Posts of the Week

Lance155 said:

I think it might have been Leka in a recent interview saying how the young boys try to match Fish in training etc, so he is definitely having an impact with his actions

Click to expand...

Stacey was on SENZ this week and mentioned that JFH does extras after every training and that three boys always stay with him: Laban, Leka and Demetric.

1995warriorsfan said:

Being reported that kosi has broken his collarbone.

Click to expand...

Kosi has never been a favourite of mine, but jeeze he's stood up when we've really needed him this year.

I think he has played almost perfectly for us. In the wet against Roosters he ran for 200m, hes scored a few tries in the next two. No missed tackles in all 3 games.

I think we as fans need to move on from some of the stinkers he's played, these 3 games he's been great. On top of that, he went really well a few years ago when he ended up hurting his knee, I remember he went on a bit of a run and was quite consistent for a lot 8 games or so.

Hearing that he may have broken his collar bone...absolutely nuts. The bloke bleeds for us, let's give him our support.

My wife surprised me & purchased tix to the games(Whole weekend) flights(Perth to Brissy) for magic round. Her folks live 15 mins from Suncorp. So our accom is sorted. I've never been to suncorp. And its been a dream of mine to watch a game there. Bit of bucket list trip for me. Feel like a kid again , Excited! Lol. Hope the boys get the W! I'll be smiling for the rest of the year.

So, this is what winning on ANZAC Day feels like.

Been too long.

Cuddles doesn't even make sense to me, which is why I want it to die. What does it even mean - he's too buddy-buddy and blurs professional lines? He's weak and doesn't have the ruthlessness required?

I think he has done a great job with the resources available (not many coaches could lose AFB, SJ, Harris, Walker, and band together a bunch of limited players the way he has). Two criticism levelled at him have been his bench use and a hesitancy to bring youth through too quickly. Neither, which should earn a "Cuddles" nickname, and he probably got the youth thing right.

Cuddles would suggest he has favourites. I don't know if I see that, he favours experience (so does Bennett) and consistency of combinations, and we just don't have the depth to turf aside the unfashionable players. I think we have tried to be quite cut-throat in the choices around retention, we just don't have some of the advantages we need there. Jazz, CNK, TMM, Montoya. Bunty was told to look around.

Cuddles doesn't seem clever, and it seems like an unwarranted, antagonistic label on a good coach who we are lucky to have. Is there something I'm missing?

As a US based wahs fan, I'm making the trip down under for this one. Last time I went to Aami Park was 2014, which was the last time we beat them in Melbourne. So fingers crossed that 17th time is the charm!

Brilliant game to be at, nearly had 2 or 3 heart attacks, soaked to the bone, freezing on the train right now but geez what a win!

Can we stop fighting over who is better out of tohu & Clarke? One is premiership winner, international captain & one of the best ball player locks of all time. The other is a young, talented athlete who has 1 international cap to his name. It’s night and day.

But irrespective of this, this doesn’t discount what Erin is currently producing. He’s punching above expectations, and that’s all we can ask for.

Will he be a future elite lock? Probably not. Does it matter? Probably not. There’s no other player like tohu, that would come to the warriors so we need to stop the comparisons and accept our new direction.

Erin Clarke is great, but he will never be Tohu. Nor does he need to, to be successful.

Holy shit.

CNK 30 runs 314M!
I'm sorry for ever doubting this guy.

What a legend.

At the airport with the Manly team filing through.

Unnamed Manly player: “Didn’t sleep well last night…. Really sore”

THAT is what we want when they leave our fortress!

Wrighty said:

Robbie your takes always prove prophetic. You were right about Nathan Brown for example from day one. Should we persevere with Webster? Will he come good? What is your take on him? Does he have it?

Click to expand...

@Wrighty, I think this year is a defining one for Webster. It’s unfortunate because he’s clearly a long-term thinker, just getting started in his coaching career. But the hype machine driven by Cam and the NZ media around "Wah-mania" has created expectations that commercial success alone can't sustain if the team keeps floundering. And it’s not just about losing — it’s how they’re losing.

