Up the Wahs: Warriors 2023 Season Overview Warriors coach Andrew Webster (left) looks at Shaun Johnson (right) during the NRL semi-final match between New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart Blessed.
Photo: Fiona Goodall The act of looking back on the year and imagining the Warriors in their current position defined the 2023 NRL season.
This remains important as deals are made to make this site a force for next year.
Whether this team could be successful in the play-offs, a previously unknown coach being given the call to become premiership, or this long-suffering club having one of the most memorable organic sports marketing campaigns of all time.
Who would have imagined that he would take on this role?
The answer is not that many.
That means the vast majority of league fans on both sides of the Tasman have been proven wrong by this year’s feel-good sporting news.
Here’s how it played out: The Pit of Despair The Pit of Despair By the end of 2022, the Warriors were arguably at their lowest point.
They finished the season in second-to-last place with just six wins in 24 games and an embarrassing loss at home to the Titans.
The only good thing was that it couldn’t have gotten any worse.
After an offseason of new coach Andrew Webster’s usual chatter about the Warriors’ potential, the first half of the season proved that the Warriors are more than just empty words.
Their 5-2 record, including a stunning comeback against the Sharks, was built on the excellent form of Sean Johnson and Addin Fonua-Blake.
Despite a pretty big setback against the Rabbitohs in Round 18, the newly minted ‘Wows’ went on a seven-game winning streak.
Most notable were the whiplash of the Eels and Sharks and the thriller with the Raiders.
Off the field, the Up the Wahs slogan transcended sports and became an official statement of patriotism and a response to literally any situation.
Webster and his players were excited by the enthusiasm, but a more serious evaluation was at hand.
b Dally M Chat Johnson’s incredible resurgence of form has made him the frontrunner for the Dally M Award.
Although he did not win, only losing to Karin Ponga, Webster would go on to earn Coach of the Year honors.
However, Johnson, Fonua-Blake and Darin Watene-Zelezniak were all named to the team of the year.
Shine of Glory It all ended in Brisbane after a play-off win against Newcastle in perhaps their best performance of the year.
The Warriors lost to a Broncos team in the grand final that was just too good that night, especially thanks to Reece Walsh’s shooting performance.
Thousands of New Zealanders traveled to Suncorp Stadium for the qualifying final, filling the famous Caxton Street pubs and creating a unique and enthusiastic atmosphere.
Johnson showed great class in defeat and paid tribute to Webster and his team in an emotional interview in the shed.
Tail twist
Fonua-Blake threw a spanner in out of nowhere when he requested a trade in November.
To complicate matters, everything appeared to be resolved within 24 hours when the prop reaffirmed his commitment to the Warriors.
It was a rare case of an NRL club claiming that the contract was in fact honored, but after such a hugely successful season it leaves a bit of a sour taste.
BIG CONTRACTS FOR NEXT YEAR It wasn’t until last week that Kurt Capewell was added to his 2024 team.
The Broncos second-rower, who also represents Queensland, will add further firepower to the group.
But the move also shows that the Warriors’ reputation is changing to one that makes them a preferred option.
Capewell is likely to have moved from the Broncos to make room for Reece Walsh and Ezra Mumm, but he clearly wants a move to a club with a chance of winning the Premiership.
An interesting selection situation arises at forward, but not as much as at defense: Somehow Webster has to decide where Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Chanel Harris-Tavita fit in.
There’s a lot to do.
We are looking forward to the season starting on March 8th against the Sharks.
Leave a Reply