NRL 2025 Pre-Season Thread

[Big Pete]

A week out from Christmas and I'm beginning to get the itch for more Rugby League so let's turn our minds to the season ahead.

Let's kick off with JayPee's team the Cowboys in light of the Bateman signing.

North Queensland Cowboys 2025
1. Scott Drinkwater
2. Semi Valemei/Jaxson Paulo/Robert Derby
3. Jaxon Purdue/Zac Laybutt
4. Viliami Veila/Zac Laybutt
5. Murray Taulagi
6. Tom Dearden
7. Jake Clifford/Tom Duffy/Jaxon Purdue
8. Jordan McLean/Coen Hess/Griffin Neame
9. Reece Robson
10. Jason Taumalolo/Coen Hess/Griffin Neame
11. Heilum Luki
12. Jeremiah Nanai
13. Reuben Cotter

14. John Bateman
15. Griffin Neame/etc.
16. Coen Hess/etc.
17. Sam McIntyre/Jamal Shibasaki/Kaiden Lahrs/Karl Lawton/etc.

It's a real changing of the guard at the Cowboys.

Kyle Feldt, Valentine Holmes and Chad Townsend have all bid farewell leaving Tommy Dearden and Scotty Drinkwater in charge of leading the Cowboys around.

Dearden had a cracking 2024 and was at his competitive best for the Cowboys. I don't think there's a more tenacious player in the competition and he'll scrap for anything. The big question is whether he can add another string to his bow, work both sides of the ruck and develop his kicking game. If he can, it'll go a long way for the Cowboys in 2025.

Dearden's partner in crime is the extremely talented Scotty Drinkwater. He's a real ornament of the game and his ability to create for his outside men is second to none. He'll be looking to demand more ball next year and look to challenge the line on more now that Townsend is out of the equation. It could be just the tonic for him to take the next step up.

Robson completes an impressive 1-2 punch and his ability to play direct and get over the advantage line will have a huge bearing. The Cowboys are a real momentum team and it's largely off the back of Robson taking advantage of his forwards and getting his support runners to push up alongside him.

It begs the question of who will join them. You'd have to say that Clifford has the early running and his long distance kicking game really compliments the team. Another option being tossed up by Payten is young Jaxon Purdue who had a meteoric rise last year and impressed in his limited outings. Then there's Tom Duffy who enjoyed a quality season at the Pride and isn't far off from an NRL debut. You'd have to feel the Cowboys chances rest with whoever they pick in the #7 and their ability to contribute to the team.

Normally what I like to do is lock in my positions, but this year I've put up a few alternatives just to highlight how up in the air certain positions are. The backline in particular could go a few ways and the only player I'm comfortable locking in at this stage is Murray Taulagi. I've highlighted how significant the #7 is for the Cowboys, but Kyle Feldt's replacement could be just as vital. Feldt was the highest try scorer in club history for a reason and none of the players listed have established themselves in first grade.

The centres also pose a problem. Both Purdue and Vailea showed promise last year but it's a whole other challenge to get through the entire season as the first choice centre combination. They have a pretty likely alternative in Zac Laybutt, but he's got his own set of obstacles having to work his way back after tearing his ACL.

As you can see, I think that prop rotation is up in the air and it wouldn't shock me at all to see one of the senior players fall down the pecking order. It was a real area of weakness for the Cowboys and too often opposition dummy halves would pick apart the A-defenders and the Cowboys defensive line would all fall apart.

The player that needs to step up is Griffin Neame. Neame on his day is a world class player but there's a major gap between his best and his worst. He should be coming into his prime now, so he needs to get those silly errors out of his game and look to take a leadership role.

One thing the Cowboys do have is pretty good depth so players like McIntyre, Lawton, Edwards etc. will be really valuable particularly around the Origin period. I also like a lot of the emerging players they have coming through in Shibasaki, Lahrs, Mata'utia etc. There's plenty of fresh blood there if a few players are looking long in the tooth.

