As experienced
Webster ites we know he goes with the tried and true and is loyal to his Vets.
I think Inch is no chance as you say vs that Trio but Linane is a special case.
I could believe that Linane has been brought in with a potential NRL debut this season on the basis that
Webster is looking like he wants speed and dynamism out there.
Rather than threatening
CHT RTS TT in the short term I think Linane is a threat to
Te Maire Martin in a 14 debut scenario.
The reason I say that is that Cappy really wanted Linane at the Warriors, so much so that he publicly came out and said he is star signing, and he managed to convince the Warriors to go after a busted player.
“His outstanding qualities as a player are his running game and his speed. We look forward to developing him in our system and giving him every opportunity.
He’s an exceptional talent and a terrific young man,” said One New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development Andrew McFadden.
Exceptional talent is not a phrase you see thrown around by our coaches in this regime, they really believe in this guy, they think he is going to be a star.
We really look forward to giving him every opportunity.....I think that one statement when read after the calling this guy outstanding talent is where the Warriors view Linane, they think he is another Metcalf, they think they got him early, they think they have a future superstar halves pairing - and they have Nathan Cleary's little brother in reserve.
Certainly you can see how if they inject a fast running five eight in
Te Maire's cameo slot - drop
CHT to dummy half for ten to fifteen minutes, a role he looks great in for Samoa.
With Linane signing and placing Metcalf at seven it is now clear our plan is to have the fastest halves in the NRL.
Which tells you their plan is creating space by second guessing the opposition numbering, with the hope it draws in the opponents to take down Metcalf with their stand off and their edge back rower.
Which gives Metcalf options to draw and pass or kick to Linane and his outsides, or use a cut out ball.
The problem with all the attention on Metcalf as we know is that a shift to Linane offers just as much speed threat to their Center and Winger/fullback, which gives Linane the option of either a short draw to
Gannon with pace on hitting that ball, or a pump fake and go ala Metcalf, or a straight ball to
Gannon for a cut out to
AKP.
That's without even factoring in our Center which we hope is
Ali and can run a straight line, put on a shimmy to draw and pass to
AKP.
And if you really want to skull fk them in the eye hole you put
Leka stacked with
Gannon on that side and look like Penrith on the move who look like they have fifteen players when they run set plays on their strong side.
We would instantly have a very fast wide attack - as quick as Brisbane with Walsh or the Raiders or the Panthers and Storm.
And lets not forget that with
AKP we have a legitimate cut out ball and let him do all the work player. He has that Xfactor footwork where we can just throw it out there and let him shred as a legit game play.
Also I think that the bench spot for Linane would be a short minutes played thing which fits in with this protect the young guys on debut scenario, I can see the Warriors using that back on the bench role to one day drop Cleary in there or eventually Inch.
The other thing about
RTS and
CNK is that they are showing signs of age, and
Webster has been through that now with
Tohu and
SJ, he knows he needs to start next year with the older guys, then if they look like
SJ and
Tohu syndrome 2.0 pull the trigger a third or half a season in and bring in
AKP, Linane,
Taine - even look at Mellars.
Father time will not be stopped no matter what plans the Coaches have nor dreams the fans foster.
And at least the coaches have experience of that now, they know they have to look to the future, they just had an amazing year of discovery, hell they put Metcalf in the seven and it was a Dally M move.
They unleashed
Leka Halasima the most exciting forward in the NRL after ELi Koatoa.
They introduced us to future Warriors Captain Dimitric Vaimunga Sifakula.
They let a Laban back onto the RL world stage, and finished with throwing EIT out there with Stowers Smith.
This is not a coach that is going to be afraid of using new players next season.
2025 was the year
Andrew Webster went wild with selections and threw his Cup stars into the NRL.
100% fitness willing Fatialofa plays NRL this season, why? because
Andrew Webster now knows that all the hype about the Warriors junior forwards is actually true and he has seen it with his own eyes - a full season of proof, every young forward he used turned out to be an NRL player....when has that ever happened?
Off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2027: Rocco Berry, Tanah Boyd, Kurt Capewell, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Freddy Lussick, Te Maire Martin, Marata Niukore, Taine Tuaupiki, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Will be off contract and free to sign elsewhere for 2028 from November 1st, 2026: Mitchell Barnett, Erin Clark, Jett Cleary, Wayde Egan, Kayliss Fatialofa, Jackson Ford, Sam Healey, Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, Ali Leiataua, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Motu Pasikala, Adam Pompey, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
