General Warriors Preseason 2026

[Noitall]

It’s going to be a really interesting season. In many ways, I think 2026 will be a bit of a transition year, and it’s 2027 where we’ll see the real next phase of the Warriors unveiled. The clean-out at the end of the 2025 season was much needed and strategically well thought out. Players like Ale, Bunty, Lussick and others were too good for NSW Cup but just not good enough for the NRL. Some were the very definition of journeymen, taking up vital spots in Cup that will now be better used developing players who’ll genuinely compete for first grade places in 2027. Others (like Crosby) just weren’t progressing fast enough and had been overtaken by the time the Grand Final rolled around.

Much the same could be said for most of the players coming off contract this year. I can’t see the two Andrews hanging onto many of them. Maybe Rocco and Capewell. Roger, if he’s still invested in the game and the club. But the rest have had a solid run in first grade and either haven’t moved the needle enough (Tannah, Harris-Tevita) or haven’t lived up to expectations (Marata, Te Maire). That includes Taine, who’ll be 27 mid-year and clearly isn’t the long-term solution at fullback.

Webby said in interviews that he considers the Broncos, Storm and Panthers a class above last season. And he’s right. He says the Warriors need to improve significantly to keep up. Part of that will be improving attacking shape and locking down defensively on the goal line (something Sam Ackerman noted the team was drilling heavily in pre-season). But another part will be his team selections. He’s played favourites for too long. Hopefully the penny’s dropped that he can’t promise positions regardless of form.

He has some defenders on here, but honestly, DWZ was dreadful last season. He should’ve been dropped long before finals. In Webby’s defence, they lacked wing depth. But not anymore. I’d be starting AKP and using DWZ as the new Kalani Going-type pro in Cup. Others like Marata and Chanel kept getting picked when they were offering very little. If Webby wants to evolve as a coach, he needs more of that ruthlessness we see from Bellamy, Stuart and Bennett.

The next gen of Warriors talent is exciting. I’m really intrigued to see how the brightest of them go against bigger bodies and with more expectation. Bishop especially. That First XV footage made him look like the next Jonah Lomu, swatting defenders away like flies. He’s big, fast, skillful. The whole package. But he’s probably never been properly belted in a tackle, and big bodies like Kikau or Olakau'atu will test him once he hits first grade. We’ll see how he handles an increased level of physicality in 2026.

It was interesting to see Jack Thompson doing the Bethells sand dunes, one of the few younger players to get that honour this year. Makes me wonder where he now sits in the pecking order. He just seems like a natural footy player, one of those kids who just has it. Will he get a run in Cup this year? If so, what does that mean for Cleary? Linnane? Tannah, once Metcalf returns? It’s a logjam in the halves, and it’ll be fascinating to see how they stagger things so the best of the next gen feel like they’re developing and progressing.

Same goes for Fatialofa. How does Webby work him into the match day squad? The back row is stacked: Leka, Laban, Erin, Gannon, Eddie, Capes, plus Kayliss. And remember, Kayliss can negotiate with other clubs from November 2026. If he feels like he’s stagnating, he could walk. That’d be a real loss, even with Bishop on the horizon. So Webby needs to get him in the mix.

I can’t wait for it all to kick off. With so many new players emerging - Bishop, Lemana, Linnane, Norris, Sikuvea, Bowden - it really feels like the next 1–5 years will get better year over year. We have the coach. We have the recruitment guru. We have the CEO. We have the leadership group. Now it’s about how much improvement they can squeeze out of this off-season.

And with the Roosters at home first up, it’s the perfect litmus test for how far they’ve come.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD


Great read mate. Thoroughly enjoyed that

 

[Noitall]

#robbiemearsreturns who do you think the five eighth is we should roll with? Do you reckon CHT is worth holding onto for utility value? I didn’t think he was too bad and was apart of a top 4 halves pair until Metcalf went down offering plenty of try assists. Though apparently Linnane hasn’t played nsw cup, interesting he goes straight into the top 30 so must be rated highly? Cleary apparently goes to top 30 in 2027 if reports are correct? You’re one of a few that really rates Thompson, it will be interesting to see where they see him in the scheme of things? Anywhere you reckon we’re lacking in the squad?

 

[Inruin]

Part of that will be improving attacking shape and locking down defensively on the goal line (something Sam Ackerman noted the team was drilling heavily in pre-season). But another part will be his team selections. He’s played favourites for too long. Hopefully the penny’s dropped that he can’t promise positions regardless of form.