On Bateman, we all know how talented he is. However it's been four seasons since we've seen John at his best and he's coming in on a disrupted pre-season seemingly on a discounted deal. He's really going to have to buy in or risk being another Faumuina/Leilua type signing.

Top 4 would be a dream result, I have them in that rung of teams around 6th-14th. They have a few players there that will drag the team to victory but if they're not on song they're going to struggle.

 

[Big Pete]

Let's look at their Round 1 opponents, the Manly Sea Eagles.

Manly Sea Eagles 2025
1. Tom Trbojevic
2. Jason Saab
3. Tolutau Koula
4. Reuben Garrick
5. Tommy Talau
6. Luke Brooks
7. Daly Cherry-Evans
8. Taniela Paseka
9. Lachlan Croker
10. Josh Aloiai
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Ben Trbojevic
13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Jazz Tevaga/Jake Simpkin
15. Corey Waddell
16. Ethan Bullemor
17. Nathan Brown

It's shaping up to be a very settled line-up on the northern beaches of course led out by their captain, the mercurial, Daly Cherry-Evans. DCE just seems to be getting better with age. He's one of the best at getting his team around the park and he still has the ability to manipulate the defence with his running game.

DCE has plenty of support as well in the form of Tommy Turbo and Haumole Olakau'atu. Even when he's not at his best, Tommy is a real handful for the opposition and no matter where Manly are on the field he always looms as a threat. Meanwhile Olakau'atu is one of the most destructive runners in the game and always has the defence at high alert.

When those three are on-song they can match it with the best teams in the competition and they have some really solid contributors in Jake Trbojevic and Reuben Garrick.

It's just a matter of whether they can find another gear. You'd have to say Luke Brooks earned a pass mark last year as DCE's under-study without really blowing the competition away. When Brooks keeps it simple and plays direct he's an effective offsider. However when the team is chasing points he tends to rush, plays early and becomes ineffective. It's his second year at Manly, so maybe he'll be more comfortable with his combinations and take more confidence heading into the new year.

Consistensy is going to be their biggest issue and even consistensy in games. There were two key examples this year where they had all but won the game in the first 25 minutes only to let the game slip away. Factor in a couple of other close losses and they would have felt like they let a Top 4 spot slip. We've definitely seen flashes of their class and this was a team that held victories against Penrith and Melbourne respectively. Factor in DCE coming off contract, a largely unchanged line-up and if this was ever the season to get the whips cracking it would be this year.

Unfortunately I couldn't back them with Wolfie's money. I just think they'll lack the discipline to beat the top teams on their day. On top of that, you have to question whether Turbo will be able to stay at 100% through out and it just seems like they'll be a 5th-8th type of team.

A top four finish would require a few of their supporting cast playing as well if not better than the usual suspects. Players like Luke Brooks, Taniela Paseka, Tolutau Koula would have to be playing career best footy (among others) with Ben Trbojevic really finding his feet in first grade. I thought we saw some positive signs from Ben last year but he hasn't quite established himself yet. If he can build on the form he showed, that will have a bearing on the Sea Eagles.

 

[BroncsFan]

A week out from Christmas and I'm beginning to get the itch for more Rugby League so let's turn our minds to the season ahead.

Let's kick off with JayPee's team the Cowboys in light of the Bateman signing.

North Queensland Cowboys 2025
1. Scott Drinkwater
2. Semi Valemei/Jaxson Paulo/Robert Derby
3. Jaxon Purdue/Zac Laybutt
4. Viliami Veila/Zac Laybutt
5. Murray Taulagi
6. Tom Dearden
7. Jake Clifford/Tom Duffy/Jaxon Purdue
8. Jordan McLean/Coen Hess/Griffin Neame
9. Reece Robson
10. Jason Taumalolo/Coen Hess/Griffin Neame
11. Heilum Luki
12. Jeremiah Nanai
13. Reuben Cotter

14. John Bateman
15. Griffin Neame/etc.
16. Coen Hess/etc.
17. Sam McIntyre/Jamal Shibasaki/Kaiden Lahrs/Karl Lawton/etc.