Webster seems determined to turn the Warriors into a Penrith clone, mirroring their style and development model. The problem? He’s not Ivan Cleary, Metcalf is not Nathan Cleary, and the roster isn’t built for that approach. Where Penrith have game-breaking talent, the Warriors have inconsistency. Where the Panthers excel at disciplined, structured play, the Warriors have players who, in many cases, wouldn’t start at most NRL clubs.

The only coach who truly unlocked the Warriors’ potential was Daniel Anderson. He didn’t try to copy anyone — he built a team around the talent he had, blending work ethic, competitiveness, and natural skill into a style uniquely suited to them. No one since has replicated that formula.

Coaches imprint their personality onto their teams. Ricky Stuart’s Raiders reflect his hard-nosed, win-at-all-costs mentality. Craig Bellamy's Melbourne sides mirror his relentless work ethic from his playing days. Des Hasler's teams, like him, are intense, unorthodox, and tireless.

And Webster? He’s a nice guy, a personable guy, and his Warriors play exactly like that — safe, predictable, and completely lacking in bite. There’s no aggression, no spark, just rigid adherence to a system that already feels outdated.

Ran into Webby and the rest of the coaching staff at the ‘New York New York’ resort a few hours ago

My little brother went up and gave them an ‘up the Wahs’ so Webby followed him over and he said hello to our table, shook everyone’s hand and was v nice with his time

They then found themselves a bench and wouldn’t ya know it, the whole ref squad for the weekend with Ash Klein and then stopped by and chatted with them for a while

Will be missing the fan fest to do a day trip to LA before the games, but that more than made up for it

Just wanted to share (/flex a little hahaha)

I wanna show some love to Bunty. He looks so good(So far) this year! Did anyone see the late step before he hit the line ? I was shocked! And he's driving through players too! Looking fitter than ever. Keep it up Bunty!

I think on reflection, the management would concede they should have held on to Tu, especially after the release on Montoya. Although he didn't perform well last season, we are missing a experienced NSW cup level winger who can fill a hole for 5 games a season. Perhaps they think Kosi is that guy. We will need another back up winger this season, which is a shame as most clubs can rely on a development contract/young gun to fill that spot. Kali and Pasifikala didn't look ready in the trial unfortunately.

Thinking about our side, to have a guy like Taine miss the team potentially for a Kosi is completely arse about face. I would love to see a back 3 of Taine, RTS and CNK. Don't really care who plays where on attack/defense, using 3 fullbacks will get our best 3 backs on the park.

Cam George today confirmed that the NRL has accepted Tohu Harris’ medical retirement, freeing up significant cap space for recruitment in 2025 & 2026.

Gidday fam. It's been a long time between posts, but I've just been reading the Dylan Brown and general halves chats on here and thought I'd lend my view on it.

First off, Brown is looking for his big Kayln Ponga payday. He's the incumbent Kiwis 6, and in the next contract will be the prime of his career. With Brad Arthur sacked (who I heard he was quite close to), I think that's his motivation. And with clubs like the Dolphins sitting on a stack of cash and the Roosters basically ready to plug him into a spine of Robson, Walker and Teddy – that's an auction you don't want to raise your paddle in, if you ask me.

So while I think the price is wrong for us, I don't necessarily believe that he's the wrong type of player. It's my belief that the club wants to turn Metcalf into a long-term 7 for us. He came through the grades as one, and it's only because he's fast and played second fiddle to dominant halves so far that people say he can't do it. Mitch Moses made the transition in a similar stage in his career and complimented Brown perfectly. Having said that, we don't know how successful this transition will be for Luke, so going in on Brown is a long shot.

For us to have long term success, we need to give our development system time to bring through a core group of talented players (particularly spine players) that want to stay together in NZ to win a comp – and that could mean taking less money. People forget we had no development sides during covid, and our junior grades have only just entered the Aus comps. In reality we could be waiting a few seasons to see the shoots. This means we probably aren't going to win any comps for a few years. To do that you need a really confident, settled and experienced spine that knows how to get the close ones nailed. And unless you're the roosters, you need to grow that.

