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Rumours and Stuff

Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,381
Soren Lorenson said:
Yeah and now the Storm's need him even more. We better have iron clad legal advice re Lomax otherwise we are going to be left holding our dicks.
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Do you think we have enough room to fit him under our 2026 cap? And if not him, a ‘like for like’ replacement or anything close to it? Since sacking him we’ve upgraded Iongi and signed Kelly. Why would we have a huge amount of cap space left for Lomax’s ‘replacement’? The replacement was Kelly with some cap space left over for upgrades to existing players. If we sign another external player for 2026 it won’t be anyone of even Meaney’s quality. It’ll be someone most fans have never heard of.
 
Johnny88

Johnny88

Juniors
Messages
1,713

New Zealand Warriors 2026 NRL season scouting report: Best 17, contract statuses, rookie watch​

Boasting some of the best young talent in the game, the strength of the Warriors’ title charge will come down to a number of key roster decisions from Andrew Webster, including a possible fullback shake-up.

Take me there
Is this the Warriors' best 17?

Is this the Warriors' best 17?

Free agency wrap & rating​

The priority from the moment the 2025 season curtain came down was the re-signing of starting half Luke Metcalf. A new deal takes the strike weapon out to 2028. The Warriors also identified speed out wide as an issue, resulting in the acquisition of former Titans flyer Alofiana Khan-Pereira. While the Warriors do boast plenty of talent coming through their ranks, they have let go plenty of depth players that are capable of NRL including Freddy Lussick (Panthers), Ed Kosi (Rabbitohs), Bunty Afoa (Tigers), Morgan Harper (released) and Tom Ale (Panthers).
Rating: B-

Coach status & safety rating​

Two finals appearances in the past three years for head coach Andrew Webster puts the 43-year-old on safe ground, so too, his contract through until the end of 2028. However, there’s no denying that after missing the finals in 2023, the Warriors faded badly when it mattered most last season, winning just two of their last eight games. Injuries absolutely played their role, but any coach can’t afford consistent seasons of making up the numbers.
Rating: B

ZIP ZIP MAN
The timing of the return from a torn ACL of the man they call ‘Zippy’, Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf, is critical to the Warriors fortunes. It’s hoped that he can be back by May. You would then concede that it may take Metcalf several weeks to rediscover his timing and combination with his fellow spine members, particularly five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita.

TAINE OR CHARNZE
Few Warriors players play with more energy and enthusiasm than fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. He has been a constant in the Warriors backline, but would be aware that the young and fleet-footed Taine Tuaupiki is forever biting at his heels.

Crystal ball​

Stay healthy, play finals. That’s the equation for the Wahs. The recovery from a torn ACL of starting half Luke Metcalf is pivotal to the Warriors chances in 2026. Metcalf’s return around May makes it paramount that the Warriors find early season wins before he returns. The same can also be said about representative prop Mitchell Barnett (returning mid-June), who managed just 11 games before he suffered a torn ACL last season.

2026 odds​

Premiership: $26
Minor premiership: $26
To make grand final: $12
Top four: $5.50
Top eight: $2.40
Most losses: $17

 
Noise

Noise

Coach
Messages
19,175
It’s unrealistic to expect the eels to have money left for a quality lomax replacement at this time of year for the 26 season because we have an outstanding squad that contains 1 origin player that finished 11th . However it is realistic for the Storm to have money left for a lomax type player because they only have a squad with 4 origin players that made the grand final .
We can’t expect too much of MON and co. Juggling the salary cap and managing a quality roster isn’t their priority
 
Eelementary

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
58,888
Noise said:
It’s unrealistic to expect the eels to have money left for a quality lomax replacement at this time of year for the 26 season because we have an outstanding squad that contains 1 origin player that finished 11th . However it is realistic for the Storm to have money left for a lomax type player because they only have a squad with 4 origin players that made the grand final .
We can’t expect too much of MON and co. Juggling the salary cap and managing a quality roster isn’t their priority
Click to expand...

That's not O'Neill's job!
 