It's a real changing of the guard at the Cowboys.

Kyle Feldt, Valentine Holmes and Chad Townsend have all bid farewell leaving Tommy Dearden and Scotty Drinkwater in charge of leading the Cowboys around.

Dearden had a cracking 2024 and was at his competitive best for the Cowboys. I don't think there's a more tenacious player in the competition and he'll scrap for anything. The big question is whether he can add another string to his bow, work both sides of the ruck and develop his kicking game. If he can, it'll go a long way for the Cowboys in 2025.

Dearden's partner in crime is the extremely talented Scotty Drinkwater. He's a real ornament of the game and his ability to create for his outside men is second to none. He'll be looking to demand more ball next year and look to challenge the line on more now that Townsend is out of the equation. It could be just the tonic for him to take the next step up.

Robson completes an impressive 1-2 punch and his ability to play direct and get over the advantage line will have a huge bearing. The Cowboys are a real momentum team and it's largely off the back of Robson taking advantage of his forwards and getting his support runners to push up alongside him.

It begs the question of who will join them. You'd have to say that Clifford has the early running and his long distance kicking game really compliments the team. Another option being tossed up by Payten is young Jaxon Purdue who had a meteoric rise last year and impressed in his limited outings. Then there's Tom Duffy who enjoyed a quality season at the Pride and isn't far off from an NRL debut. You'd have to feel the Cowboys chances rest with whoever they pick in the #7 and their ability to contribute to the team.

Normally what I like to do is lock in my positions, but this year I've put up a few alternatives just to highlight how up in the air certain positions are. The backline in particular could go a few ways and the only player I'm comfortable locking in at this stage is Murray Taulagi. I've highlighted how significant the #7 is for the Cowboys, but Kyle Feldt's replacement could be just as vital. Feldt was the highest try scorer in club history for a reason and none of the players listed have established themselves in first grade.

The centres also pose a problem. Both Purdue and Vailea showed promise last year but it's a whole other challenge to get through the entire season as the first choice centre combination. They have a pretty likely alternative in Zac Laybutt, but he's got his own set of obstacles having to work his way back after tearing his ACL.

As you can see, I think that prop rotation is up in the air and it wouldn't shock me at all to see one of the senior players fall down the pecking order. It was a real area of weakness for the Cowboys and too often opposition dummy halves would pick apart the A-defenders and the Cowboys defensive line would all fall apart.

The player that needs to step up is Griffin Neame. Neame on his day is a world class player but there's a major gap between his best and his worst. He should be coming into his prime now, so he needs to get those silly errors out of his game and look to take a leadership role.

One thing the Cowboys do have is pretty good depth so players like McIntyre, Lawton, Edwards etc. will be really valuable particularly around the Origin period. I also like a lot of the emerging players they have coming through in Shibasaki, Lahrs, Mata'utia etc. There's plenty of fresh blood there if a few players are looking long in the tooth.

On Bateman, we all know how talented he is. However it's been four seasons since we've seen John at his best and he's coming in on a disrupted pre-season seemingly on a discounted deal. He's really going to have to buy in or risk being another Faumuina/Leilua type signing.

Top 4 would be a dream result, I have them in that rung of teams around 6th-14th. They have a few players there that will drag the team to victory but if they're not on song they're going to struggle.

I think Clifford is who will start the year at 7... I just can't see Payten walking away from the monster boot that Clifford has. He possesses a long kicking game, but can also send it up there with his torp bombs... that can flip the field position in an instant and means you should rarely lose the territory battle, which is vital in modern league.

Neither Dearden or Drinkwater have a long kicking game, but they will need to carry the load in terms of creating points.

Drinkwater's defence was putrid at times last year, but I think what was most concerning was his defence of kicks in behind within the 20m. If a fullback is identified as not defending grubbers on the goal line then it is a beacon to opposition coaches for easy points.

