General 2026 Team
- Thread starter CWC
- Start date
NZWarriors.com
It’s a circular argument
Metcalf is the best
Cht Tb Tmm all have bits and bobs but are not Metcalf standard
However I ll throw in
Tmm was elite at 1 for the Bronco s
We ve only tried him there once in a trial I think
Cnk could be carrying injuries in the last nine games but is off his best
Maybe Tmm at 1 could help us our missing factor
Attack
Metcalf is the best
Cht Tb Tmm all have bits and bobs but are not Metcalf standard
However I ll throw in
Tmm was elite at 1 for the Bronco s
We ve only tried him there once in a trial I think
Cnk could be carrying injuries in the last nine games but is off his best
Maybe Tmm at 1 could help us our missing factor
Attack
NZWarriors.com
OMG there is crazy negativity against TMM.
Like he’s a shit player.
IMO if he had been paired with Metcalf from round 1 he would be considered the man.
CHT got the nod and performed decently.
Webby has been keeping TMM in the 17 because he knows he is a natural and influential footballer.
Stats forwarded to support a narrative are purely subjective.
Like he’s a shit player.
IMO if he had been paired with Metcalf from round 1 he would be considered the man.
CHT got the nod and performed decently.
Webby has been keeping TMM in the 17 because he knows he is a natural and influential footballer.
Stats forwarded to support a narrative are purely subjective.
Some pretty fun lineups being thrown out there. My crack:
1. TT - Taine’s ability to make shit happen on attack just outweighs CNK’s engine.
RW DWZ - get Rocco inside him, and I reckon that defence shores up a lot.
RC Rocco!!! Kick chase is too good to ignore, defends like a beast.
LC POMPEY -solid AF
LW RTS - obvs
SO CHT - was getting W’s with Lukey Met, fabulous foil for him
HB METCALF - obvs
MD JFH - obvs
DH EGAN - obvs
MD BARNETT - obvs
RE Niukore - give him the first 20, then rotate Leka in and Marata plays middle
LE Capewell - next to Rocco, and just that side is where we’re hoisting it on tackle 6 every time!
MD CLARK
DH HEALEY - think Egan wore down playing so many minutes - he was pretty close to our MVP early on I reckon - so Healey to get more minutes to rest Egan and cos he’s an awesome change in tempo
MD - Vaimaunga - him and Ford off the bench is a sweet middle rotation
SR - HELASIMA - just to keep him out of the start so he can finish strong
MD FORD - love him as a big minute middle, just maybe not as many minutes as he had to play in the final.
18 TMM
Would love it if Ali could shake injuries and get back - he’s a strike centre, but such a bad run.
Still lots of pretty good players left looking in - CNK, Laban, EIT, TSS, the enigma that is Gannon, Mellars (dare to whisper AKP? Which likely would get CNK back, cos otherwise our back three is teeny with him and TT).
1. TT - Taine’s ability to make shit happen on attack just outweighs CNK’s engine.
RW DWZ - get Rocco inside him, and I reckon that defence shores up a lot.
RC Rocco!!! Kick chase is too good to ignore, defends like a beast.
LC POMPEY -solid AF
LW RTS - obvs
SO CHT - was getting W’s with Lukey Met, fabulous foil for him
HB METCALF - obvs
MD JFH - obvs
DH EGAN - obvs
MD BARNETT - obvs
RE Niukore - give him the first 20, then rotate Leka in and Marata plays middle
LE Capewell - next to Rocco, and just that side is where we’re hoisting it on tackle 6 every time!
MD CLARK
DH HEALEY - think Egan wore down playing so many minutes - he was pretty close to our MVP early on I reckon - so Healey to get more minutes to rest Egan and cos he’s an awesome change in tempo
MD - Vaimaunga - him and Ford off the bench is a sweet middle rotation
SR - HELASIMA - just to keep him out of the start so he can finish strong
MD FORD - love him as a big minute middle, just maybe not as many minutes as he had to play in the final.
