General YOUR Team for 2026

NZWarriors.com

OK.
He has lost a yard of pace too. Or maybe half a yard of pace He turned 30 in August 2025.

Revised back line

1 TT
2 RTS
3 CNK
4 Pompey
5 AKP
I think losing the yard of pace has also affected him on defense. Unless he can get his pace back he unfortunately isn't gong to be effective anymore.

Now that revised backline is something I could get behind.

I wonder about CNK in the centres. If Berry is fit would you still select CNK Wrighty and what would be your reasoning. Is it because Berry is injury prone or do you think CNK is the better player if both are injury free?
 
I’ve been against RTS to fullback for the sole reason he had the position and left for union so we invested in and backed CNK. RTS (even if better) shouldn’t get the position back as of right.

However given time I think he’s the best option there as has earned it. 2024 he was poor but this year he’s been in peak form and based on that, in my mind, he’s earns the position back.
Yeah prob best option in our squad on ability, but would also be a stop gap for one year. Do we want to put a temporary band aid for just one season?

He came back and struggled at centre. Has made wing his own and now we want to move him again for his final season?

We need speed, and attacking or playmaking ability in our fb. Tuaupiki is probably the closest to that, but jury still out.
 
Yeah prob best option in our squad on ability, but would also be a stop gap for one year. Do we want to put a temporary band aid for just one season?

He came back and struggled at centre. Has made wing his own and now we want to move him again for his final season?

We need speed, and attacking or playmaking ability in our fb. Tuaupiki is probably the closest to that, but jury still out.
I think CNK is a one year short gap option as well, Father Time is catching up fast.
 
I think losing the yard of pace has also affected him on defense. Unless he can get his pace back he unfortunately isn't gong to be effective anymore.

Now that revised backline is something I could get behind.

I wonder about CNK in the centres. If Berry is fit would you still select CNK Wrighty and what would be your reasoning. Is it because Berry is injury prone or do you think CNK is the better player if both are injury free?

CNK vs Berry at centre

1) In his last match Berry dislocated his shoulder just attempting a tackle. 'Nuff said. I think he needs a year off league to get his body right. I also think if this was America he could consider legal action against the Warriors for rushing him back when he clearly needed more time on the sidelines.
Do you trust Berry to make it through any game he starts?
2) CNK has more accoloades at centre. Charnze has played for his country at centre.
3) Charnze more likely to do the one percenters like dive on a loose ball and put his body recklessly on the line.
4) Charnze will be better hitting it up in our own half.
 
Realistically, this year we finished top 6, and would have been even higher had we not lost our best forward and best back.

Webby won't be chucking all of that away and starting from scratch, so imo well largely be running with the same team as we did last year, with a few players getting a chance early in the year to press for a spot once our injured gets back.

This year has to be up there for our worst performed backline ever. CNK and DWZ were extremely poor and Ali and Rocco were both injured for most the time, with several in-game injuries that really cooked us.

Law of averages, SURELY means we're due a little bit of luck. We don't even need those 4 to play 10/10 all year, but if they were decent with out being spectacular, and had solid 7/10 performances I think we improve dramatically. So with that being said I don't think Webby will change the team too much

I think if our backs improve even 10% over last year, plus the experience and development of our younger guys, and the addition of a Gannon and AKP means the needle moves even a little more in the positive direction, we'll be looking good at the end of the year.
 
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