The issue for cows is that Drinkwater is the focal point of their attack, so they can't really drop him if he isn't turning up in defence... but they can't hide him anywhere either.

Dearden is all heart and all effort, but could he be as effective if Drinkwater was suddenly not there and he was the obvious focal point of the attack?

It will be interesting to see where Dearden gets to over the next few years. He's basically the senior half now that Chad is gone and his partner is either Clifford or a rookie, but with Clifford he's not the main kicker. He's also getting the profile from his rep duties, but Drinkwater is the main man when it comes to their attack.

Can he be effective enough as the second string in the attack whilst not having the influence of game management that the main kicker does.

Robson will be gone in 2026, but pressure might start building on him from here on out to be the man for cows... I'm not yet sure if he can do it, but maybe 2025 will be the awakening of Dearden as the main attacking point for his team.

If he does then he suddenly becomes the Qld five eight for the next decade, but at the moment he's still got to get past Munster.

In terms of strike power... their centres look a bit underwhelming now that Val is gone... I've seen chatter from Cows fans previously about Murray being a centre.. it might be something they look at, but he's such a great finisher on the wing.

If Laybutt returns well enough from his ACL I can see him getting the spot there... I think Laybutt was left edge? if so that's the strike edge for Cows... Murray, Laybutt, Dearden and Luki is some serious strike with Drinkwater sweeping around the back.

I agree with you that Neame is probably the key man in that prop rotation... Lolo is getting less and less minutes under Payten and McLean is getting year to year contracts... Hess brings aggression, but it doesn't always translate to actual impact, which leaves the rest of the guys as undersized workhorses. Neame was really underwhelming to me last year... he looked like he was becoming a Flegler type prop in 2022/23, but was so so far below that in 2024... with where Lolo and McLean are at they need him to step up and be the impact prop to take over.

I think cows make the 8, but it could be an interesting year that may open their premiership window if Dearden becomes a top 5 half in the comp... if he doesn't then it could become a bit of a reassessment and rebuild to find the pieces needed to compliment him whilst being able to manage the tries Drinkwater lets in.

 

[Mustafur]

A week out from Christmas and I'm beginning to get the itch for more Rugby League so let's turn our minds to the season ahead.

Let's kick off with JayPee's team the Cowboys in light of the Bateman signing.

North Queensland Cowboys 2025
1. Scott Drinkwater
2. Semi Valemei/Jaxson Paulo/Robert Derby
3. Jaxon Purdue/Zac Laybutt
4. Viliami Veila/Zac Laybutt
5. Murray Taulagi
6. Tom Dearden
7. Jake Clifford/Tom Duffy/Jaxon Purdue
8. Jordan McLean/Coen Hess/Griffin Neame
9. Reece Robson
10. Jason Taumalolo/Coen Hess/Griffin Neame
11. Heilum Luki
12. Jeremiah Nanai
13. Reuben Cotter

14. John Bateman
15. Griffin Neame/etc.
16. Coen Hess/etc.
17. Sam McIntyre/Jamal Shibasaki/Kaiden Lahrs/Karl Lawton/etc.

It's a real changing of the guard at the Cowboys.

Kyle Feldt, Valentine Holmes and Chad Townsend have all bid farewell leaving Tommy Dearden and Scotty Drinkwater in charge of leading the Cowboys around.

Dearden had a cracking 2024 and was at his competitive best for the Cowboys. I don't think there's a more tenacious player in the competition and he'll scrap for anything. The big question is whether he can add another string to his bow, work both sides of the ruck and develop his kicking game. If he can, it'll go a long way for the Cowboys in 2025.

Dearden's partner in crime is the extremely talented Scotty Drinkwater. He's a real ornament of the game and his ability to create for his outside men is second to none. He'll be looking to demand more ball next year and look to challenge the line on more now that Townsend is out of the equation. It could be just the tonic for him to take the next step up.

Robson completes an impressive 1-2 punch and his ability to play direct and get over the advantage line will have a huge bearing. The Cowboys are a real momentum team and it's largely off the back of Robson taking advantage of his forwards and getting his support runners to push up alongside him.

