Season 2025 Changes I'd like to see.

[Wheeled Warrior]

With the finals now looking out of reach this season, I'd like to create a thread to ease the disappointment we've felt throughout 2024. Here are some changes I'd like to see for the Warriors in the 2025 season.

1. Metcalf to halfback. (SJ to retire.)
2. RTS moves to fullback.
3. CNK moves to 5/8. (Running half with good linkage play.)
4. Mitch Barnett remains captain, Tohu still in leadership team but he will be playing his last season.
5. Roache starting hooker. (Egan to retire.)
6. CHT is our utility interchange #14


7. Lineup 2025:

01: RTS.
02: DWZ.
03: Leiataua.
04: MGT.
05: Tuaupiki. (gk2)
06: CNK.
07: Metcalf. (gk1)
08: JFH.
09: Roache.
10: Barnett. (c)
11: Niukore.
12: Capewell.
13: Harris (vc)

14: CHT. (gk3)
15: Ford.
16. Halasima.
17. Laban.

8. Better attaching variation, especially fifth tackle plays.

9. More communication to improve team cohesion on attack and defence.

10. Defensive line speed to improve.

11. Webster to trust our youngsters more and select form over experience players.

I can see a few people disagreeing with SJ and CNK/RTS changes, however I cannot fake how I feel what should be.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Sorry MGT and Leiataua are not there yet, and 2 rookie centre showed tonight how defense falls apart so easily.
Berry been very solid till injured and Pompey was holding his own.

The rest can seem logical but don't see Webster buying into RTS at fullback, requires admitting being wrong. Not sure on many top coaches egos handling that.
I keep hearing them say fullback is a young man's spot now days (then they say Tedesco is a freak).

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I'd like a don't play injured player policy and maybe a NSW Cup game if returning after more than 6 weeks off?

 

[nswarrior]

With the finals now looking out of reach this season, I'd like to create a thread to ease the disappointment we've felt throughout 2024. Here are some changes I'd like to see for the Warriors in the 2025 season.

1. Metcalf to halfback. (SJ to retire.)
2. RTS moves to fullback.
3. CNK moves to 5/8. (Running half with good linkage play.)
4. Mitch Barnett remains captain, Tohu still in leadership team but he will be playing his last season.
5. Roache starting hooker. (Egan to retire.)
6. CHT is our utility interchange #14


7. Lineup 2025:

01: RTS.
02: DWZ.
03: Leiataua.
04: MGT.
05: Tuaupiki. (gk2)
06: CNK.
07: Metcalf. (gk1)
08: JFH.
09: Roache.
10: Barnett. (c)
11: Niukore.
12: Capewell.
13: Harris (vc)

14: CHT. (gk3)
15: Ford.
16. Halasima.
17. Laban.

8. Better attaching variation, especially fifth tackle plays.

9. More communication to improve team cohesion on attack and defence.

10. Defensive line speed to improve.

11. Webster to trust our youngsters more and select form over experience players.

I can see a few people disagreeing with SJ and CNK/RTS changes, however I cannot fake how I feel what should be.

That team could challenge for the wooden spoon for sure!! Slow in attack and defence

 

[JJ]

Not sure why Egan would retire…

Agreee on RTS, centre and halves remain a problem though…

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Have to say, I wouldn't be keen on a CNK/Metcalf halves combo. There isn't a lot of structure and game management there.

I'm feeling like Roger should be the fullback, but there's a lot I don't know holistically about that position. It'll be very hard to find a spot for CNK, as it is, to be honest, for Roger.

I think the best fit might be for Egan and Roache to share the 9 duties. Lussick offers little, and Egan has fallen off a cliff since he re-signed/since early season

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Have to say, I wouldn't be keen on a CNK/Metcalf halves combo. There isn't a lot of structure and game management there.

I'm feeling like Roger should be the fullback, but there's a lot I don't know holistically about that position. It'll be very hard to find a spot for CNK, as it is, to be honest, for Roger.

I think the best fit might be for Egan and Roache to share the 9 duties. Lussick offers little, and Egan has fallen off a cliff since he re-signed/since early season

You’re right, Metcalfe hasn’t shown any game other than his running game, passing is mediocre and kicking is average

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Have to say, I wouldn't be keen on a CNK/Metcalf halves combo. There isn't a lot of structure and game management there.

I'm feeling like Roger should be the fullback, but there's a lot I don't know holistically about that position. It'll be very hard to find a spot for CNK, as it is, to be honest, for Roger.

I think the best fit might be for Egan and Roache to share the 9 duties. Lussick offers little, and Egan has fallen off a cliff since he re-signed/since early season

I feel RTS is being played out like Holmes for Cowboys. He came back bigger and a bit slower from another code after playing fullback, It's seemed to come good year 2, but now Holmes can test the open market.

 

[Scott]

Massive off season of solid coaching required. Improvement is required by every single person in the squad, across every aspect of the game. Basics like kicking, catching & passing especially.