Personally I think Metcalf is in for a breakout season, and have no question that he can transition into a very good halfback if he stays fit. Te Maire would be a great foil for him at 6 with much-needed experience and a good short kicking game.

But that's me. Keep an eye out for my sign at the Sharks trial. I'll be on the bank!

Asked Wayde Egan if a captain had been decided and he said no. Asked him who he thought it should or could be and he said Barney...

Wrighty sounds like one of those ai chatbot that write stories, "I apologize for my mistakes, please give me a new scenario for the next response that fit the storyline"

3rdstriker said:

If true thankyou Tohu for your wonderful career you've been a great captain and servant of the game.
Tohu had the ability in his prime to game play and play 5 eighth.
By the way this must be one of @MrFrankWhite s happiest of days.

Click to expand...

Nah man. I love peak Tohu. I just didn’t like busted Tohu. Plus I’m sad, it’s tough giving up your job because your body can’t handle it.

So not happy, excited though for the future.

Wishing all forumers a safe and relaxing Christmas period with the hope that you all have a healthy and fun-filled 2025.

P.S. & the team have a better 2025 than they did in 2024

P.S.S Up the Wahs

BangBro's (still banging) said:

I guess the Jackson Stewart one stings a little because the Roosters have a decent record of getting good outside backs from NZ.

RTS, SKD, and Manu to name some.

Click to expand...

What caught my eye is the school.

I was surprised the Warriors snapped up so few from the NZ champion high school, then I thought about, the Warriors old bias towards Auckland schools and was not so surprised.

Someone will try to level the we can't keep them all oxymoron here.

Cliches are just that.

Watch the tournament. St Thomas are the new Melbourne Storm style school boys league system.

As such it makes them unique.

They crushed everyone at schoolboys with three basic sporting elements.

They were fitter than all the other schools.

They were technically better in the wrestle than all of the other schools.

They were smarter in tactical play than other schools.

Thus my Storm reference.

You don't have to believe me, watch them on you tube and pay attention to technical aspects of their game (for purist who have been following the NZ scene for decades they are truly a revelation, if you don't see that then you should look up Batercard cup and Fox because these kids are better than those men).

Therefore their coach must be outstanding and insightful in terms of NRL culture, he would be the first person I would be phoning from Warriors HQ (perhaps they have already obviously people like me do not know the vagaries of this club we follow).

That team was so in tune that I would have tried to sign 100% of the players and worked out the details later.

Why?

Because after a century of Rugby league they are the first School boy outfit in this country to display fully professional and drilled RL science.

One hundred years.

First to win on fitness and tackle technique, first to use repeat sets comfortably like adults. And they came from nowhere. Who knew a school of nobodies using sports science would destroy all the usual suspects?

Of course the Roosters went for whomever they could get.

Yet we moan about signings year upon year and wonder why they happen, the duds I mean. Watch Money ball, and Air, look to the classic scenes in those movies when the scouts are telling the managers why this player has no game sense or this other player has club house issues.

Problem with our game starts with scouts, the same ones who brought us Vatuvei as the highest paid player (Manu was great, but a Winger should never be your highest in a Salary cap, and at another NRL club Manu would have had a hot housing in NRL defence this club failed him at) or Hurrell as the so obviously warrior esque fat boy take the piss type.

McFadden then is our best hope from here.

Demitric Vaimauga extended to 2028

Tohu started 2024 with a 237m and 37 tackle (@95%) effort in an 80 minute performance. If he's not run ragged early doors he'll make valuable contributions & none of us can change what he gets paid anyways

kos said:

Wrighty lives in Upper Hutt
Crosby played RU in Upper Hutt
Wrighty is enthused by a fellow Hutt boy cracking the big time.

Click to expand...