It begs the question of who will join them. You'd have to say that Clifford has the early running and his long distance kicking game really compliments the team. Another option being tossed up by Payten is young Jaxon Purdue who had a meteoric rise last year and impressed in his limited outings. Then there's Tom Duffy who enjoyed a quality season at the Pride and isn't far off from an NRL debut. You'd have to feel the Cowboys chances rest with whoever they pick in the #7 and their ability to contribute to the team.

Normally what I like to do is lock in my positions, but this year I've put up a few alternatives just to highlight how up in the air certain positions are. The backline in particular could go a few ways and the only player I'm comfortable locking in at this stage is Murray Taulagi. I've highlighted how significant the #7 is for the Cowboys, but Kyle Feldt's replacement could be just as vital. Feldt was the highest try scorer in club history for a reason and none of the players listed have established themselves in first grade.

The centres also pose a problem. Both Purdue and Vailea showed promise last year but it's a whole other challenge to get through the entire season as the first choice centre combination. They have a pretty likely alternative in Zac Laybutt, but he's got his own set of obstacles having to work his way back after tearing his ACL.

As you can see, I think that prop rotation is up in the air and it wouldn't shock me at all to see one of the senior players fall down the pecking order. It was a real area of weakness for the Cowboys and too often opposition dummy halves would pick apart the A-defenders and the Cowboys defensive line would all fall apart.

The player that needs to step up is Griffin Neame. Neame on his day is a world class player but there's a major gap between his best and his worst. He should be coming into his prime now, so he needs to get those silly errors out of his game and look to take a leadership role.

One thing the Cowboys do have is pretty good depth so players like McIntyre, Lawton, Edwards etc. will be really valuable particularly around the Origin period. I also like a lot of the emerging players they have coming through in Shibasaki, Lahrs, Mata'utia etc. There's plenty of fresh blood there if a few players are looking long in the tooth.

On Bateman, we all know how talented he is. However it's been four seasons since we've seen John at his best and he's coming in on a disrupted pre-season seemingly on a discounted deal. He's really going to have to buy in or risk being another Faumuina/Leilua type signing.

Top 4 would be a dream result, I have them in that rung of teams around 6th-14th. They have a few players there that will drag the team to victory but if they're not on song they're going to struggle.

Wouldn't surprise me if Bateman does Prop or Lock, he has a bit more ball play in him than Cotter and has played the role before, but honestly in the modern game you can do that role from Lock or prop it's not that big of a deal, and Cowboys have plenty of Big men to Balance a 2 small man middle.

 

[Sproj]

@Big Pete, I see Manly is talking about putting Hopiate at fullback and TTurbo in the centres. I would imagine that would leave Talau the odd man out.

In any case, you get the sense that Mandy is a side for the now because some of the key players are getting on, highlighted of course by DCE being about 76. It will be interesting to see what happens if they fail to fire in 2025. You get the sense that they just don’t have the necessary gear to combat a Penrith or Storm when the whips are really cracking that probably only the Broncs and maybe Warriors do next year. The Dogs defense might get them there but they lack so much in attack.

 

[Big Pete]

It's interesting you say that Sproj because Seibold just came out today and talked about Trbojevic shifting into the halves to replace DCE. I think it's just food for thought at this stage and Seibold has declared Trbojevic will be the fullback heading into 2025.

If Trbojevic was to switch to the centres, I think it would be a blow for Manly. I'd see it as an admission that Turbo is slowing down and they're trying to safeguard the future. I think what makes Tom so valuable is that he's effective anywhere on the field. Working it out of trouble, coming in as a support, running a change of angle, working that second-man option etc.

Just on Manly, there were a couple of things I neglected to mention.

Firstly, one advantage they have is long distance kicking. Not only is DCE one of the best exponents, but Brooks has a quality boot on him as well and Croker can step up as well. There were a number of games last year where the game was in the balance only for the halves to turn momentum, so it's something to be mindful of.

