As the One New Zealand Warriors pause to refresh at the halfway point of their 2024 campaign, there’s an uncanny resemblance with their position at the same stage last year.
As the 13th round started last night, the Warriors had their two bye points added to lift their tally to 13 after five wins, a draw and six losses placing them 10th on the ladder and one point outside the top eight (for now at least).
At the same point last year, the Warriors had a 13th-round loss to the Broncos which left them just one point better on 14 points after six wins and six losses to sit eighth on the table.
Not a lot in it with half the season to go.
Even more striking is the comparison between both teams for points scored and conceded.
So far this year the Warriors have scored a total of 240 points while conceding 243, a differential of minus three; after 13 rounds last year, they scored 226 points and allowed 236, a differential of minus 10.
While sitting just outside the top eight with 12 rounds and a bye to come, the 2024 Warriors are performing well in a range of team stats.
They’re first equal for possession (52%) and second for set completions (82%).
They head the table in seven other categories – all run metres (21,352), all runs (2470), line engaged runs (318), kick return metres (2380), decoy runs (693), all receipts (5368) and total kicks (270).
The Warriors rank second for post contact metres (7026), most tackles (4113) and total kick metres (7320), second equal for the best goal kicking percentage (87%) and fourth for tackle breaks (411).
In the individual categories, Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson has missed the last two games but still leads all players for lined engaged runs (104), kick metres (5534), all kicks (195) and attacking kicks (106).
