2024 review: Warriors

Embed from Getty Images

Andy looks back on the Warriors' fall from grace in season 2024.

There was plenty of reason to hope the 2024 season would be something special for the New Zealand Warriors and their fans.

After finishing fourth last year, the ‘Up The Wahs' call had galvanised the fan base and seemingly made the Auckland-based side everyone's second team.

With a roster including the return of Warriors favourite Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, an experienced new face in Kurt Capewell and up-and-comer Chanel Harris-Tavita, the 2023 momentum was set to continue into 2024. 

But after winning only three of their first ten games, it seemed something wasn't working on or off the field. Injuries played a big part in the team not finding cohesion. With 140 combined missed games due to injury, coach Andrew Webster struggled to get a consistent 17.

They did manage to find the fire for their final game though. With the season all over, it was a chance to send off retiring club legend Shaun Johnson with a win. The Round 26 game against Crounlla wasn't looking good at halftime; down 22-4, it looked like a bleak goodbye for SJ. But the Warriors found what had been missing all year, with the team connecting to end an average season with a great win, 30-28.

Turning Point

The Gold Coast were the Warriors hoodoo for 2024, it seems. Finally getting an ANZAC Day game on home soil, the Warriors could not beat the Titans and went down 27-24 in the Round 8 clash. In Round 16, the teams faced off again, and the Titans came out with a record score against the NZ club, who had looked ready to get back in the winning circle after downing Penrith and the Dolphins a few rounds before.

The 66-6 loss at Robina exposed the Warriors as a non-contender for the top eight. Even while sporting a close-to full-strength team, the magic wasn't there. And probably the last nail in the coffin for the average season was the Round 21 loss to the Eels at home, 30-20, and indeed any dream of glory for the season was over. 

What worked

The Warriors' attack was limited this year; with their top playmaker's declining stats, it seemed one-dimensional. Yet there was some promise when Te Maire Martin and Luke Metclaf teamed up in the halves. They finally clicked for the last game against Cronulla, with it all being far too late.

It would also be remiss of me not to point out the Warriors became the first club to ever sell out an entire season of home games, with all 10 games played at Go Media Stadium in 2024 enjoying the "house full" sign going up well before game day.

What didn't work

Not knowing where to put Roger Tuivasa-Sheck on the field have been destabilising. Should he go centre, full back or five-eighth? The injury list didn't help RTS get any roll on filling these positions, either.

Shaun Johnson went from 32 try assists in 2023 to half that amount for 2024. The team's line breaks for the year also fell from 146 to 109. The attack momentum of 2023 was gone. In its place was a Warriors of old, a mixture of schoolboy errors and failure to finish anything off and stay out of reach of form.

The club cohesion seemed to take a hit; with Addin Founa-Blake confirmed to be departing, the team couldn't get more than three wins in their last 11 games.

2024 week-by-week

Defining players

Mitch Barnett had a tremendous season. He and Addin Fonua-Blake led the post-contact meters for the season. Barnett got a call-up for the winning NSW State of Origin team as well as a call-up for the Kangaroos in October. He was ready for a big season but was unlucky, as much of the team couldn't get on the journey with him.

One other player who was consistent all year was Wayde Egan. Egan tried his guts out, bringing the 2023 spark, but like Barnett could not inspire the team. Egan's form also got his name banded about for Origin; he may make the team with another good performance next year.

Rookies

Many new faces got a chance to play due to the injuries the Warriors had to deal with in 2024, being second on the list of most injured players. With many players maybe not ready, there was some promise, and with the loss of Shaun Johnson, a future game-breaker may have been found in Ali Leiataua.

Although he was injury-prone, the young centre put his hand up when asked to, and he will have gained much from his time on the field this season.

2024 player record

Season snapshot

Coach: Andrew Webster
Captains: Tohu Harris (14), Mitchell Barnett (9), Shaun Johnson (1), Wayde Egan (1)

Biggest home crowd: 24,495 (vs. Melbourne in round 15)
Average home crowd: 23,758

Top pointscorer: Shaun Johnson (86)
Top tryscorer: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (15)

Club awards

Simon Mannering Medal | Mitchell Barnett
Jersey Flegg Cup Emerging Player of the Year: Nganatatafu Vake
Jersey Flegg Cup Team Man of the Year: Alvin Chong Nee
Jersey Flegg Cup Player of the Year: Harry Durbin
New South Wales Cup Players' Player of the Year | Moala Graham-Taufa
New South Wales Cup Player of the Year | Moala Graham-Taufa
New South Wales Team Man of the Year | Eddie Ieremia
One New Zealand Warriors People's Choice | Mitchell Barnett
NRL Rookie of the Year | Jacob Laban
NRL Clubman of the Year | Luke Metcalf
NRL Players' Player of the Year | Addin Fonua-Blake

Looking Ahead 

The loss of champion forward Addin Fonua-Blake to Cronulla is filled by the colossus of four-time premiership winning prop James Fisher-Harris from Penrith. Both forwards have a different style, but the class and work ethic Fisher-Harris brings from the Penrith system will likely be contagious at the Warriors.

Erin Clark will be re-joining the Warriors in 2025 as well. Clark is hard running, and his utility role will be just what the Warriors need after Jazz Tevaga was signed by Manly. Jett Cleary will take a train and trial contract with the Warriors after coming up through the grades at Penrith. Keen to get some game time in the NRL, the brother of star Nathan Cleary could be the spark they need in the halves.

Marcelo Montoya will also leave the club, returning to the Bulldogs for 2025.

Best 17 for 2025

Based on current signings at time of writing

1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
3 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
4 Rocco Berry
5 Taine Tuaupiki
6 Te Maire Martin
7 Luke Metcalf
8 James Fisher-Harris
9 Wayde Egan
10 Mitch Barnett
11 Kurt Capewell
12 Jackson Ford
13 Tohu Harris

14 Dylan Walker
15 Marata Niukore
16 Erin Clark
17 Bunty Afoa