Pick Your Team NZ Warriors v Cronulla Sharks - [Round 5, 2026]

[NZWarriors.com]

NZ Warriors v Cronulla Sharks - [Round 5, 2026]
PICK YOUR TEAM
Sunday 5th April 4:00pm NZST
PointsBet Stadium, Cronulla​

Here's your chance to select your dream team for the next rounds match so don your coaches cap on and lets hear it.

This thread will be closed without notice once the TEAM LIST thread opens for this game...

 

[Dannevegas]

Akp for Roger
Mellars for Dallin
Leiataua for Pompey
Gannon for Niukore
Demi For TSS
only just Tanner’s been awesome, but Demi offerers something different from the rest of our middles.

Roger’s way off the mark this year, age is getting to him.

 

[BrisbaneWarrior]

Webby will let most of this team prove themselves again. Expecting minimal changes, maybe Charnze to FB.

Wonder if they’d try Metcalf to FB if the halves don’t gel

 

[CWC]

Webby will let most of this team prove themselves again. Expecting minimal changes, maybe Charnze to FB.

Wonder if they’d try Metcalf to FB if the halves don’t gel

I am gonna go negative nancy and ask what if we lose 3 in a row what happens, boyd to cup Metcalf 7? Felt Boyd was on fire once CHT got knocked out and he had CNK or Hansen next to him, I was hoping for Luke to just back up and run not taking so many attempted torpedoes

 

[Makasene]

1. CNK
2. RTS
3. Pompey
4. Ali
5. DWZ
6. Metcalf
7. Boyd
8. Fish
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11. Leka
12. Laban
13. Clark

14. CHT
15. Demi
16. Ford
17. Niukore
18. TT
19. TSS

 

[BangBro's (still banging)]

1 C N Klokstad
2 D W Zelezniak
3 A Leiataua
4 A Pompey
5 R T Sheck
6 L Metcalf
7 T Boyd
8 J F Harris c
9 W Egan
10 M Barnett c
11 J Laban
12 M Niukore
13 E Clark

14 S Healey
15 J Ford
16 D Vaimauga
17 L Halasima
18 T Tuaupiki
20 C H Tavita

 

[BlackToko88]

not expecting wholesale changes.
Charnze back to FB, Ali to center.

I wouldnt mind meta going back to cup to get gametime and confidence but at the same time the more they play the better they gel

Mitch starts. Should be back to normal minutes now.

Demetric to get minutes too

 

[Damo]

1. Tuaupiki
2. RTS
3. CNK
4. Pompey
5. DWZ
6. Metcalf
7. Boyd
8. Fisher-Harris
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11.  Halasima
12. Laban
13. Clark

14. Healey
15. Vaimauga
16. Ford
17. Niukore
18. CHT
19. TSS

Barnett to start and stick to the middle, too slow for an edge for me. Ford can probably play out the game after 25 minutes from Barney.
Can't see Webster ditching the general makeup of the team after one week. Need to solidify the cohesion with this makeup as it is likely the best makeup going forward, they just lacked cohesion especially defensively.
Individual errors compounded greatly to the end result and won't be the case (I hope) week to week.

 

[Teets]

CHT back to 6.

Left edge was a huge net positive last year in terms of tries scored v tries conceded, @Cces correct me if I'm wrong there.

Any extra attacking upside from a Metcalf/Boyd combo will be offset by being much worse defensively.

Pick a halfback and live with it.

 

[Cces]

Left edge was a huge net positive last year in terms of tries scored v tries conceded, @Cces correct me if I'm wrong there.

43 scored & 23 conceded

 

[Cces]

Gannon for Niukore

What's the rationale for this?
I've been very critical of Niukore but he's been good the last fortnight

 

[WAH MAN]

Doesn't matter as much who is picked as much as getting yourselves right in your recovery and prep. Another big game this week. Get ready. Learn. Adapt. Apply the changes and earn it.

 

[Warriors55]

I think Metcalf and Boyd deserve another chance together. Might take a few weeks to click but will benefit us in the back end of the year.

Would love to see AKP come in for DWZ but can't see it happening. Demi should get minutes instead of TSS or Marata.

This is the team I am hoping runs out at some stage this season.

1. TT
2. AKP
3. Pompey
4. Ali/Berry (I am aware Berry is injured for now)
5. RTS
6. Metcalf
7. Boyd
8. JFH
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11. Leka
12. Laban
13. Clark

14. Healey
15. Demi
16. Ford
17. Gannon

18. CHT
19. EIT

 

[Jaffa J]

TSS deserves to be on the bench imo he’s been getting metres and hot take has been performing better than Demi so far

 

[Cces]

1. TT
2. AKP
3. Pompey
4. Ali/Berry (I am aware Berry is injured for now)
5. RTS
6. Metcalf
7. Boyd

Who in this backline is renowned as a good defender?

 

[sup42]

What's the rationale for this?
I've been very critical of Niukore but he's been good the last fortnight

I wasn't asked but.....

One reason would be that Gannon runs good lines, especially his hole running and I thought that Tanah needed some of that last night (If Capewell were fit I would leave Gannon out and run Marata based off his efforts - yes I have changed my mind people, spoiler alert, I do that all the time it is normal for me, I know I know totally inappropriate behviour for a Rug'ba Loige forum).

The other reason for Gannon vs Marata is ball playing - although some are making the argument that we have too many cooks now with Metcalf returning to Hells Kitchen.....we shall see....

My overall reassessment remains, Marata stays, Gannon will have to bide his time.

 

[sup42]

TSS deserves to be on the bench imo he’s been getting metres and hot take has been performing better than Demi so far

Agreed. I shouldn't compare him to Jazz on haircut alone principle, but he is like the good Jazz, the one who doesn't drop the ball etc.

The other reason he reminds me of Jazz is he has unconventional ways of scabbing post contact meters in the tackle and these little odd back turns and spins he does affords him a fast ptb.

People asking "Why?" TSS turns his back in the tackle need to consider that this is pretty normal now for forwards that have an offloading game, and we may see that aspect from TSS one day when he is 'allowed' to do it.

 

[sup42]

Well people,

Here we are facing reality, hard loss, hard game coming up this week, team naming Tuesday no longer the boring certainty had we won last night.

The easy option for Webster is to drop Metcalf and put CHT back in. That is the easy way out. Lets see how Webster handles that (some would say CHT is the smarter way out, and in the short term that definitely is worth some consideration).

This will genuinely be a tough game, our first two games were tough, and our third game was tough in stages.

All eyes on tomorrows Raiders Sharks clash.

Just on our halves, I recall Webster in the prematch being VERY excited by how Tanah and Metcalf performed at training.

Now unlike some of yous (haha love that word) yes yous not some of you, I mean the Shaun Johnson catty yous - I actually believe Webster when he said they were awesome together this week....which gets me really excited too.

So we have a transitioning problem, from Training to the paddock. I'll take that any day over a poor at training problem. The solution is much quicker and easier to the training problem, which in many cases is un repairable.

 

[Dannevegas]

What's the rationale for this?
I've been very critical of Niukore but he's been good the last fortnight

We should be trying to release Niukore early and get Timoko over or a gun back. We’re stacked for fowards

 

[Dannevegas]

Who in this backline is renowned as a good defender?

Ye cos our backline was so solid last night ay. Getting torn up by Adam Douehi.
Douehi’s never ran track like that before.
Our backline is too old and slow, simple as that