The other was the 1-2 punch of Jake Trbojevic and Nathan Brown. Ever since we saw the reductions in interchanges, that ball-playing lock has really come into vogue with Radley and Murray leading the charge. Jake was always a handy option but the emergence of Brown last season proved a real asset for the Sea Eagles. Brown's NRL career appeared all but over at the end of 2023 before Manly threw him a lifeline. It's just a question of whether he can maintain that form.

Also good to see some quality contributions from you BroncosFan and Mustafur. I don't really have much to add. Taulagi does have experience in the centres and could be an option there. I just think he'll provide more value working it out of trouble on the wing. They'll need it now that they don't have Kyle Feldt to milk penalties - DWZ maybe the uncrowned penalty milker in '25.

@Sproj, you brought up the Warriors how do you see them lining up? What do you like about them?

 

[Sproj]

It's interesting you say that Sproj because Seibold just came out today and talked about Trbojevic shifting into the halves to replace DCE. I think it's just food for thought at this stage and Seibold has declared Trbojevic will be the fullback heading into 2025.

If Trbojevic was to switch to the centres, I think it would be a blow for Manly. I'd see it as an admission that Turbo is slowing down and they're trying to safeguard the future. I think what makes Tom so valuable is that he's effective anywhere on the field. Working it out of trouble, coming in as a support, running a change of angle, working that second-man option etc.

Just on Manly, there were a couple of things I neglected to mention.

Firstly, one advantage they have is long distance kicking. Not only is DCE one of the best exponents, but Brooks has a quality boot on him as well and Croker can step up as well. There were a number of games last year where the game was in the balance only for the halves to turn momentum, so it's something to be mindful of.

The other was the 1-2 punch of Jake Trbojevic and Nathan Brown. Ever since we saw the reductions in interchanges, that ball-playing lock has really come into vogue with Radley and Murray leading the charge. Jake was always a handy option but the emergence of Brown last season proved a real asset for the Sea Eagles. Brown's NRL career appeared all but over at the end of 2023 before Manly threw him a lifeline. It's just a question of whether he can maintain that form.

Also good to see some quality contributions from you BroncosFan and Mustafur. I don't really have much to add. Taulagi does have experience in the centres and could be an option there. I just think he'll provide more value working it out of trouble on the wing. They'll need it now that they don't have Kyle Feldt to milk penalties - DWZ maybe the uncrowned penalty milker in '25.

@Sproj, you brought up the Warriors how do you see them lining up? What do you like about them?

I know the Warriors have massive questions around their halves and fair enough too but there is so much quality there that if Webster can make it work, they potentially have something they lacked a bit in 2023 - speed. I feel like they have a really good mix too of youth and experience. They also lost nothing going from AFB to JFH, albeit they are very different props. JFH will bring belief to the side and a calm head when the pressure is on and him, Barnett and Harris is an elite middle.

I see them lining up something like:

1. Tuaupiki
2. RTS
3. Berry/Pompey
4. CNK/Leiataua
5. DWZ
6. Metcalf
7. Boyd/TMM
8. JFH
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11. Niukore
12. Ford
13. Harris

14. Lussick
15. Walker
16. Vaimauga
17. Capewell

They could go either way like 2023 and 2024 and they have holes but so does every side next year. Their choice of who wins the 7 jersey is super important.

 

[Sproj]

Also @Big Pete, I'm not sure Manly would be serious about playing TTurbo playing 6 because what does that mean for Brooks? He looked the perfect fit for DCE when they signed him and last year proved he was. Why break that up?

 

[Big Pete]

Also @Big Pete, I'm not sure Manly would be serious about playing TTurbo playing 6 because what does that mean for Brooks? He looked the perfect fit for DCE when they signed him and last year proved he was. Why break that up?

This was in relation to life after DCE if he decides to retire at the end of his contract. So 6. T. Trbojevic 7. L. Brooks but like I said it came across more like food for thought and just a way to spin the conversation onto how great Tommy is.

