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    CWC said:
    TBH from I've seen he doesn't look like a Walsh type, his partner came with him, had a baby, now getting married in Queenstown, no affairs or drug scandals, our media is gushing over him too (woman's mag apparently?), so it's not like he's not a celebrity here.
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    Have you heard LM talk? That aussie twang has dulled a bit and he's getting a bit of the 'fush and chups' coming through.

    He's individually brilliant and also will work more subtly according to what the team needs.

    I was on the fence about how much we should be paying him, I've kind of turned a corner where I think it'll doing him a disservice if we don't hit as close to that $1m+ mark as possible.

    CWC said:
    Another key factor is Webby, if he leaves the floodgate might open. He's the priority over everything else TBH, work environment culture, and he seems to be keeping certain types of people in the environment
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    Webby is the apex of the pyramid. Dude is a people managing freakazoid. We've struck gold with Webby, we are screwed if he ever leaves.
     
    IMO the worst case scenario is he stays until Jett/Jye etc are ready to rip it in FG, which is in the next 2-3 years anyway. At least a heads up.

    TBH from what I've seen he doesn't look like a Walsh type, his partner came with him, had a baby, now getting married in Queenstown, no affairs or drug scandals, our media is gushing over him too (woman's mag apparently?), so it's not like he's not a celebrity here. I think it'd be a d*** move to run away now but I just don't see him as a d*** at the moment.

    As for extended families etc, me and wife don't have family in NZ for a decade and it's not an issue, in fact there are bad drama with extended families, and we're Asian, stereotype would say we SHOULD have the entire extended family living upstairs lol. Families are not always the best thing, his wife might not want to hang out with the in-laws, who knows. As long as they get time in AUS and parents can holiday here, and they have good friends and colleagues in NZ who are also parents and a good community that's enough for some people.

    Another key factor is Webby, if he leaves the floodgate might open. He's the priority over everything else TBH, work environment culture, and he seems to be keeping certain types of people in the environment
     
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    I think people are forgetting that Metcalfs career was in dire straights before the Warriors invested heavily in retraining his legs.

    That is the real reason the Sharks let him go, they (and the Warriors for that matter) knew there were significant risks because he had a well documented history of chronic hamstring tears.

    Where Metcalf is now would likely not have happened at any other NRL organization, he was an unproven promising reserve grade half that had been miss managed in terms of someone at the Sharks missing his running gait was causing tears.

    The Warriors medicos diagnosed that issue, sent him to the U.S.

    He now has his own leg workouts that are twice the training he did before being given a hamstring program.

    What do you guys recon that is worth to Metcalf?

    I am not talking about being grateful.

    For any of us, having a chronic potential career killing chronic illness through our youth, then eventually finding people that get behind you when you break down, people who send you to America to see the best.....what is that worth?

    Metcalfs no fool, he has a lot more to keep him here than just liking the lifestyle.
     
    Think we need to accept the inevitable. If we want to keep Lukey Met we will need to pay up.

    I for one support it.

    WARRIORS’ BID TO KEEP POTENTIAL NEXT $1M HALFBACK

    The Warriors intend to open talks with in-form halfback Luke Metcalf with a view to ensuring the gun no.7 remains at the Wahs.

    Metcalf’s form has been off the Richter this season to the point where there’s no question the Wahs will have to get close to the $1 million per season mark to retain him.

    As most arguments begin around rugby league playmakers these days – “if Dylan Brown’s worth $1.4 million per season then what’s this bloke worth?”.

    Metcalf enjoys a tight-knit bond with Warriors chief executive Cameron George to the point where the Wahs players have nicknamed him “Luke George”.

    That doesn’t necessarily mean a deal will get struck straight away but given the way the Wahs have invested in Metcalf and provided a pathway to making the no.7 jumper his own it’s a strong chance.

    Metcalf, 26, has still only played 39 NRL games and had to overcome some heavy injury setbacks with a badly broken leg leading to a rod in his leg.

    There were also hamstring problems when he arrived at the Wahs meaning the club sent him over to the US to spend time with re-conditioning guru Bill Knowles.

    This year Metcalf has taken off to the point where he’s gone past Melbourne Storm champion halfback Jahrome Hughes as the best running halfback in the NRL.

    According to Fox Sports Stats Metcalf is the NRL’s leading halfback in terms of tries (eight), line breaks (eight), run metres (733m) and points (113).

