Source: Radio New Zealand
Coach Andrew Webster calls the shots at Warriors training. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
If this is to finally be the NZ Warriors’ year, the recipe for success seems simple enough.
“If you’re asking me what needs to happen, we need to do what we do better for longer,” coach Andrew Webster teased, as he addressed media for the first time in 2026.
“That’s a pretty similar response from me for a long time now. When we do it well, we do it really well – that’s why we’ve made the playoffs twice in the last three years – but we’re not here to do that.
“We’re here to win the whole thing.”
Last sighted, Webster painted a forlorn picture, reflecting on his team’s one-and-done exit from the NRL playoffs against four-time defending champions Penrith Panthers.
“I just feel we’ve built some great stuff, but that last piece is missing.” he lamented last September. “I feel like we’ve handled adversity and stayed really tight, but there’s a piece missing.
“We could launch, if we take those lessons and go to the next step, or we could stay exactly where we are, which is just a top-six team. I just think we can be better.”
With the benefit of four months to review last year’s effort, Webster isn’t making any bold predictions about the upcoming campaign, which begins with a pre-season trial against Manly Sea Eagles at Napier on 14 February.
Warriors co-captain Mitch Barnett in pre-season training. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
His response to the ‘how’ question acknowledges that his Warriors were one of the form teams early in the 2025 competition, when they came out of the blocks 8-2 and sat second on the table after Round 11.
Injuries and fatigue inevitably eroded their performance, as they lost co-captain Mitch Barnett and star half Luke Metcalf in quick succession mid-season, and never really recovered.
“We’ve got to improve what we do and do it for longer,” emphasises Webster. “We can’t have those periods where there are big momentum shifts and we give teams those opportunities.”
Barnett and Metcalf still aren’t up to full speed, as they continue to nurse their respective knee injuries, although they are back out on the training field. Both seem likely to miss the pre-season.
“Barney is expected around Rounds 0-4, anywhere in that range,” estimated Webster. “Luke would be Rounds 7-10.
“In the last month, they can start doing a lot, but they can’t give everything, so you have to see how they progress in that period. It looks like they’re flying up to this point, but this is the point where you actually see how they go.
Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf in pre-season training. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
“Luke definitely won’t be in pre-season trials or early rounds, that’s for sure.”
Centre Rocco Berry was another who could not stay on the field through a series of niggly injuries and he will again miss early rounds, after more off-season shoulder surgery.
Back-up fullback Taine Tuaupiki, whom many expect to press hard for the starting jersey this season, also suffered a leg injury during “an incident on his farm” and made a later start to training. He’ll be touch and go for the opening round.
Bolstering the squad are the additions of newcomers Morgan Gannon (second row/lock), Jye Linnane (half), Haizyn Mellars and Alofiano Khan-Pereira (wings), whom Webster expects to push for first-grade spots this season.
Meanwhile, the Warriors coach is not a fan of proposed rule changes designed to enhance the competitiveness of games.
One would give teams the option of either kicking off or receiving the ball, after conceding a try. The current format sees the conceding team kicking the ball back to their opponents.
“Whatever they give us, we’ll take it,” Webster said. “I thought it’s pretty good how it is, really.
“I think they’re trying to stop that big momentum, where someone can score three tries in a row, but if you’re conceding those, you’re probably not good enough.
“One of the most frustrating things, as a coach and player, is to be conceding off a kickoff, but if you’re getting scored against, the good teams make sure they stop the bleeding right there and then.
“I’m happy with the current rule, but if they change it, we’ll come up with ways to use it tactically to our advantage.”
Another change could see the interchange bench expand from four to six players, although the number of substitutions would stay at eight each game. Most coaches wrestle with the composition of their four-man benches, either carrying a utility player or relocating forwards out of position to cover injuries among the backs.
This amendment would allow them to cater for all contingencies.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Kurt Capewell lead the Warriors onto the training field. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
“Any of the 19 could play and that would give clarity to the fans early in the week,” said Webster, who is renowned for making late changes to his gameday squad. “You guys are laughing at me, I can tell.
“I’m frustrated by this rule – I think it’s going to be hard to give guys gametime in reserve grade, because you’re carrying an extra two players.
“The beauty of our game is resilience and the ability to adapt, so if you’ve got particular players on the bench and someone goes down, that changes quick.
“I think now you’re always going to carry two hookers and a half, and a fullback/outside back on the bench, plus your forward rotation, which won’t change.
“If you lose the halfback and put him on, someone else doesn’t get a game. Come 10-12-16 games into the season, you could find these guys aren’t getting gametime in reserve grade and aren’t getting any better.”
Webster argues, if the rule change is designed to cater for concussions, this could be covered by activating the ’18th man’ quicker.
Current rules require three players failing head injury assessments or a match-ending injury caused by foul play, before the extra reserve can take the field.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