Parrapat

Parrapat

Juniors
Messages
1,371
What's this I've heard about a guy who left our club, who left his other club on account of a Thursday night meal of steaks because he wasn't appreciated by that (his former club, the other club) club and coach who didn't understand his talent, and then our club (who have promoted him as the face of the club) under a new leadership he then left our club for prospects in a future series that didn't come to fruition, on account of him being a supreme idiot (having found himself out there like a silent silo on the deal - a clownish buffoon with nowhere to go all his deals fallen through, for a pay day he forever promoted himself as never seeking) , so he then turned to MMA and simultaneously realised he can't cut it then turned to Scum, this guy is leaving us?
 
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J

jason taylor

Bench
Messages
3,777
Parrapat said:
What's this I've heard about a guy who left our club, who left his other club on account of a Thursday night meal of steaks because he wasn't appreciated by that (his former club, the other club) club and coach who didn't understand his talent, and then our club (who have promoted him as the face of the club) under a new leadership he then left our club for prospects in a future series that didn't come to fruition, on account of him being a supreme idiot (having found himself out there like a silent silo on the deal - a clownish buffoon with nowhere to go all his deals fallen through, for a pay day he forever promoted himself as never seeking) , so he then turned to MMA and simultaneously realised he can't cut it then turned to Scum, this guy is leaving us?
Click to expand...
What songs does this make you think of?
 
Parrapat

Parrapat

Juniors
Messages
1,371
Getting rid of Lomax is a blessing.

The guy is a loose cannon if Bellamy can train that emotional trainwreck good luck to both of them
 
Poupou Escobar

Poupou Escobar

Post Whore
Messages
101,381
Noise said:
It’s unrealistic to expect the eels to have money left for a quality lomax replacement at this time of year for the 26 season because we have an outstanding squad that contains 1 origin player that finished 11th . However it is realistic for the Storm to have money left for a lomax type player because they only have a squad with 4 origin players that made the grand final .
We can’t expect too much of MON and co. Juggling the salary cap and managing a quality roster isn’t their priority
Click to expand...
You could say that about most Sydney clubs compared to the likes of Melbourne and Brisbane.

We also have a bunch of borderline Origin players who would play Origin when the team is going well and not when it isn’t. Guys like Gutherson, Paulo, RCG, Matterson and Nrown. There’s very few Hayne/Mitchell/DCE types who get picked in Origin no matter how bad their club side is going.
 
Parrapat

Parrapat

Juniors
Messages
1,371
Poupou Escobar said:
You could say that about most Sydney clubs compared to the likes of Melbourne and Brisbane.

We also have a bunch of borderline Origin players who would play Origin when the team is going well and not when it isn’t. Guys like Gutherson, Paulo, RCG, Matterson and Nrown. There’s very few Hayne/Mitchell/DCE types who get picked in Origin no matter how bad their club side is going.
Click to expand...
I've detected from alot of Popou posts he is actually an eels fan
 
L

Legal Eel

Juniors
Messages
1,667
Poupou Escobar said:
You could say that about most Sydney clubs compared to the likes of Melbourne and Brisbane.

We also have a bunch of borderline Origin players who would play Origin when the team is going well and not when it isn’t. Guys like Gutherson, Paulo, RCG, Matterson and Nrown. There’s very few Hayne/Mitchell/DCE types who get picked in Origin no matter how bad their club side is going.
Click to expand...
We also have these players? Is this just recycled post from one of your previous defensive stints?
 
L

Legal Eel

Juniors
Messages
1,667
Noise said:
It’s unrealistic to expect the eels to have money left for a quality lomax replacement at this time of year for the 26 season because we have an outstanding squad that contains 1 origin player that finished 11th . However it is realistic for the Storm to have money left for a lomax type player because they only have a squad with 4 origin players that made the grand final .
We can’t expect too much of MON and co. Juggling the salary cap and managing a quality roster isn’t their priority
Click to expand...
Pou says we have no money under the cap and no resources in general.

and as any Pouciple will tell you, Pou’s self serving analysis and circular logic are far more reliable than published information, public statements, inside information, media analysis or extrapolation based on known facts.

None of this matters when it contradicts the wisdom of the great Poucifer.
 
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