 

[Matua]

You’re right, Metcalfe hasn’t shown any game other than his running game, passing is mediocre and kicking is average

Yeah, I'm wondering what @Wheeled Warrior sees in Metcalf's game that he thinks he can play 7. His strength is running off a 7 and if he hadn't have got injured this year that may have been worked out by defences like everything else the Warriors do has been worked out this year.

 

[Izz]

We need to bring back more second phase. I know often Panthers and Storm are thought of as really structured, but they actually both do a great job of keeping the ball alive. Some of the stuff the Storm does is just unreal - Hughes and Munster are both instinctive players working within structure but who've been given license to also play what they see.

We also need to make sure guys like Leka and Laban are actually part of the game plan, not just there to make tackles, take 3rd tackle hitups, and run decoys. Leka played 33 mins against the Eels, according to nrl.com, but only ran the ball 3 times. And not because he wasn't looking for work, but because the ball consistently went elsewhere.

MGT not ready to be a regular FG centre yet, imo. Berry and Ali for me. MGT might go okay on the wing.

Big no to Tuaupiki on the wing. He'd get outjumped and outmuscled 9.5 times out of 10.

Also don't think Metcalf can play 7, though I get the feeling that's where Webby wants to play him. I guess we haven't really seen him given the chance to run a team but everything about him suggests a running five-eighth, ala early James Maloney, except without a long kicking game.

Egan still our best option at 9. Much as I like Roache, I don't feel like he'd last a full season in FG, and I also don't think he quite has the skillset to be a regular NRL hooker.

I think RTS will be better next season, but where to play him is a big question. I don't think there's room for both him and CNK in the team, but I also feel like shifting CNK to centre won't work as his value comes from his huge workrate at the back (I also kinda feel like he'll throw his toys if he's asked to permanently move from fullback). I'm not sure I buy the talk that CNK is a better defensive organizer than RTS, but I don't really have anything to go on there other than gut feel.

I really want Maiu'u to be given a real shot at FG. Also think Ale's been unlucky this year to not consistently be on the bench. I don't hate on Ford as much as some do around these parts, but while he had a big role to play last year, we have plenty of forwards now who can play big minutes, so he doesn't really have a place in the team going forward, imo.

The above being said, I actually feel like Webby doesn't really understand how impact works. He likes guys who can play 60-80, but if you give guys like Niukore a brief to go out and there and put everything into a couple 20-minute stints, i feel like we'd see a lot more from them.

 

[Blair]

I want them hitting the dunes extra hard, from December to February.

 

[vvvrulz]

This may sound a little insane, but I don't think there's that much wrong with the Warriors.
We're a bit all cake and no icing right now, but that's a lot better than being all icing and no cake.

Webster's template is to smash and dominate the middle of the park and pin them in their corner, which we do quite well. This works a treat if we keep errors down, don't concede stupid tries and nail our scoring opportunities.

The keys that unlock this are the halves, good discipline and wingers who don't f*king fly off their edges.
Last year we had almost all of this - SJ had the season of his life, we defended well, kicked well and kept errors down.

The problem with the game plan is that it's brittle: the moment we have just 1-2 players who are cooked, not gelling, falling off in D, dropping their lollies etc. - the plan completely backfires. We end up tiring the crap out of ourselves and good teams now know to just wait for the fade and run through our fatigued troops. This season showed us all the good, bad and ugly; we got it working only in pockets, but when we did we took down Penrith with a B team.


So long story short...

I actually feel like we have the blueprint + 90% of the troops we need, but there are a few key switches we need to make.

- SJ has got to go, he's just done. Thanks for an awesome 2023.
- Invest in TMM, he's clearly got what it takes to run the ship. Let TMM work a rhythm with Metcalf, CHT is our utility
- We need at least one truly fast winger, which probably means Montoya goes. DWZ is flawed but does enough (just).
- We need to make the most of our backs, there's a few ways but Tuaupiki is best at fullback and CNK & RTS are versatile enough to succeed in other spots (providing the halves unlock them).
- Need a good 13, which is a problem with a busted Harris and no Walker.

Other forwards are great, Egan will be fine if we get the above right.


I truly think we'll have a good year!

 

[Beavers Headgear]

This may sound a little insane, but I don't think there's that much wrong with the Warriors.
We're a bit all cake and no icing right now, but that's a lot better than being all icing and no cake.

Webster's template is to smash and dominate the middle of the park and pin them in their corner, which we do quite well. This works a treat if we keep errors down, don't concede stupid tries and nail our scoring opportunities.

The keys that unlock this are the halves, good discipline and wingers who don't f*king fly off their edges.
Last year we had almost all of this - SJ had the season of his life, we defended well, kicked well and kept errors down.

The problem with the game plan is that it's brittle: the moment we have just 1-2 players who are cooked, not gelling, falling off in D, dropping their lollies etc. - the plan completely backfires. We end up tiring the crap out of ourselves and good teams now know to just wait for the fade and run through our fatigued troops. This season showed us all the good, bad and ugly; we got it working only in pockets, but when we did we took down Penrith with a B team.


