Rugby league: Filled halves to leave Warriors conundrum welcome 2023 NRL season

Building a cohesive lineup will again be a puzzle for the Warriors in 2023.

The Timberwolves have been sacked by the club for 2023, with Shaun Johnson the only survivor from the 2022 start.
squad

There was no stability in the semi-war at the last time; Johnson played five halves as the club ran for eight touchdowns over the course of his 24-game season. Five of the Warriors’ eight combinations have only played one game together.

Johnson is expected to remain the team’s first choice midway through 2023, with newcomers Luke Metcalf (Cronulla Sharks) and Te Maire Martin (Brisbane Broncos) joining young gun Ronald Volkman as they compete to play alongside veterans.

While 2022 saw half of the rounds being interesting, there is reason to be intrigued by this year’s options.

Martin experienced and played alongside Johnson with the Kiwis. He has a skillful kicking game in class plays and it hurts when he’s well-caught at the line. He forms the first front to partner Johnson in the halves, allowing Minor Metcalf (23) and Volkman (20) to continue their development.

Martin also gives the team a full-back option, along with recruit Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad – who is also a proven centre-back – who could help open up minutes for smaller players.

Metcalf welcomed the competition into the squad and was waiting to establish his right to the first level of minutes.

“You can’t have one or two; you need at least four, the more fun it is,” Metcalf said of the competition in the halves.

“You have to compete and the boys compete for spots. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Metcalf’s arrival at the club ends a long stay for the 23-year-old, who signed with the Warriors in November 2021 but was due to see out the final season of his contract with the Sharks.

An option running the ball, he carries the club well and uses his speed at every opportunity. In seven NRL appearances over two seasons, he scored three tries. He describes his play as “footy eyes” and plays with confidence.

The Warriors were suggesting they were hoping to get ahead of the club, although Metcalf saw his year in limbo, in the reserve ranks most of the established midfielders Matt Moylan and Nicho Hynes – the latter winning the 2022′s Dally M Award – running a show at first grade.

Metcalf has had a wealth of knowledge in his time in the NRL. Prior to joining the Sharks, he worked his way up through the ranks of the Sea Eagles’ junior men with Daly Cherry-Evans and Trent Hodgkinson set up in the halves at top level.

While he didn’t see as much first-grade action as he would have liked last year — with only one appearance — Metcalf said he embraced the learning opportunities he was given during his second year at County.

He said I had a very enjoyable year at Cronulla. “I didn’t have a good crowd there, there were a lot of good boys; [Craig Fitzgibbon] He was a good coach and I learned a lot from him. I didn’t just want this and I didn’t have many games at first grade, but I had a good year to learn and I couldn’t be more pleased with my time at Cronulla.

“I feel like I’m ready to take the next leap in my career, and those boys played a big part in that.”