Jackson Ford is on Fire: The Bone Raiders’ Try-Scoring Streak Continues for the Warriors
If you haven't been watching the Warriors lately, you're missing out on one of the most unexpected and thrilling stories in the NRL. We're talking about Jackson Ford. For a forward—a guy who usually makes his living doing the gritty work in the trenches—this bloke has suddenly developed a finishing touch that would make a veteran winger jealous.
I was at Mount Smart a couple of weeks back, and you could feel the crowd holding its breath when he got the ball near the line. It was the same story against the Knights—that massive effort to get the ball down. It wasn't just a fluke either. A week before that, he was doing the exact same thing. When you string together tries like that in consecutive weeks, you stop calling it luck and start calling it a genuine purple patch. The bloke is absolutely buzzing.
The Bone Raiders Phenomenon
It's not just the tries, though. It's the energy. It's the vibe. You've probably seen the nickname floating around the terraces and on social media: The Bone Raiders. It's stuck, and for good reason. There's something about the way he hunts the ball, the way he looks for contact, that just screams old-school footy. He's not the biggest forward on the park, but he plays with this reckless, infectious aggression that the fans here in Auckland absolutely love.
When you talk to the old heads, they'll tell you that you can't coach what he's got. You can look at the stats—the tackle breaks, the post-contact metres—but the eye test is all you need. He's become the heart of that pack. Every time he takes a hit-up, the boys in the stands lean forward a little bit more, waiting for something to happen.
Why This Streak Matters
We've seen forwards have a lucky game before, but this is different. This is Jackson Ford cementing himself as a genuine weapon. Here's what's changed in his game over the last fortnight:
- Line Running: He's hitting the hole with the timing of a seasoned centre. It's no longer just about carting it up; he's looking for the offload and the gap.
- Confidence: The swagger is there. When he scored against the Knights, you could see the belief in his eyes. He knew he was getting over the stripe before he even caught the ball.
- Fan Connection: The crowd noise when he gets the ball is a weapon in itself. Mount Smart is becoming a fortress, and blokes like Ford are the reason why.
I was chatting with a mate who digs into the stats—one of those stat nerds who tracks every run and tackle—and he pointed out that Ford's efficiency in the red zone has skyrocketed. It's not just volume; it's impact. Every touch seems to be turning into points or a momentum shift.
You've got to give a nod to the coaching staff, too. Whoever decided to give him that roaming role, that license to float out wide and cause havoc, deserves a beer. And if you look at the legacy, the name Phil Ford rings a bell for the older generation of footy fans. While there's no relation, you have to wonder if there's something in the water. That blistering pace and instinct around the try line is reminiscent of the greats of yesteryear. It's a good name to have on the team sheet.
Look, it's still early in the season, and we all know how quickly things can change in this competition. But right now, Jackson Ford and The Bone Raiders persona he's bringing to the park is the most entertaining thing going around. If you're not heading to the game this week to see if he can make it three in a row, you're honestly just doing it wrong. The bloke is must-watch TV.