Or, maybe Wrighty is Crosby being new to league, and all

Thought it was Webby at first glance

Erin Clark showed enough in the Kiwis game to suggest he’ll be a solid signing for the Warriors

My unpopular opinion about Taine is that he's a 'nearly man'.

He looks good in a lesser competition in the Cup team, but in his limited NRL experiences he's looked dangerous and has made a load of half breaks, but he doesn't seem to have the outright pace off the mark to cruise through a gap. I don't think Taine would have scored the try he did against a tiring Tonga pack.
Will this improve the more NRL he is exposed to? Potentially? A lot of those quick, nippy blokes like Keano, Campbell, RW, Talagi, Paps are all explosive and from day one, were able to showcase this. I don't think we've seen that from Taine unfortunately

So much negativity when we should be Boyd by this signing. I think he's going to surprise a Tanah people.

I swear some people on this forum need to get their brains checked because there's some serious issues with memories that extend back beyond about 3 months ago.

Berry was a cornerstone of our 2023 success with his defence and kick chases. He scored an elite solo try against the Knights in the playoffs. He's 23, and has demonstrated growth in his abilities year on year.

All of the above, and some clowns reckon he's never amounted to much and never will. Heeeeeeyyyzus.... Stick to watching Kata and Konnie highlights.

Laughing out loud at the doorknobs complaining about the recruitment thread, continuing to polute it with the same shit their complaining about

I'll miss Montoya. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he played for us and while there were a few shockers and a brain snap or two, he gave a shit and tried his guts out.
I love those kinda guys - the ones who don't have the most talent in the world but who bust their arse for the team.
His last try in Warriors colours - the cut out pass from Metcalf to get us in front against the Sharks was an absolutely beauty.
Stoked for him that he's been able to pick up a longer contract somewhere else.

I guess that means the Bulldogs move up a notch in my books. That now puts them at notch one lol

Obviously dollars & cents are the deciding factor on whether or not to sign Nikora but I don't get why people bag him. Barnett & AFB were our only regular offloaders in 2024 & with AFB leaving if Nikora could replicate this years 25 offloads & 10 tries it would be a godsend. The fact he always plays 80 mins on the right edge alone has me sold. Capewell on the left, with Halasima increasingly taking his minutes, & Niukore a specialist middle would undoubtedly strengthen our side.

JaggedJ said:

I'm going to side with Wrighty on this one. His potential is clear, but there were times he was an absolute slug in defence.

You'd be paying premium money for potential with downside. Weapon in attack, defence not so much.

Click to expand...

Agreed, now he's not coming I've decided he's a flog and I never wanted him anyway.

Interesting watching Mitch Barnett on once a Warrior. Says he has big raps on Tom Ale, and goes on to say he doesn’t think Tom knows how good he can be. Great work ethic and everything. Says this is some of the best young talent he’s ever seen. Speaks highly of Sifakula and Halasima, and says Zyon is one of the scariest people he’s met

So we're getting an unknown hooker, a known rugby player, losing an unknown outside back to make room for that known rugby player, RTS made an instagram post, and Josh Curran was hungover at his end of year review.

Like sands through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives.

Man how lucky are we that Braden Hamlin-Uele turned us down earlier this year. He's only played a handful of games and his output has been Bunty Afoa levels.
And then we go on to sign JFH for only a few 100k more.

Probably the highlight of the year for the Warriors really

Aman 2.0 said:

I’m just not loser or a blind faith follower.

2 good fucking season out of 10 and I don’t have a right to vent?

Fuck that shit, I’m gonn call this club out for what it is until shit changes.

Click to expand...

Bro I get it.

15 years I’ve been obsessed about this team. They dictated my life. Events had to be planned around Warriors games. My family are on edge when the games on because I took it way too seriously. Back when me and my now wife were grinding we still had to budget for 3 Warriors jerseys a season, and season memberships for 10 years.

10 years on this very forum posting my thoughts, writing essays upon essays venting my frustrations about this team. Primarily so my family and friends didn’t have to hear all about it.

