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    On form, this is game of the round, not the Rabbits vs Roosters game that everyone is salivating over. The comp's best 2 packs going at it for 80 minutes. The contrast with yesterday's game is going to be real stark. A real game for the NRL purists. Can't wait.

    This game is super important in the context of our season. Not only will we be sending a statement if we knock over two premiership contenders in the first 2 weeks, but we have a real chance to go 4-0. Next two games are against Newcastle and Wests who we match up well against. That's going to be invaluable as Mets and Barney near their returns.

    Up the Wahs! I'm flying back to the US straight after the game. So hopefully my role as a good omen continues for one more week!
     
    Riz said:
    Honestly it's a bit unnerving, I don't know how to feel about this...
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    My mate, who I have season tickets with (Storm supporter), made an off comment when the boys ran on last friday.

    "That's a premiership winning jersey, right there".

    Didn't talk about it afterwards.

    This club has really improved its recruitment strategies. I'd put some of it down to a bit of luck with fish coming over, most of it with the appeal that coach Webby brings and the way that the club is now being run from the top.

    It feels like this club is ALOT more of an attractive prospect these days and it's kind of freaking me out.
     
    I’m actually ok with this, for a few reasons.

    1: he was gone anyway. he’s returning for family reasons and despite the frustration of losing our captain, I respect & accept his decision to leave.
    - he’s a 32 year old middle coming of an ACL injury. There’s no guarantee he’s the same player in a year’s time, let alone 2-3.
    - we actually have great forward & middle depth, with Tanner stepping up, with support from Demi, ford, Rodney tuipolotu-vea, our next gen middles.
    - We have no centres, with Ali only holding down the spot due to a lack in options. Rocco is injured again, and we’re 1 injury away from moving our fullback to centre, or worse, our best back rower. We cannot keep doing this & except success coming up against the games elite centres.
    - verhoeven is one of the best outside back prospects in the game. He’s still a few years away, but bringing him back to NZ is a great move, as he’ll play NRL in the near future.
    - Arthur’s is out of favour at the broncos, but we’ve seen what he can do both for the warriors & the nz Māori - he’s a great player. Outstanding defence & has attacking upside, he’d be our best centre when he arrives.

    So despite it being a shit station, I think looking broadly, we’ve won overall. We’ve acquired two players in a position we’re desperate in & we can balance our cap. The reality is he was going to leave regardless, at least we got something out of it, and that something is a future star in verhoeven, and a bloody handy player in Arthur’s.
     
    Kiwis eligible Depth Chart

    Fullback
    Kalyn Ponga/Keano Kini/Kaeo Weeks/Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad

    Wingers
    Ronaldo Mulitalo/Jamayne Isaako/Will Warbrick/Josiah Karapni

    Centres
    Casey McLean/Matt Timoko/Jack Howarth/Sebastian Kris

    Halves
    Jahrome Hughes/Dylan Brown/Kodi Nikorima/Ethan Strange/Te Maire Martin/Trent Toelau

    Props
    James Fisher-Harris/Moses Leota/Naufahu Whyte/Xavier Willison/Leo Thompson/Griffin Neame

    Hookers
    Brandon Smith/Jeremy Marshall-King/Phoenix Crossland/Zach Dockar-Clay

    Second Row
    Briton Nikora/Isaiah Papali'i/Scott Sorensen/Jordan Riki

    Lock
    Joe Tapine/Erin Clark
     
    Mudders said:
    Add Jack Thompson, Lemana, Inch and Olsen to that list to, so tough decisions for the club in the coming years
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    All 4 of those players have talent for sure.
    What is especially good about them all is they don't wait for things to come to them in the game. They all are players who go looking for the clutch moments. Which is something a lot of our top guys don't do.

    Harry Inch - looks a goer but I need to see more of him - especially around directing the team across the park which will be vital. If Tia remains in our system I believe he has way more strings to his bow.
    Jeremiah Lemana - His positioning already is outstanding, even being so young. This is a high awareness player who makes him a dream link player on the field. Can set up and finish. Super brave in the contact too.
    Jack Thompson - This guys reminds he a lot of DCE in that he runs a team first and foremost, setting up plays really well. He also has individual brilliance. and has learnt our systems well.
    Kaian Olsen - This kid is rapid!! makes me think of Jason Robinson and Rhys Walsh mixed together. Extremely dangerous, match winner type. Great he is in the Warriors system so young as by the time he gets to first grade he will be well developed compared a AKP who has good potential but needs work.
     
    Dead Man Switch said:
    Have to point out when it comes to recruitment, the Warriors have some potential generational talent coming through that they would need to clear decks for. The team standard will keep improving. This is what the Panthers, Storm and Rooster have always done. Then you get to cherry pick your key signings outside the club. Awesome position to be in.

    I expect all these players to make an impact when introduced in their developed time.

    Bishop Neal
    Makaia Tafua
    Cassius Tia
    Jett Cleary (Could bust on hype/pressure but when he runs hot he looks just like his big brother)
    Brandon Norris
    Jye Linnane
    Mark Sikuvea
    Jason Salalio (Was going better and more impactful than Tanner Stowers-Smith last year who is killing it this year!)
    Nganatatafu Vake

    STACKED!!! Who do you keep?
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    Welcome to the forum and keep these great posts coming. Great insight and a welcome change.
     
    Long time lurker who follows league very closely in New Zealand. I see a couple of names which have surprised me so much this week that I had to sign up and post here.

    Warriors have pulled of a couple of incredible talents here with NRL level ramifications in time.