This is my biggest issue with Cuddle's. Very conservative and narrow focused. Seems to get stuck with his initial idea of players and doesn't change until forced to, usually through injuries and lack of other options. Think 2024 and magic round. You are 100% right about needing to get selections right next season. I don't have a lot of faith that the penny has dropped. Time will tell I guess

 

[Noitall]

This is my biggest issue with Cuddle's. Very conservative and narrow focused. Seems to get stuck with his initial idea of players and doesn't change until forced to, usually through injuries and lack of other options. Think 2024 and magic round. You are 100% right about needing to get selections right next season. I don't have a lot of faith that the penny has dropped. Time will tell I guess

He went for one out of left field against panthers in Halasima lining up at centre whether you want to call it a mistake? In an all or nothing game too, so a big gamble and most would have thought Capewell shifts with him often taking the centre role when injury strikes, or Tuaupiki out the back and CNK to centre. Feel like this was the club saying to Halasima, this is how much we rate you

 

[Wrighty]

This is my biggest issue with Cuddle's. Very conservative and narrow focused. Seems to get stuck with his initial idea of players and doesn't change until forced to, usually through injuries and lack of other options. Think 2024 and magic round. You are 100% right about needing to get selections right next season. I don't have a lot of faith that the penny has dropped. Time will tell I guess

Some of it, but not all of it, is that NRL coaching staff chooses their line up for the year in pre-season and practices thousands of reps with those combinations. If it is the wrong call you discover after round 7, too bad, just have to double down on that combination and show it faith as switching to a new combination will take 3-5 games to build up chemistry and that sort of risk is viewed as being hard to accept.
But what I am describing is only part of it as other coaches such as Ricky Stuart will make changes next season.
It is raining outside so I am just making a reply never mind me if it doesn't make sense.

 

[John Nick]

Some of it, but not all of it, is that NRL coaching staff chooses their line up for the year in pre-season and practices thousands of reps with those combinations. If it is the wrong call you discover after round 7, too bad, just have to double down on that combination and show it faith as switching to a new combination will take 3-5 games to build up chemistry and that sort of risk is viewed as being hard to accept.
But what I am describing is only part of it as other coaches such as Ricky Stuart will make changes next season.
It is raining outside so I am just making a reply never mind me if it doesn't make sense.

Imo the problem with Webster ( l loathe the Andrew Webster analogy) is he is relatively new to NRL coaching and he would be better suited with a strong mentor to bounce ideas off. Cleary was a new NRL coach but he had the experience of John Hart to help him.
He would be a better coach with a Hart, Cleary, Gus or Bennett but I have faith that in time he will be the goods

 

[Wrighty]

Imo the problem with Webster ( l loathe the Andrew Webster analogy) is he is relatively new to NRL coaching and he would be better suited with a strong mentor to bounce ideas off. Cleary was a new NRL coach but he had the experience of John Hart to help him.
He would be a better coach with a Hart, Cleary, Gus or Bennett but I have faith that in time he will be the goods

I did a very unscientific pull on Bellamy Stuart Cleary the very best coaches and they seemed to really hit their stride after they had 5 years head coaching experience under their belts. Webster has three years behind him.

 

[John Nick]

I did a very unscientific pull on Bellamy Stuart Cleary the very best coaches and they seemed to really hit their stride after they had 5 years head coaching experience under their belts. Webster has three years behind him.

In my experience I have found that the man management skills are the hardest part to master. Assistance in this area is all important

 

[Wrighty]

In my experience I have found that the man management skills are the hardest part to master. Assistance in this area is all important

Interesting. Very interested in anything you have to share John. What does man management look like in a professional sports team or in prems? What is good practice?

 

[John Nick]

Interesting. Very interested in anything you have to share John. What does man management look like in a professional sports team or in prems? What is good practice?

Cheers Wrighty. It's all changed since my days and certainly much more complicated. Social media, drugs,sports betting family issues, we can only imagine the problems that may confront the current group of coaches.

 

[Inruin]

He went for one out of left field against panthers in Halasima lining up at centre whether you want to call it a mistake? In an all or nothing game too, so a big gamble and most would have thought Capewell shifts with him often taking the centre role when injury strikes, or Tuaupiki out the back and CNK to centre. Feel like this was the club saying to Halasima, this is how much we rate you

Again, forced through injury and lack of options. Sure you could argue there was Capewell but essentially he was playing a back rower at center due to this

 

[Inruin]

Some of it, but not all of it, is that NRL coaching staff chooses their line up for the year in pre-season and practices thousands of reps with those combinations. If it is the wrong call you discover after round 7, too bad, just have to double down on that combination and show it faith as switching to a new combination will take 3-5 games to build up chemistry and that sort of risk is viewed as being hard to accept.
But what I am describing is only part of it as other coaches such as Ricky Stuart will make changes next season.
It is raining outside so I am just making a reply never mind me if it doesn't make sense.

Great coaches adapt and do what's best for the team. Plenty of examples where Cuddle's should have made the hard call and didn't. He is a good coach, good people manager, seems to have a good culture set, but needs to get that hard edge to make some tough calls. I do wonder if his assistants are capable of challenging him.

 

[Noitall]

Again, forced through injury and lack of options. Sure you could argue there was Capewell but essentially he was playing a back rower at center due to this

Pretty ballsy to throw the young guy there when you’ve got the experienced guy at your disposal in the most important game of the season all the same I reckon