My oldest son finally got into the Warriors last year, you know up the Wahs movement and all that. I always dreamt of my sons being fans alongside me. He finally did after 9 years. But because I was in too deep emotionally with this team, last year (and even this season) I scoffed all these bandwagon fans coming on board while shits hot - they didn’t know the suffering and pain fans like myself endured before getting here - and I didn’t engage my with son in the way I should have.

I hadn’t made following this team an enjoyable experience for him at times due to my attitude towards the team in general. Even tho we played so well last year I didn’t sit and enjoy the moment because I was just waiting for shit to hit the fan again like it always does.

I made a decision 2/3 into this season to just enjoy being a fan moving forward. All this anger and venting, end of the day WE make the fucking choice to support this team.

We can literally decide whether or not to be a fan. To buy merchandise, tickets, season memberships, flight packages to Las Vegas.

For myself, I love sports, and Rugby League is at the top of that. With sports teams I’m loyal to the death - I mean the Orlando Magic are my NBA team, and they’re essentially NBA equivalent of the Warriors being honest) - so I’m never going to support another team other than the Warriors.

So if don’t want to stop watching the game, and I’ll never be able to support another team doing so, I guess I’m stuck with the Warriors.

So what’s the point of getting so down when things are tough, when I’m still going to be here next season supporting this team through thick and thin.

I can’t control what the club does, the decisions they make, that players make, the that refs and bunker make. But I can control what to focus on. So may as well just stay optimistic and focus on the positive things moving forward. Better for the mind, peace and my sanity.

One of those things being Demetric Sifakula. 10 runs 116m 13 tackles. 32 mins. He only ran 8m less than AFB (who only had 3 more runs in 69m).

Excited we got JFH coming next season, but this fella could really ease the pain of losing AFB.

Would've been around 2006/07 i was coaching a schools touch team at a nationals and the word went round that there was this hot stepping kid from Orewa absolutely carving everyone and to check him out. Hot steppers in Touch are a dime a dozen and in a sport that has produced the best steppers of all codes in the likes of Remus Gentles and Benji Marshall before him (and id been stepped by both of them) i went to watch and was completely blown away. This kid was just audacious and unstoppable in the red zone, not just pulling off the most ridiculous step ever but the speed off the mark and then hitting his wingers on the chest with 20-30 metre left to right bullets....had seen plenty of talent and skill before but this left me gobsmacked.

Never once thought he'd be on the League radar tho cause this kid was as skinny as a rake. At the next years corresponding tournament couldnt believe the muscle he had packed on, thought he must have been on the roids.....he was still just as deadly on his feet tho and if anything faster, cause once he got open space he was going length of the field leaving some also pretty fast kids in his wake. Heard then that he did have a background in League, and that he had a big boot on him due to playing some AFL and that the Warriors had locked him up.

From then on made the point to follow him on the League path and to watch him progress and star in Juniors to NRL first grade to a stellar International career has for the most part just been a helluva enjoyable ride (pity the Turks hacked our site last year cause basically his whole career from start to finish was on that Shaun Johnson thread, which im sure Tahjay would confirm was one of the longest running biggest threads on our site).

He didnt always hit the mark for sure and maybe didnt develop his all round game as quick as we wouldve hoped, but as others have pointed out and ive always maintained over his formative years this club was an absolute basket case at times, with 5 coaches in 6 seasons (and a couple of dud ones at that) its little wonder......i cant think of any other playmaker who had to learn the game with that level of disfunction. Still, within that time he managed to produce some really iconic Warrior moments which showcased his exciting talent. At times when this club was at its most self destructive and an absolute rabble, Shaun was the one shining light that kept fans coming back on the hope that maybe he could do something special......couldnt do it all the time, but when he did it was always next level special.

I think cause he hasnt played for a while his International career has been criminally under rated. There was a small period of dominance we had over the Aussies which SJ was instrumental in. He was always someone they feared and generally he always played well against them......there's a try he scores where he makes Greg Inglis look like hes wearing concrete boots.....leaves him for dead.....this is Greg Inglis!.....whose alltime.....truly remarkable some of the greats he's made look...well.....ordinary!

