WEBSTERâS WARRIORS BAPTISM OF FIRE
Former Panthers assistant Andrew Webster is confident he wonât fall victim to the âbiggest mistakeâ new coaches make as he takes over at the Warriors ahead of the 2023 season.
Webster worked alongside Cameron Ciraldo and Ivan Cleary during an incredibly successful period for the Panthers, winning back-to-back premierships in 2021 and 2022.
Across NRL history, coaches have attempted to implement strategies from their old club into their new team to varying success.
Webster believes to return the New Zealand outfit to the finals race he must begin developing juniors and find the best method to unlock the clubâs talented group.
âThe biggest mistake coaches make is they copy and paste things from where theyâve been.
âBut that might not suit this group of players,â Webster said to
The Daily Telegraph.
âWe have things that are non-negotiables. We are going to have a team that works hard and will be a skilful attacking side.
âThe best way for the Warriors to have success is via the pathways, which is hard to do when the players havenât been in New Zealand.
âThe staff have done a terrific job while the NRL has been away.â
Meanwhile, Shaun Johnsonâs form was consistently under the microscope across the 2022 season.
While once the Warriors returned to their Auckland base the halfbackâs performances clearly improved, Webster wants to get the best out of the dazzling ballrunner.
âI told Shaun that if he had the fire and ambition to play at the highest level and to his potential, then I wanted him here,â Webster said.
âI couldnât have made that clearer â and he couldnât have answered stronger.
âI know when heâs happy off the field and connected to his family, thatâs when Shaun plays his best football. I know that from first-hand experience.
âWhen he returned home last year he played his best football. Iâm excited about the legacy Shaun can have.â
Webster has in the past filled in as head aoch at the Tigers after Jason Taylor was sacked in 2017, also working as an assistant under Andrew McFadden across the Tasman.
However, the 40-year-old is under no illusions how big a task he has ahead of him.
âEveryone asks if youâre ready to be a head coach. If I stayed at Penrith for five more years then I wouldâve been five years more ready,â Webster said.
âHaving an opportunity to work at a club I knew and felt comfortable at is a big advantage. If someone else got offered the job and had never been living in Auckland then it would have been a different challenge.â