learn it
on the training field, but then you know in the
heat of battle to feel the different lessons are learning.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
We've tried managing their minutes.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Some guys they've been up and down a little bit
and it's just yeah, young guys coming in the first grade.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
But they've done a great job.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
And like I said, the season restarts now, so even
if everyone's busted at this time of year, everyone's a
little bit tired. But we're trying to strip back at
our training a little bit just to get them to
the start line feeling really good and fresh and just naturally.
I know it's a finals game, so I'm sure they'll
be able to get themselves up for it. But I
know when we're playing in front of our crowd here,
(04:03):
that always gives them a lift.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
You march on the inside information or the oil through
the former Penmouth players in your side. There's a blake
called Fish running around. I think he's quite heavy and
of course also a jet cleary has been used as
well to help out what you do against Penrith. How
much information have you gleanned and how important is that
do you think Slade?
Speaker 4 (04:26):
Oh yeah, Peterrif haven't changed their style and four or
five years we've got to watch them at this this
point the end of the season, so we know how
they're going to play. Obviously, Yeah, Fish knows the challenge
ahead for us. But yeah, it's doing a really good
job on our reserve grade team kind of replicating what
(04:46):
Nathan does. So he couldn't find a better look alike.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
What does he actually look the same? Does he?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah? No, that's spitting image.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
We've all got that cleary chin.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Have they slayd Yeah? Yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
When you will look back at those last couple of games,
is there one key part of it that you need
to eradicate? Is there one key message that has to
be instilled in these players? Oh?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Probably just the execution on both sides of the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Is we some times we've been ill disciplined with penalties
and then with the ball as well, which we've actually
had a really good completion rate all year. So just
if you get the execution right, you put more pressure
on the other team and earn a bitter field position
to give yourself, you know, good opportunities to score points.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
So yeah, that would be the main one.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
And the key thing from my point of view, A
boys smiling. Have the athletes got grins on their faces?
Are they enjoying this prospect? Prospect? Because that is key.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
They are mate, They're a really connected group. Yeah, they
worked really hard for each other all year and they're
just really excited to play at home. Like I said,
they've they earned the right. So look it's final's forty
year runs excited about. That's why you've trained so hard.
We're eleven months into this, so it's been a long
pre season. We started in October last year, so yeah,
the boys have worked really hard to get their opportunity
(06:02):
this weekend.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Duscy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk S'B.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
We're going to kick things off for the fun and
Games with the Warriors hosting the Penrith Panthers. It's an
elimination showdown at Mount Smart Stadium tonight. Massive for the
Warriors because they have stumbled and staggered toward the finals,
but they got there. They finished in the top eight,
not really where they wanted to finish, but they're there.
They take on the full time defending champ. They might
(00:33):
keep their season alive and they might destroy the run
and that'd be peak Warry has to do something like that.
Out of nowhere. To preview the game now, Warrior's assistant
coach Slade Griffin joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Hey Slade, Hey mate, thanks having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Yeah, thanks very much for joining us set here on
the All Sport Breakfast. Look, you've got a big game
coming out. There's an understatement. This could be your last
fixture of twenty twenty five, but it could be the
first of a big run. How are you approaching this
game from a coaching point of view around that?
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, the boys know the situation.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
We're just excited for a new season, like finals is
a different style of footy. We get to play at
our home stadium. It's been a long year and the
boys have earned the right with you know, some consistent footy.
We're coming up against a really tough team.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
So yeah, they know the situation. We're not promised Monday.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
Each sessions are possibly our last session of that day,
so we're just making the most of each day, trying
to win each day.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
And yeah, just really looking forward to the challenge.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
So it's a reset essentially, you're going back to square
one forget about everything and now it's as you said,
it's a new season.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Yeah, exactly, and like just to draw back, Like the boys,
I've put in all the workover preseason.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
They know their style.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, so we've just we've we've tried being real process based,
so not focusing on outcomes. Just focus on on, you know,
what their process is, whether it's positionally or or their
job for the team, and that just should present and
you're not worried about the outcome.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
You just dived into what you actually need to do.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You can't really look back, but you've got to take
something from the last couple of games, not an ideal
way to run into a must win game of football.
What do you say to them in that space?
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Oh, yeah, we just don't want to beat ourselves this weekend.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
You know, we're just haven't.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Quite played us the last couple of weeks. We've had
some moments where we have been putting together some good
footy for a long period of time and then maybe
just a few concentration things have given the other team
the advantage. So yeah, look, penrif they don't give you anything,
they're going to make it a really hard game. So
it's going to be a real arm wrestle with them.
We're prepared for that. So yeah, we just don't want
(02:45):
to beat ourselves. But kind of just drawing on things
we have done well this year, and boys have actually
trained really well this week.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
They were given confidence going into this game.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You guys have relied so much on the young talent
that you've had. You could almost say too much. Some
of these guys are getting a bit gas. But the
fact this is a last shot do you think that's
injected a bit of extra into the likes of you
Tivers and your and your viimemongers and your statis Smith's
and Clarks. I mean, the list goes on. I can't
forget the leak of the record either. How are they
(03:14):
coping with this pressure?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Oh man, they've come so far, even just thinking about
ten games ago. Look just the experience I've gained from
being out there. It's it's one thing to learn it
on the training field, but then you know in the
heat of battle to feel the different lessons are learning.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
We've tried managing their minutes.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
Some guys they've been up and down a little bit
and it's just yeah, young guys coming in the first grade.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
But they've done a great job.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
And like I said, the season restarts now, so even
if everyone's busted at this time of year, everyone's a
little bit tired. But we're trying to strip back at
our training a little bit just to get them to
the start line feeling really good and fresh and just naturally.
I know it's a finals game, so I'm sure they'll
be able to get themselves up for it. But I
know when we're playing in front of our crowd here,
(04:03):
that always gives them a lift.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
You march on the inside information or the oil through
the former Penmouth players in your side. There's a blake
called Fish running around. I think he's quite heavy and
of course also a jet cleary has been used as
well to help out what you do against Penrith. How
much information have you gleanned and how important is that
do you think Slade?
Speaker 4 (04:26):
Oh yeah, Peterrif haven't changed their style and four or
five years we've got to watch them at this this
point the end of the season, so we know how
they're going to play. Obviously, Yeah, Fish knows the challenge
ahead for us. But yeah, it's doing a really good
job on our reserve grade team kind of replicating what
(04:46):
Nathan does. So he couldn't find a better look alike.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
What does he actually look the same? Does he?
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah? No, that's spitting image.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
We've all got that cleary chin.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Have they slayd Yeah? Yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
When you will look back at those last couple of games,
is there one key part of it that you need
to eradicate? Is there one key message that has to
be instilled in these players? Oh?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Probably just the execution on both sides of the ball.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Is we some times we've been ill disciplined with penalties
and then with the ball as well, which we've actually
had a really good completion rate all year. So just
if you get the execution right, you put more pressure
on the other team and earn a bitter field position
to give yourself, you know, good opportunities to score points.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
So yeah, that would be the main one.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
And the key thing from my point of view, A
boys smiling. Have the athletes got grins on their faces?
Are they enjoying this prospect? Prospect? Because that is key.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
They are mate, They're a really connected group. Yeah, they
worked really hard for each other all year and they're
just really excited to play at home. Like I said,
they've they earned the right. So look it's final's forty
year runs excited about. That's why you've trained so hard.
We're eleven months into this, so it's been a long
pre season. We started in October last year, so yeah,
the boys have worked really hard to get their opportunity
(06:02):
this weekend.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Duscy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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