18 TMM
Would love it if Ali could shake injuries and get back - he’s a strike centre, but such a bad run.
Still lots of pretty good players left looking in - CNK, Laban, EIT, TSS, the enigma that is Gannon, Mellars (dare to whisper AKP? Which likely would get CNK back, cos otherwise our back three is teeny with him and TT).
NZWarriors.com
Rocco Berry 2025 tackle efficiency % game by game:
74% Storm
74% Knights
100% Cowboys
93% Souths
75% Broncos
67% Tigers
83% Titans
89% Eels
NZWarriors.com
NZWarriors.com
I dunno for us I think he’s either a 7 or fullback or utility. As a 6 he’s too restricted to express himself. Go back to the sharks trial with Martin at 6 and Metcalf 7, our attack was dog shit and Martin went missing just like he did with SJ.
Also notice our 6 always has less to work with because our fullback only ever attacks the right side. So usually never has an overlap
Put that next to TMM as the Warriors 7 though:
8.25 games
3 tries
14 try assists
3 linebreaks
12 linebreak assists
And suddenly you'd have a pretty decent attack. Both times this configuration has played they put 40 points on albeit shit teams.
Even the weekend gone, even though TMM didn't register any attacking stats he generated a bunch of overlaps but our outside backs kept ballsing them up.
Regardless, not too fazed to be honest, I think TMM, CHT, Boyd are all short of what we need to partner Metcalf with for a genuine tilt at a title imo.
NZWarriors.com
Sorry, I was only looking at last season. You are correct though
I can remember them pairing against the Tigers in 2023 preseason. What was the other time they were in the halves together?
TMM is a very skillful, SJ even included him amongst some legends when asked about his Touch Dream team, but he just hasn't performed in the #6 for the Warriors and that's the only halves position up for grabs when Metcalf returns. He might even be the stop gap #7 until Metcalf returns if he performs well over the offseason.
Other people in here think he's the answer & couid do a better job than CHT, which is well and good, but they haven't even attempted to back that opinion up with anything substantial
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My opinion is that you cant have CHT and Boyd partnered together. They are just both a bit to vanilla. 4 wins from the last 12 and our play was quite poor - don't think we can continue with this
I think you either have....
Boyd 7 and TMM 6 - they seem to work well together and Dolphins game looked like one of the most fluent as a halves partnership
LM 7 and CHT 6 - I don't think that, despite the early season results, that this is the best option for our overall attack for the team. Some good individual stats but our attack looked clunky for most of the season
LM 7 and TMM 6 - this looks like it might work but its not the optimal position for either of them
TMM 7 and CHT 6 - worked well as a combo last season and I don't think it would be any different now in a stronger performing side. I'd go with this to start the season if Metcalf is still unavailable.
TMM 7 and LM 6 - probably our best combination IMO and was my preferred halves option at the beginning of the season. I think it puts them in the position that best suits them and the team.
NZWarriors.com
That Tigers pre-season game was against a 2nd-3rd string Tigers side. They looked good together and looked like they were on the same page. But that was on the back of a lot of front foot ball.
Due to the quality of the opposition all of our youngsters looked great in that game.
I'm a fan of TMM. He is probably our best ball player in the current squad. The problem is how do we get the best out of him?
He was passable in 2023 at 6 paired with Johnson. But being quiet and chiming in on the odd occasion in 2023 when we were locked in is different to 2024 when we were struggling and needed a bit more.
CHT has his faults. But this year was an improvement, playing on the left and not being the main man seemed to help. It was like he was playing within a simplified role. His kicking especially in the opposition 20 was a big improvement.
They played one game in cup with the TMM 7, Metcalf 6 configuration as well.
Again, I'm not fussed, all three non Metcalf half options are probably fatally flawed.
I agree Metcalf will only play 7 though.
Going over last 3 years I'd rate our halves and their performances in the possies they've played something like:
2025 Metcalf 7 = 2023 Metcalf 6
> 2024 TMM 7
> 2024/25 CHT 6
> 2023/24 TMM 6 = 2025 Boyd 7