So long story short...

I actually feel like we have the blueprint + 90% of the troops we need, but there are a few key switches we need to make.

- SJ has got to go, he's just done. Thanks for an awesome 2023.
- Invest in TMM, he's clearly got what it takes to run the ship. Let TMM work a rhythm with Metcalf, CHT is our utility
- We need at least one truly fast winger, which probably means Montoya goes. DWZ is flawed but does enough (just).
- We need to make the most of our backs, there's a few ways but Tuaupiki is best at fullback and CNK & RTS are versatile enough to succeed in other spots (providing the halves unlock them).
- Need a good 13, which is a problem with a busted Harris and no Walker.

Other forwards are great, Egan will be fine if we get the above right.


I truly think we'll have a good year!

I think they are a long way short in the backrow, there is no damaging ball runner there. Need an explosive forward in there that can create something for himself, Marata can be damaging, but relies on being put into space. Capewell is just plod

 

[Blair]

It'll never happen but pulling out of the Vegas circus would be a good start. We need to get back to our Mt Smart fortress for round one (the NRL still owe us a home game here).

As it is, how long will our guys take to get over the hype and thrill (it is an exciting place, especially for first-timers) of Vegas? So, they have the next weekend off (to chill and get bored) then, say, they're off to Wollongong?

It could be a recipe for a 0-2 start, or worse.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Sorry MGT and Leiataua are not there yet, and 2 rookie centre showed tonight how defense falls apart so easily.
Berry been very solid till injured and Pompey was holding his own.

The rest can seem logical but don't see Webster buying into RTS at fullback, requires admitting being wrong. Not sure on many top coaches egos handling that.
I keep hearing them say fullback is a young man's spot now days (then they say Tedesco is a freak).

MGT and Leitaua can afford to be taught a hard lesson. They are still green and at rookie level, but they are our best centre's moving forward. Why do I believe they are the best? They possess a complete skill set, speed, strength, agility, and the ability to pass effectively to set up their outside man on the wing. Both also have a good kick and chase, and with time, they should develop into a great centre pairing.

I acknowledge that Rocco Berry and Adam Pompey are solid in their own ways as well. Berry excels in quick kick chases, while Pompey has shown overall improvement and strong goal kicking. However, looking ahead to the future, Moala Graham-Taufa and Ali Leiataua stand out as our top prospects.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Not sure why Egan would retire…

Agreee on RTS, centre and halves remain a problem though…

Egan has been out of form and looks off his game.

If he only performs well on dry tracks, as some have suggested, we might as well play Roache, who excels in all conditions. Roache seems to be gaining traction with the coaches, even being played in the halves. As a hooker, he is silky smooth and has a distinct advantage with his sharp, crisp passes. I find Egan’s service to be fast, but the ball placement is often too far forward, forcing the receiver to reach out and losing that crucial split-second advantage.
Suggesting retirement might have been a bit extreme, but Egan's poor tackling technique is pushing him towards an early retirement.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Have to say, I wouldn't be keen on a CNK/Metcalf halves combo. There isn't a lot of structure and game management there.

I'm feeling like Roger should be the fullback, but there's a lot I don't know holistically about that position. It'll be very hard to find a spot for CNK, as it is, to be honest, for Roger.

I think the best fit might be for Egan and Roache to share the 9 duties. Lussick offers little, and Egan has fallen off a cliff since he re-signed/since early season

I agree with sharing the hooker duties between Egan and Roache. However, I don't like having both CHT and Roache on the bench. They are both potential utility players, as Roache can play hooker, halves, and possibly other positions if needed. Having two utility players feels a bit crowded. I would rather have a big forward on the bench instead.

Maybe CHT to 13 and Harris on the bench.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

You’re right, Metcalfe hasn’t shown any game other than his running game, passing is mediocre and kicking is average

BH & @Penrose Warrior

Metcalf was already touted to be the halfback once SJ is gone.

I feel CNK's strengths are his link plays and running game. A running 5/8 would be an excellent complement to Luke with his lightning speed. I haven't seen Metcalf's kicking or creative vision on display yet, so I understand your concerns. It's strange that Webster has him in the number 7 jersey for when SJ retires.

Luke hasn't had the reins or the opportunity to showcase his full game at halfback. Perhaps we should wait and see what he can offer? I know he will be the goal kicker or at least an option.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Yeah, I'm wondering what @Wheeled Warrior sees in Metcalf's game that he thinks he can play 7. His strength is running off a 7 and if he hadn't have got injured this year that may have been worked out by defences like everything else the Warriors do has been worked out this year.

Luke said he signed with the Warriors to play halfback, biding his time until SJ moves on. I wouldn't mind if SJ continues to mentor him post-retirement. Jett is still far from ready, so I don't see a better option than Metcalf. Where's Volkman at? He could be a useful option to explore.