Coach Webster reflects on where the Warriors went wrong in 2024

NZ Warriors head coach Andrew Webster still has a couple of games left on their 2024 schedule, but he admits he's already entered the post-mortem analysis stage of the club's lacklustre season.

With a bye due for their final round of the competition, the Warriors head into their penultimate contest of their campaign against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday with little to play for other than pride and doing the occasion of club icon Shaun Johnson's final game at Mt Smart justice, not to mention the departing Jazz Tevaga and Addin Fonua-Blake.

Many have pointed at the several close defeats this year that have proven so costly to their finals ambitions. But Webster believes the fundamental issue lies in their on-field identity.

"I definitely am in a little bit of review mode of the season at the moment," Webster told SENZ's Scotty & Izzy. "It helps me focus on this week ahead, thinking this is what we've probably got to fix and change up.

"The thing that everyone talks about is the close games and how, if we win them, it changes our season. I do agree with that, but I still don't feel like we played the way we wanted to play.

"If we were really honest with ourselves, even though we had some tight losses, we haven't owned some big moments this year, which has hurt us. And that's part of our learning. But it's just hard to brush it off like that, isn't it? And just say 'ah well, that's just the way it goes'. These are things we've got to get better at.

Webster notes the crux of their problems lie in their inconsistency, no better exemplified by a marquee win over the three-time defending premiers Penrith Panthers followed a few weeks later by a inexplicable 60-point demolition on the Gold Coast.

Standing aside, Webster believes the Warriors - during those fleeting moments they've played at their peak this year - have been as good as any team in the competition.

But those pivotal moments in finely balanced contests have all too often been squandered, Webster notes.

"The game goes for 80 minutes, and I'm not being a smart alec when I say that," he said.

"The game goes for 80 and our best football is better than most people's best football, but it's lasting for 20, 30, 40 minutes. To me, we're just having big momentum swings at crucial times.

"But I feel like, if you did a poll on the opposition asking who's the team that scares you the most, we would be one of them. But you don't get points playing for 20 minutes or 40 minutes.

"I'm happy with how fit we are and there's all different things like that, but it's just big momentum swings at big moments and big plays that have cost us this year."

One silver lining of the injuries that have plagued the Warriors this year has been the opportunity it's afforded Webster to promote some of their younger talent.

The likes of Demitric Sifakula, Zyon Maiu'u, Moala Graham-Taufa and Leka Halasima have all been thrust into the first-grade fold perhaps a little sooner than expected, but they've all made the most of their chances and should have plenty more to offer in 2025.

Webster says the rapid development of that rising crop of players has been one of his highlights of the year - a "different" group he believes could be transformative in the coming years.

"I think we roll into pre-season next year with five or six guys you were hoping would debut and now you're hoping they go on to be stars of the game. If they do, then that's only going to boost our squad again.

"Redcliffe at home stands to mind. We beat Penrith in the Magic Round. We came home and we had another off the back of that, we had another three or four injuries that week, birth of baby. Two pulled out on game day. And our young boys stood up and did the job.

"So yeah, it was a really pleasing period that I thought, you know, we're in a really good situation for the future. Lots to draw on with our talent.

"I think Warriors have always had talent, but I think these boys are going to be a little bit different. I think they're really ambitious and they want to achieve something special."

On a personal note, Webster insists his own fire is burning bright as ever, despite the obvious struggles the team has endured that's seen them drop so precipitously from preliminary finalists to the doldrums of the competition ladder.

But such is the unforgiving nature of the NRL and its dramatically changing landscape from year to year, he realises success is still within reach and he's confident the club - on a holistic level - remains well poised for the future.

And of course, next year is destined to be "our year."

"I know that I've enjoyed the grind," Webster said.

"I'd much rather be in the top four right now and going into a final series and thinking about how we're going to win the finals. But I've also enjoyed the grind, and the lessons learnt. I think you can learn while you win, but I've certainly taken some big learnings.

"My energy is still there. My commitment and passion for everything is still just the same. But I'm certainly going to put my energy into the right things this pre-season.

"Expectation certainly won't be talked about as much. So, I think every year the fans are going to say 'this is our year', which is fine. That's the catch cry of the Warriors fan base.

"But yeah, we're still ambitious. We still want to achieve what we want to do. I think there's still a style of footy that we're really proud of, but there's just lots to work on."

Join SENZ for live commentary of the One NZ Warriors vs Bulldogs - coverage begins Friday 6pm, kick-off 8pm - available on the SENZ app and all NZ frequencies.

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