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Sam Ackerman: Undermanned Warriors' ability to 'win ugly' deserves more credit
Sam Ackerman • August 18th, 2025 3:07 pm
Warriors players celebrate Chanel Harris-Tavita's try against the Dragons | Photo: Photosport
The wheels are falling off the Warriors. They’re limping to the playoffs on the back of an ugly performance against the Dragons.
From Aussie pundits, to folk falling off the bandwagon, there’s a lot of negative mindsets around the Warriors right now.
The tense 14-10 victory at Go Media Stadium on Friday night was no classic. Some poor defensive reads, frustrating dropped balls and many strands of hair have been forcefully removed with silly penalties being given away.
But as players from both sides slumped to the Penrose turf after the final whistle, the exhaustion wasn’t just physical - it was emotional.
Once again, the result was dragged down to the final moments, making for white knuckles, raised blood pressure and adrenaline in the stands and on couches. For the players, much of it was because they just desperately needed a win and the tank was emptied.
Winning close ones - whether it’s attractive or not - is the most crucial and under-estimated element of the Warriors revival this season.
Chanel Harris-Tavita reveals why he wasn't afraid to put his body on the line against the Dragons | Sport Nation
In their poor 2024 campaign, they started the season with two heartbreakers to the Sharks (12-16) and Storm (26-30, Xavier Coates' all-time match-winner lives rent free in my head), produced an epic comeback to draw with the Sea Eagles (22-22), with more gut-wrenching losses to the Titans on Anzac Day (24-27) and the Knights (8-14).
Back-to-back undermanned, nail-biting wins over the Panthers in Magic Round (22-20) and the Dolphins (24-20) were followed with narrow defeats to the Bulldogs (12-13), Raiders (18-20) and Dolphins (32-34) before the final play of Shaun Johnson’s NRL career snatched a 30-28 win to savour.
In total that season, 10 Warriors games were decided by six points or less, with the Wahs finishing with three wins, six losses and a draw. That’s 12 ‘what-if’ competition points for a team that finished five points outside the top eight.
It’s been recognised, and it’s been addressed. When the 2025 incarnation of the Warriors are in the grind, there is a completely different mindset this season.
They edged the Tigers away (26-24) and the Broncos at home (20-18).
Then over a period of five consecutive weeks, they downed the Cowboys at Magic Round (30-26), overcame the Dragons at their hoodoo ground of WIN Stadium (15-14), disrupted the Dolphins at Suncorp (16-12), couldn’t come back against the Raiders in Canberra (10-16) but bounced back against the Bunnies (36-30).
Leka Halasima wrote his name into Warriors folklore to stun the Knights 20-15, then had the last-minute try favour returned when the Dolphins left everyone shattered at Mt Smart (18-20).
Leka Halasima's incredible match winner against the Knights
After three hard-to-swallow defeats on the trot, they again dug deep into their reserves to overcome their dry run of form (that isn’t exactly flowing again yet) to hold off the gallant Drags on Friday.
When I say drawing on their reserves, I mean that literally.
This is a team currently without the (at time of injury) form playmaker of the competition in Luke Metcalf, crucial forward leader Mitch Barnett, Origin rep Kurt Capewell, impact weapon Jacob Laban, versatile half Te Marie Martin and centres Rocco Berry and Ali Leiataua.
So in the Warriors season to date, 10 games have been decided by a converted try or less. The Wahs have won eight and lost two in a season where they sit inside the top four.
That's an improvement from a 30 percent winning ratio in close contests to 80 percent in the course of 12 months.
Some of those tight wins have been outstanding performances, some of them have been bludgers. The Knights and last week’s Dragons wins were examples of playing poor but getting the job done. They didn’t deserve to win, but they wouldn’t take no for an answer.
For decades now, we’ve been told that the Warriors can’t win the ‘arm wrestle’ - commentators and opposition highlighting that the Auckland franchise is not an 80-minute team, that they’ll fold under the pressure late in the contest.
It’s finally been taken to heart. It’s literally the difference between a finals appearance or struggle street for the Warriors.
Let’s be honest, no one can rule out more roller coasters of emotion with bogey team the Titans, the Mitch Moses-refuelled Eels and flighty Sea Eagles in their last game before 'Mad Monday' to close.
But if it’s still up for grabs in the shadows of full-time - no matter if they’re running hot or stuttering - the Warriors will have something that will prove critical in those matches and the finals series to come; self-belief.
And they’ve got the stats to back it up.
Follow Sam Ackerman at The League Fix on Facebook for more.
Re-live the final moments of the Wahs win over the Dragons | Warriors Live on Sport Nation