Cant beat the clock tho and time (and injury) has caught up with him....its obviously showed this season and he'd be well aware of this more than anyone...i think.his legacy is still intact tho escpecially from that great season last year....may not have got the big one but he was still the Dally M halfback of the year....no one can take that off him. His impact and influence is without question as everyone from Nathan Cleary, Dylan Brown, Reece Walsh, Te Maire Martin, Chanel Harris Tavita and countless others have rated him an idol of theirs and as Cam George pointed out has perhaps been the single most influential individual in NZ rugby league in Kiwi kids choosing tp put on a pair of League boots....thats a helluva impact to have.

The fact also he's never once been involved in an ounce of off field shenanigans and just projects a real positive vibe, love for his family and Warriors......goes out a champion in my books.

The matchup we have all been waiting for

Whether it not you think Webby is the right man for the job or not, it's irrelevant.

The story goes he's the most successful coach in his first year at the Warriors.

Second year he's been below average.

Now what's gotten us into a mess since 2011 is the merry go round of coaches. 8 coaches between Cleary and Webster in 11 years.

None of them have been remotely successful, all below 45% win rate.

Webby is second in win % after Daniel Anderson. Cleary is a tick under 50%.

By stats alone you have to keep backing him.
By the sellouts this year, you have to back him and management.
By the injuries we've had pre, during and post game, you have to back him.

I don't think ANY coach can implement their system successfully in 2 years with an inherited squad that's been losing for years, only making top 8 once in 11 years. Cleary took two goes before he built the dynasty.

Everyone calling for Webbys head needs to have a wank and release some pent up energy.

The first episode of SJ's podcast has now dropped, some quotes here-

Re: Injury

Matua Mark (Producer of the show, MC at Mount Smart):
"How does that take place that conversation, is it you going to management and saying guys you know what I have been going through time to take a knee here or is them saying hey dude we've got promising halves pairing who have won in the past, how did that happen?"

Shaun:
"Well to be fair they were probably going to drop my ass anyway. After I toss that up they probably, bro, this bloke is out"

"It was at a point where I knew- The relationship I have with Andrew Webster our coach is one like I've never had, like with any of the coaches. One of pure trust, transparency and supreme confidence that he has got my back."

"After the Titans game it was as simple as I went to him and I said to him 'I cannot do this anymore' and he looked at me and nodded the head [sic] in agreeance because he knew exactly what I was feeling and also he's got games of football to win, and at that point in time Im not the best option, at that level I am playing at, and that's a tough pill to swallow because In my mind I know what I can do but when you can't back in up physically it's so tough to swallow, and after that game, it was a rock bottom snap where it's like, bro, you are kidding yourself if you think you belong in this arena right now, you are letting you teammates down, you are letting yourself down. I actually approached the coaching staff, but it was met with agreeance. it wasn't met with anything like they aren't trying to convince me to keep going it was like yep 100%, and we will do whatever we can to make sure you can get on top of this"

Also said the decision was with him going out on the Achilles early in the first place, and the injury got to the point where he was having difficulty getting around his house/going up and down the stairs.

---

Re: Webby

"In terms of character, and that's the real sign of it, a great coach, that is why I said it last year, you believe in the systems you put in place are so strong that no individual is bigger than that system. and he has been tested time and time. he got tested, in the scheme of things [sic], pretty lightly last year, you know we had a really good year, things were clicking we were all healthy, we were loving it, boom that flowed. This year, the way he has rolled with the punches but upheld what he believes wins us football games and driven them even harder in those times is probably, to me, just cements what I already thought of the guy.