    What it all adds up to is a cracking story on one of the most improved playmakers in the NRL who given the form he’s displayed this season should go very close to becoming rugby league’s next $1 million-a-season halfback.

    The next challenge for Metcalf will be to deliver in the big end-of-season games come September. Given what we’ve already seen from him this season we’re tipping he can tick the box.

    www.foxsports.com.au

    Dogs’ timebomb as fuming hooker priced-out of club switch; talks on next $1m halfback — Hoops

    Dogs’ timebomb as fuming hooker priced-out of club switch; talks on next $1m halfback — Hoops
    www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
     
    The One New Zealand Warriors have locked in three highly promising South Island players – Makaia Tafua, Jason Salalilo and Bishop Neal – until the end of the 2028 season.

    All Christchurch-born and raised, the trio have underlined their potential coming through the club’s pathways system.

    Hooker Tafua (21) has already made 22 appearances for the Warriors’ reserve grade side in the New South Wales Cup, prop Salalilo (20) has played eight NSW Cup games this year and second rower Neal (17) was an influential figure as the club secured its second consecutive Harold Matthews Cup (under-17) premiership this season.

    “Makaia, Jason and Bishop are all terrific examples of the talent coming out of our academy in Christchurch,” said One New Zealand Warriors general manager recruitment, pathways and development.

    “Their development has been outstanding since coming into our system.

    “Makaia and Jason have grabbed every opportunity through the grades to earn exposure with our New South Wales Cup side while Bishop has huge potential a back rower.

    “He would have played in the Harold Matthews Cup as a 15-year-old last year only to be ruled out through injury but he certainly showed what he can do this year despite still being only 16 at that time.”

    Tafua, a Linwood Keas junior and Shirley Boys’ High School product, started his journey with the Warriors in the club’s first year back home after the Covid era when he played four times for the SG Ball Cup (under-19) side.

    By last year he was a New South Wales Cup regular making 17 appearances and scoring four tries as his development was fast-tracked alongside senior players. He also scored three tries in three Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21) games while he has split his time between the NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg teams this year.

    Salalilo and Neal both come out of New Zealand rugby league’s new powerhouse St Thomas of Canterbury College.

    Salalilo has followed the same path as Tafua coming through the SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and now NSW Cup sides. He has been impressive in eight interchange appearances for the table topping Warriors in the NSW Cup this year.

    Neal is a standout both physically and talent-wise, an imposing figure standing 194cm and weighing 113kg. He routinely ploughed through defences using his combination of size, power and pace in the Harold Matthews Cup this year finishing as the team’s top try scorer with eight in 10 games.

    He was almost unstoppable with two tries in the grand final after which he was named the player of the match.

    Profile | Makaia Tafua​

    Born: June 14, 2004
    Birthplace: Christchurch, NZ
    Junior club: Linwood Keas
    Position: Hooker
    Height: 180cm
    Weight: 88kg
    New South Wales Cup:
    Appearances: 22 (2024-2025)
    Points: 16 (4 tries)
    Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21):
    Appearances: 9 (2024-2025)
    Points: 32 (8 tries)
    SG Ball Cup (under-19):
    Appearances: 4 (2023)
    Points: 0

    Profile | Jason Salalilo​

    Born: April 28, 2005
    Birthplace: Christchurch, NZ
    Junior club: St Thomas of Canterbury College
    Position: Prop
    Height: 183cm
    Weight: 102kg
    New South Wales Cup:
    Appearances: 8 (2025)
    Points: 4 (1 try)
    Jersey Flegg Cup (under-21):
    Appearances: 6 (2024-2025)
    Points: 20 (5 tries)
    SG Ball Cup (under-19):
    Appearances: 7 (2024)
    Points: 0

    Profile | Bishop Neal​

    Born: May 10, 2008
    Birthplace: Christchurch, NZ
    Junior club: Hornby Panthers
    Position: Second row
    Height: 194cm
    Weight: 113kg
    Harold Matthews Cup (under-17):
    Appearances: 10 (2025)
    Points: 32 (8 tries)
     
    Something new that one notices from rewatching the game is that we've started to shift the ball early to make meters early in the set. Saw a bit of it against the bunnies too. In addition to the growth of our second phase play in recent weeks, nice to see that webby is slowly adding layers of sophistication to our attack as the season is progressing. Scoring 80 pts in the last 2 weeks is a great testament to that fact.
     
