A New Beginning for Warriors’ Halfback Combination
Warriors coach Andrew Webster has emphasized the importance of not judging Tanah Boyd and Luke Metcalf’s partnership after just one game. He remains confident in their ability to improve and bounce back against Cronulla, following a recent loss to Wests Tigers.
Metcalf and Boyd will be starting together for the second time this season when they face the Sharks on Sunday. This comes after the Warriors suffered their first defeat of the year in a match against the Tigers last week. Despite this setback, Boyd has continued to show significant improvement throughout the competition, securing his place in the team’s halves with strong performances in the first three rounds.
However, the Warriors struggled against the Tigers in their most recent game, which marked Metcalf’s return to action. The 27-year-old had been a standout performer for the club in his first season before suffering an ACL injury. Webster believes that with more training sessions, the pairing will continue to develop.
“They’ll get better with more reps,” Webster said. “They had only one training session together plus a captain’s run, which was light due to a six-day turnaround last week. This week they’ve had two good sessions and another captain’s run. With their combination, they were seeing things well and we’ve built on them this week.”
While Webster acknowledged that the issue wasn’t solely with the halves, he pointed out that the team lost key moments after letting a 10-0 lead slip. He is confident that the team will bounce back in their upcoming match against Cronulla, which is expected to be a crucial test for the Warriors.
“We can learn while we win, but nothing hits you in the face more than a loss,” he said. “The boys were gutted losing, but at the same time they were very optimistic. On Sunday our actions will tell the story. How we’ve come back, and have we learned from that stuff, and have we hung onto the good stuff.”
Injuries and Team Adjustments
The Warriors will be without star front-rower Mitch Barnett for Sunday’s clash after he broke his thumb during last week’s defeat. Webster revealed that Barnett had been injured early in the game but continued to play, only to later require surgery.
Barnett’s injury is not expected to keep him out for long, as it does not pose a long-term threat. However, the timing is unfortunate, given that his 2025 season was already impacted by an ACL rupture. Webster praised Barnett’s resilience, noting that he would have preferred to play through the injury if possible.
“He played with it for a long time – typical Mitch,” Webster said. “If he had his way, he would probably be playing this week instead of having surgery, but his thumb has to stay attached so we’d like him to get it done. He is a world-class player and Origin player and played for his country. We’re going to miss him, but next man up attitude and whoever plays will do a great job.”