 

[Big Pete]

The John Bateman signing makes more sense now.

Tough blow for the Cowboys and it's some horrible luck for Luki. Just when he gets a string of games together and reminds you of how good he is he suffers another set-back.

 

[Foordy]

The John Bateman signing makes more sense now.

Tough blow for the Cowboys and it's some horrible luck for Luki. Just when he gets a string of games together and reminds you of how good he is he suffers another set-back.

I do have to wonder what the **** is happening at Cowboys training ... Luki is the second player to do his ACL at Cowboys training this pre-season.

 

[Harry Sack]

I do have to wonder what the **** is happening at Cowboys training ... Luki is the second player to do his ACL at Cowboys training this pre-season.

WTF is going on in general I think. I swear players suffer far more ACL injuries these days.

 

[Big Pete]

I know the Warriors have massive questions around their halves and fair enough too but there is so much quality there that if Webster can make it work, they potentially have something they lacked a bit in 2023 - speed. I feel like they have a really good mix too of youth and experience. They also lost nothing going from AFB to JFH, albeit they are very different props. JFH will bring belief to the side and a calm head when the pressure is on and him, Barnett and Harris is an elite middle.

I see them lining up something like:

1. Tuaupiki
2. RTS
3. Berry/Pompey
4. CNK/Leiataua
5. DWZ
6. Metcalf
7. Boyd/TMM
8. JFH
9. Egan
10. Barnett
11. Niukore
12. Ford
13. Harris

14. Lussick
15. Walker
16. Vaimauga
17. Capewell

They could go either way like 2023 and 2024 and they have holes but so does every side next year. Their choice of who wins the 7 jersey is super important.

There's no other team in the competition I struggle to pick more than the Warriors. I'd say we're on the same boat with the Warriors, just with a couple of minor variations. For the sake of consistensy here's my line-up

Warriors 2025
1. Taine Tauapiki
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
3. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstaed
4. Rocco Berry/Ali Leiataua/Adam Pompey
5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
6. Luke Metcalf
7. Te Maire Martin/Tanah Boyd
8. James Fisher-Harris
9. Wayde Egan
10. Mitch Barnett
11. Marata Niukore
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Tohu Harris

14. Dylan Walker
15. Erin Clark
16. Demitric Vaimauga
17. Jackson Ford

Normally it's the spine players that take centre stage but when it comes to the Warriors their hopes rely heavily on their forwards. Webster really enjoys using short passes and having his forwards combine in the middle and hit that middle third.

They'll go in without Fonua-Blake who's decided to return to Sydney. However they couldn't have asked for a better replacement than Fisher-Harris. Penrith did right by one of their former assistants and now they have somebody who can really bolster their middle. What they might lose in potency around the middle, they'll make up for with aggression, particularly in defence.

The key is going to be keeping them on the field. Both Harris and Niukore had issues with their fitness with Harris in particular being a huge loss through the back end of 24. If the Warriors are to challenge, they'll need their captain at his very best.

If the forwards can lay the platform it'll go a long way to helping their inexperienced spine out. That's the big question mark right there, who can step up and play the role Shaun Johnson was able to in '23? I'd say of the two Te Maire has the higher skill-set and will ideally fill that role. Tanah hasn't really found his stride yet in the NRL but I just got a feeling that the change in scenary and an opportunity to play in this system should help his game.

There maybe an element of wishful thinking going on with that backline. On paper it looks strong and there's some healthy competition for spots but there's certainly some question marks. Tauapiki had some nice moments in '24 but injury limited his involvement and he's certainly not established at this level. I'd also have to see RTS and CNK in action before I could lock them down in those positions. They certainly have the talent but CNK was always more of a fullback/five eighth coming through and Tuivasa-Sheck struggled to live up to the lofty expectations.

If it all goes to plan, then you'd have two of the best working it out of trouble, Tauapiki and CNK like to keep busy and then you have some skill from Berry and Leiataua.