    Wrighty said:
    Neither of them has enough reps at lock. We need a mid who can play lock or prop.
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    Ok Wrighty - who replaced Tohu when he was out?
    I m a firm believer in promoting from within
    Hitting the phones and getting some one in will be a player another club wants to release maybe for whatever sort of reason
    Our Fg side is running in the top 3
    Our nsw cup side is running first
    Surely we can promote from within
     
    Kav1 said:
    He must be taught (coached) to stay on his man unless the defensive line is broken.
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    If Dallin doesn't come in on the first try they still score but the Centre runs around under the sticks and his team mate think he's a cat for not trying to stop it.
    The whole stay on your man theory is flawed. If teams abided by it then no one in the front line tackles the opposition Fullback & we have a 1v1 in the backfield after a Linebreak
     
    Stalefish540 said:
    They got kissed on the Shawn Johnson in both games last year, it was absolute malarkey.

    I can't stand them or their fans and want nothing more than the boys to bash them on their home track in Round 23.
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    You'd think after years of being cellar-dwellers they'd be more humble. Them and the Sharks have always been the most feral fans imo.

    The bit I love the best there was the moaning about how the NRL was gifting us a soft draw to engineer some sort of free path to the finals. Their draw to date: Dragons, Titans, Eels, Sharks, Knights, Bye, Rabbits, thrashed by the Broncos, Titans, Raiders, Roosters, thrashed by the Dolphins, Bye, Eels tomorrow. They've travelled out of Sydney three times. They have two games out of Sydney to come.

    Bunch.of.flogs.
     
    Last edited:
    The Undertaker

    The Undertaker

    At the halfway point of the 2025 season, something special is happening.

    We’re not just watching a good season unfold — we’re witnessing the rise of something far greater. A shift. A movement. A dynasty in the making.l

    The genesis of this journey began in 2023, when Webby and McFadden returned and the club started rebuilding its identity in a post-COVID world. We had to lose it all to find it again — exiled in Queensland, stripped to our core, but never broken.

    And in that loss of everything we knew, we discovered something much more powerful: who we truly are.

    2023 laid the foundation — but it came a little early. 2024 was a year of transition. With hindsight, we may have held on to a few players a season too long, but that year gave our young boys the time they needed. To grow. To learn. To understand what it takes to wear the Warriors jersey in the NRL.

    Now, in 2025, we’ve hit the jackpot.

    A couple of game-changing signings in James Fisher-Harris and Erin Clark. A resurgent CHT, thriving alongside his new halves partner and best mate, Luke Metcalf. Emerging talents like Jacob Laban and Tanner Stowers-Smith, bringing fresh energy and hunger. RTS evolving into RTS version 3. And a squad perfectly balanced between youth and experience — the kind of mix that builds dynasties, just like we’ve seen in Penrith.

    But this team is more than talent. They’re taking each step through this season with purpose.

    After years of grinding, rebuilding, and refusing to quit, the 2025 Warriors have forged a brotherhood — built on connection, courage, and unshakable belief. This isn’t just a playing group. It’s a movement.

    2023 created the Up the Wahs phenomenon. 2024 was a speed bump. But 2025 is solidifying the culture - one where defence is a statement. Where effort beats ego. Where no one gives up — no matter the scoreboard, no matter the odds.

    Now, in 2025, the Wahs identity is stronger than ever built on being ourselves; being unashamedly New Zealand with Maori and Pacifika family values embedded in our souls.

    Metcalf has become the spark that ignites the side. Leka Halasima plays with raw power and relentless hunger. Demetric, Jacob Laban, and Stowers-Smith are rising every week. And Leiuatua continues to develop into a future cornerstone of this team (albeit with a bit of rockier last few weeks)

    But 2025 isn’t just about names. It’s about standards. When one man goes down, the next man steps up. When the game gets tough, the Warriors get tougher. When others fade, the Warriors dig deeper. This is what makes 2025 different. This isn’t hype — it’s heart.

    The Warriors are no longer building. They are here, and they are ready to dominate the next decade with grit, connection, defence, and a refusal to ever back down.

    The dynasty has begun. The dream is alive. The Wahs are coming for the Premiership.
     
    This team has swagger. They're good and they know it and every week they're getting more and more comfortable with the pressure.

    We are witnessing a total culture rebuild within the club, probably the biggest in the clubs history and I'm starting to believe that this could be a long term thing.

    I didnt think about it much at the time, but I remember a comment from 2023 Webby stating that he didn't believe in rebuild years.

    This team is 'no excuses' and all accountability. You play the best you can, because the jersey demands it. Nothing less.
     
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