    First of all - Cassius Tia is a potentially a MASSIVE get. The guy would of NRL debuted at the bulldogs if it wasn't for some RUMOURED off field discretions and then the dogs securing Lachlan Galvin. Cassius is a better natural talent than pretty much most of players on the Warriors books. His only issue is he is falling behind on where his development should be right now. Ali Leiataua and CHT should be sweating seeing this guy line up in NSW cup - because if given a look in Tia is a game breaker at any position such as Centre, Half and Lock.

    Talent wise Tia has the ability to 100% be that Lachlan Galvin guy at the Warriors. He is a legit play maker - something we DO NOT HAVE right now in first grade.

    Which leads me to CHT. He is solid but he will need to produce more again. Warriors will want Linnane and Tia to give them some headaches come the back end of the year for their 2027/28 roster. Both can play and both on-form would transform the Warriors back line threat playing at #6. Tia, helps himself by being able to play multiple positions but Linnane at #1 and Tia at #6 is pretty dam sexy for the future.

    Secondly, BRAVO warriors!!! it looks like they secured one of the best talents around in the local game right now in Josh Tanielu. He has come from nowhere and leapfrogged Sio Kali. The warriors are not mucking around anymore. They are getting ruthless with stacking talent and giving them chances. Wow this guy can play!! A genuine strike centre! A natural runner with fantastic footwork for a bigger guy, he takes me back to the old school days of a Nigel Vagana mixed in with the Deine Mariner type traits.

    Sio Kali is gifted but he is falling down the ladder and the Warriors are not waiting. This is what a development club does. Gives chances to unearth performers and superstars... you better take them or the next guy will.

    Another potential headache for Ali Leiataua but I'm glad they are sticking with him because because now he has to find another level. This is a far more ruthless Warriors machine this year with their roster. Some killer calls.

    Finally, don't fade or over look Caelys-Paul Putoko. Every single NRL side would sign the kid and if he was at the Broncos, Storm, Raiders, Roosters etc we would be envying them. he has talent in buckets, On his day he is a NSW cup star on his off days he is missing in action and looking ordinary. Very normal for a young kid to go through. He needs time to develop. He will play NRL.

    Warrirors will give AFP and Mellars the best part of this year to develop and they will need to take it with both hands as only one of these guys will partner Warbrick next year. Will Warbrick is a weapon. An instant upgrade on the threat scale. His inclusion makes us a more dangerous team.

    WOW - Warriors are stacking talent and balancing their books nicely!!!
     
    sydneywarrior92 said:
    Clearly DWZ didn't feel backstabbed by the AKP signing over the off-season. By all accounts, he welcomed the signing as a chance to improve himself in face of the new competition and pushed himself a lot over the off-season. Why should this signing be any different? Webby has built trust over a number of years now with all the players on the roster. I doubt this will impact team cohesion in the slightest. If anything, it probably will have the opposite effect of pushing DWZ to be even better to maintain favor if he intends to take up his option next year. Look at the way Pomps for example fought for his jersey when RTS first announced his comeback in 2023.
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    I was getting ready to quote you and tautoko with
    pomps story but you are ahead of me, and what did humble as pie Adam Pompey say when asked by the stupid reporters about his future? "I am going to train my arse off" and he turned in the strongest preseason trainings ever for him according to club sources....and look at Pompey now, he is still fighting for that Jersey by adding dynamic attack skills to his game, he is truely an unsung Warrior for the ages....I wish people would wake up and see that Adam Pompey is one of our best players for that reason.
     
    roguei said:
    I'd assume (all fun speculation based off of a reporters hunch on why nothing is comfirmed yet) in this case the difference is how it was communicated with them. Where as for other signings, those have been communicated with the playing group before hand. Where those players feel like they have the full picture.
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    We didn't leak this. Riccio even says that 'both parties' are dirty on the leak.

    Reality is someone in the Storm camp is very happy about the leak, because they did it.

    What is there to gain by discussing a signing before it is confirmed? "Hey guys were going to market to sign a marquee winger, it's going to be Will Warbrick, oops sorry that deal fell over, talk again soon"

    We are a tight ship, the process would be to confirm the signing and then communicate what that means.

    We have just seen concrete examples of how the Storm operate in evidence submitted to the courts, so it seems pretty straight forward what has happened here.
     
    Noitall said:
    I’ve mentioned it for years that I don’t believe the opposition format of politics serves anyone well and in my view nothing but a fallacy for us voters to believe either is going to something different. We get a token gesture of a vote and think change is possible while the system only responds to money and power and strongly gone back to that way. We’ve never truly had democracy because we as public get one vote to trust a person and party to do right by us when we’ve all got our own individual needs
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    Along with a decline in personal standards, responsibility and accountability.

    Very noticeable in the current crop of politicians

    Unbelievable at times the disregard and disdain they show for the people who put them there
     
    this forum is hilarious sometimes... touting AKP as an elite winger despite playing reserves for the titans, claiming gannon will usurp our dally m lock of the year, anointed mellars the next manu vatuvei but then nearly collectively shitting on warbrick who is comfortably a top 10 winger in the league.

    warbrick is a top signing imo, we have the oldest wing pairing in the league and he comes from a top system
     
    Garry Saloon said:
    You joke, but the guy is no shit just cool and smart. I want him round.
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    I do too. Scores tries. On both sides of the field. Is experienced on the field and away from the grind of Rugby league as a job. So he's mentally balanced and more mature when footy was mostly what he was about. He also came back after the highs of season 23 and experienced a struggle of a return. Now he's on a roll and scoring tries, setting up tries, tackling with venom and doing ace hand shakes. And the handshake is not trivial but shows a connection between the participants. He genuinely celebrated Tanah succeeding.

    He's good for our team and I disagree that we need to drop him or not resign him.
     
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