The bench could be a real point of difference. Walker has been a handy pick-up, I rate the Clark signing and think he can bring plenty of energy and up-tempo play off the bench. Ford has had his moments, if he can find some consistensy he'll just bolster the side. If not the Warriors have a few exciting prospects including Demitric Vaimauga who had an unfortunate injury set-back last year but was moving well in the back-end. With Halasima in the mix it could give them another dimension and some more energy.

So plenty to like and with a softer draw to start off with, they maybe able to bank some wins early and really take advantage of the Origin period. They'll always be a tough assignments at home, but on the flip-side sometimes you don't know what Warriors side you're going to get when they travel away. That's what makes them so hard to pick.

YouTubers still love to run with those tier videos. The Warriors are in the same tier as Cowboys and Manly but I have them towards the bottom. Just think they'll lose too many close games.

 

[Sproj]

There's no other team in the competition I struggle to pick more than the Warriors. I'd say we're on the same boat with the Warriors, just with a couple of minor variations. For the sake of consistensy here's my line-up

Warriors 2025
1. Taine Tauapiki
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
3. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstaed
4. Rocco Berry/Ali Leiataua/Adam Pompey
5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
6. Luke Metcalf
7. Te Maire Martin/Tanah Boyd
8. James Fisher-Harris
9. Wayde Egan
10. Mitch Barnett
11. Marata Niukore
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Tohu Harris

14. Dylan Walker
15. Erin Clark
16. Demitric Vaimauga
17. Jackson Ford

Normally it's the spine players that take centre stage but when it comes to the Warriors their hopes rely heavily on their forwards. Webster really enjoys using short passes and having his forwards combine in the middle and hit that middle third.

They'll go in without Fonua-Blake who's decided to return to Sydney. However they couldn't have asked for a better replacement than Fisher-Harris. Penrith did right by one of their former assistants and now they have somebody who can really bolster their middle. What they might lose in potency around the middle, they'll make up for with aggression, particularly in defence.

The key is going to be keeping them on the field. Both Harris and Niukore had issues with their fitness with Harris in particular being a huge loss through the back end of 24. If the Warriors are to challenge, they'll need their captain at his very best.

If the forwards can lay the platform it'll go a long way to helping their inexperienced spine out. That's the big question mark right there, who can step up and play the role Shaun Johnson was able to in '23? I'd say of the two Te Maire has the higher skill-set and will ideally fill that role. Tanah hasn't really found his stride yet in the NRL but I just got a feeling that the change in scenary and an opportunity to play in this system should help his game.

There maybe an element of wishful thinking going on with that backline. On paper it looks strong and there's some healthy competition for spots but there's certainly some question marks. Tauapiki had some nice moments in '24 but injury limited his involvement and he's certainly not established at this level. I'd also have to see RTS and CNK in action before I could lock them down in those positions. They certainly have the talent but CNK was always more of a fullback/five eighth coming through and Tuivasa-Sheck struggled to live up to the lofty expectations.

If it all goes to plan, then you'd have two of the best working it out of trouble, Tauapiki and CNK like to keep busy and then you have some skill from Berry and Leiataua.

The bench could be a real point of difference. Walker has been a handy pick-up, I rate the Clark signing and think he can bring plenty of energy and up-tempo play off the bench. Ford has had his moments, if he can find some consistensy he'll just bolster the side. If not the Warriors have a few exciting prospects including Demitric Vaimauga who had an unfortunate injury set-back last year but was moving well in the back-end. With Halasima in the mix it could give them another dimension and some more energy.

So plenty to like and with a softer draw to start off with, they maybe able to bank some wins early and really take advantage of the Origin period. They'll always be a tough assignments at home, but on the flip-side sometimes you don't know what Warriors side you're going to get when they travel away. That's what makes them so hard to pick.

YouTubers still love to run with those tier videos. The Warriors are in the same tier as Cowboys and Manly but I have them towards the bottom. Just think they'll lose too many close games.

Well said. I do think though if Boyd or especially TMM can take ownership of that side, that will take them from question mark to legit contenders but that is a massive, massive if.