"You know he is going to have a long, successful coaching career, One, he is a great person; Two, he is very firm and very clear on what wins football games, sometimes in a long season of NRL you can sometimes lose sight or take maybe things for granted, and maybe it takes a few losses or a performance you didn't see coming like getting beat by 60 to really just bring you back and dive in and circle in on what you know wins footy games. So he has handled this period tremendously, I think, you know, the way he has rallied the troops and backed up those senior players, the likes of Mitch Barnett, Dylan Walker, Te Maire Martin coming in and just playing out of his skin, doing his job, then Chanel, just people stepping up, and that's what we are about"

---

Re: Halves pairing and being a teammate

Shaun:
"It will always be nothing but support and love for any of my teammates and in a space where I hope, how do I say this right, I hope that they feel that, because I have been in environments where senior players have been on the out or have had an injury and I guess have not been included in a lot of things-"

Brooke Ruscoe (Co-Host, Former Tall Black and Mai FM Host):
"You can feel the energy."

Shaun:
"The energy shifts dramatically, the impact it can have on younger players coming through. It can become really toxic, really quick, so I have had some good examples of what it shouldn't look like. And I just want to be the best possible teammate for them, like always an open book if they have got questions, now Te Maire is playing better than I have all year so he ain't asking me shit, I mean he ain't asking me nothing, you know like I'm going to have to to the bro, say hey can you come help me out.

"It has to be that open door, and we work like- in preseason, we all work together, and we play scenarios out 'Shaun you are out, T you are middle service' [sic], 'Chanel you're left edge', Chanel you're middle service, T you are on the right-"

Brooke:
"You forget about Luke Met as well"

"Luke, you're on ball, you know, like we have a system, we all work to better each other but to understand how the team is best going to play as one, that's still the messaging. Just because I am out injured, I still want to be there as best I can and help where I can without sort of overstepping and trying to make it about me when it's not- Step back and let the boys get to work"

Mark:
"Let's make this about you Shaun, just for a moment. Have you always been that type of person, or has this come with a fine wine, of age, that you see the importance of being able to share knowledge and have you had to learn that, or is that something you have always been"

Shaun:
"I'm probably not the right person to ask whether that has always been me but I have found through other leaders I have had in the past, the type of leader I have always wanted to be, I have had some really good examples, and I have had some poor examples, and I think to best answer that question ultimately I think as a person, so forget me as an athlete, I remember Butch saying to me when I first came into first grade, the greatest gift you can give someone is your time, and I will never, ever forget that, and I think regardless of whether I am in the Warriors building, or if I am out, I just think that is probably my nature, just to give people time.

"I often get asked if a kid comes up and asks for a photo of me if you're out at dinner and someone comes to ask. There is a manner to ask, don't get me wrong, but does that ever get annoying? I have never found that annoying; I have found it a privilege. I've always been like; I remember when the shoe was on the other foot, and the difference and the impact something like this could make on would've made on me, and could potentially make on the little kid or even the dad who's pretending the photo is for his daughter, its probably all I can say on that Matua, I can't say it has always been me, but what has always been me is being open and giving people my time, and in the building, in where I work and what I do every day when I'm a senior player, and I do have runs on the board and knowledge I have accumulated over a career of work if someone wants to know, I will answer it but I will never force it or blurt it onto someone."

---

Re: Retirement/Extending

I can't keep transcribing this entire thing, so listen to the podcast for full details haha

The gist of it is that he is as torn as he has ever been, he feels uneasy about not knowing what will happen next year, but there are conversations ongoing. Paraphrasing, while he doesn't want to come off as arrogant, he still thinks he is the best option for the Warriors at 7 when he is healthy, and until that changes then he is going to keep being torn on it. Winning a prem with us is the only thing he needs to tick off, but at the same time, he enjoys not being in pain moving around his house, playing with his kids, etc.

He also confirms the Roosters offered him a deal, but doubles down for the millionth time that it is the Warriors or retirement.

Congratulations Barney!

I know we are all passionate fans but don't agree with anyone publicly celebrating the injury to one of our stalwarts regardless of the situation.

There seems to be deep disharmony within the squad. Forget even about the performances of late, just look at the body language on the field: AFB blowing-up at someone - perhaps Tohu - when the review was unsuccessful; Egan remonstrating angrily at Walker. More concerning, Michael Burgess today quoted a Warriors supporter on Facebook who was at the match and said he couldn't believe the way the team was sniping at each other behind the posts after the Titans scored their first try.

