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Sport Nation
'Gave everything they had': Why the Warriors season was a success
Jaxin Daniels • September 15th, 2025 4:41 pm
NZ Warriors players gather in a team huddle against the Panthers | Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
For the last time this season, former Warrior and Sport Nation caller Blake Ayshford was in the commentary box at Mount Smart, calling his beloved team in their finals matchup against the Panthers.
Joining Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy on Monday morning, Ayshford reflected on the way the Warriors did themselves, and the fans, proud.
“I thought that the boys that turned up in the Warriors jersey really gave everything they had,” Ayshford said.
“If I talk just about effort, going out there and giving yourself every opportunity to win, I mean it showed at the end of the game.
“Instead of leaving, the fans stayed around and clapped the Warriors at the end of the game. It shows the respect that they have for those players that turned up and gave themselves every opportunity to win.”
Sport Nation listeners will recall Ayshford and fellow commentator and Sam Hewat had a bit of a disagreement about the double movement shout going the way of the Panthers in the Brad Schneider try, which Ayshford admits he's come around on since.
Sammy & Aysh go head to head over Brad Schneider's try for Penrith | Sport Nation League
“We know Sammy does get a bit one-eyed,” Ayshford joked.
“I tried to stay neutral for a bit. I thought momentum carried him over, but now looking back, it does look like he promoted the ball.
“I’m not admitting to Sammy that I was wrong, I’ll go down fighting.”
In the midst of a good Warriors performance, Ayshford believed Te Maire Martin was a revelation in a new role.
“I was a bit confused with Te Maire and Sam Healey on the bench. But when I saw Te Maire go on, to be honest, he was probably up there with one of the best.
“He played 60 minutes in the middle and was whacking people, and he added a different dimension.
“It reminded me of the NBA when they go small ball. He did his job and he did not look out of place.”
Te Maire Martin during the Warriors Finals loss to the Panthers | Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport
Compared to the 2023 season, Ayshford is confident there's a definite path to improvement for 2026.
“We got our hopes up in 2023 and just expected that.
“There was no real signs of the young kids coming through at that stage like we have now.
“We’ve seen Tanner Stowers-Smith, (Demitric) Vaimauga, Leka (Halasima), Eddie (Ieremia-Toeava), the names are there. Plus, the NSW Cup boys.
“This is a different makeup now with these young kids coming through and it’s a future where most of them are locked up, they’re going to be back next year.
“If we can stay healthy, I think we are in a good position and there are signs of hope that in the next couple of years, we can be here contending.”
Now the 2025 season is complete there will be a lot of noise around who we want to see playing next year, something Ayshford thinks should be relatively straight forward.
“I think we’ll know who our starters are.
“Those bench spots are going to be hotly contested if everyone’s healthy.
“We’ve got those five front rowers there (James Fisher-Harris, Jackson Ford, Mitch Barnett, Vaimauga, Stowers-Smith) that, on a normal day, one would probably miss out.”
Tune into Sport Nation for live, free-to-air commentary of every game of the NRL Finals series