Something has happened to trigger fractures and this has completely destroyed the resilience that was built during 2023. The players just don't seem to care enough right now to put in that extra effort in to cover for their teammates.

As we've all seen, these issues are most pronounced when the senior players are on the park. Yeah, they're old and slow. But I think this is only half the issue. The more important half is what none of us are privy too.

Webby's in a bind. He went all in this season to win the comp with an aging roster, the addition of two new players on longer deals than they deserve, and the extension of another who is clearly past it. Now he's stuck with them all, unless they walk.

At the same time, his risk averse strategy has meant that he's continued steadfastly with the same out of form players week after week because they're more experienced and might come good at some point. Being such a new head coach, perhaps he's also worried about the repercussions that losing the senior playing group might have on his own future (and with good reason: I was told that rebellions from Warrior senior players in the past resulted in the demise of Matty Elliott and Alex Corvo).

By staying loyal to a fault, Webby has perhaps created more internal friction with the young ambitious players by giving them the slightest taste of NRL (only when forced to through injury), then dumping them after they shine. Zion gets picked for a game off the bench, kills it with high energy and enthusiasm and is dropped. MGT is selected and plays with determination and aggression. He's been smashing it all season in NSW Cup. He gets dumped. DWZ is suspended. Who does Webby draw upon? Kosi ... again! The perennial failure at NRL level. Laban shows great potential for someone so young. He's solid every time he gets on the field. Barnett is called up to Origin. Webby ignores him and instead shifts Walker to second row.

It just seems to be such poor player management. All from a guy who prides himself on his people skills.

Webby doesn't drop players. He's Mr Nice Guy. That'll get him so far, until it doesn't. The worse thing for a leader when there's player unrest is to be a nice guy because it generally calls for really tough decisions to be made and people pleasers don't like rocking the boat. When you're winning, you can be everyone's mate. When you're losing, you need to stand up and demand accountability. Montoya said recently that he's never heard Webby give the players a spray. The moment I heard that I knew he was in trouble. Every great coach has a spray or two in them. They have to so that the players understand they aren't the boss.

If nothing else, the massacre from the Titans has unmasked what seemed to be percolating just below the surface all season. I hope Webby finds something in him this week to get to the bottom of it all.

Hey fellas, I just wanted to say I think it's fucking awesome that we've got a thread about this kinda stuff.

I'm well aware of mental health and what it looks like etc due to my employment, however in the last few months I've had to take some time off mahi because of my mental health. I've never experienced that kind of thing before and to be honest, it was really terrifying and at times felt like I was dying. It took this personal experience for me to realise that actually, I didn't know shit about mental health or how to get myself out of the hole that I found myself in.

Things are much, much better now though but yeah, just wanted to say Kia Kaha to anyone going through something tough and am happy for anyone to reach out if they're having a shit time.

He waka eke noa
We're all in this together

Mitch Barnett locked in for 2 more years. Till the end of 2027.

2 things i really like with this team - Marata on an edge and Ford in the middle. Not having edges capable of shortening that defensive line out wide was another reason for our static attack. Ford is a whole hearted player with a big engine but not a natural ball player. Straight up and down in the middle will suit him.

Nice to see Webby despite the pre season plan of moving Marata into the middle, prepared to change things up when things are obviously not working.

Like that they havent rushed SJ back in too. Dont think hes doing anyone a service if he's not firing on all cylinders, and i think the last few performances have meant there shouldnt be any dire need as there has been in the past to play him on one leg.

Of the returning players i think Berry has a bit to prove......he's not a tackle busting, powerful centre, more a link man with good distribution and solid defender......but if one of those elements isnt up to scratch you start questioning his value to the team......and this year he's been coming up with a few more 1 on 1 missed tackles than he would like.

None however has more to prove than AFB. His actions were pretty ordinary after that game and gave Webby no choice but to draw a line. If he is truly all in this season im expecting a next level type game for the ages from him.