Warriors v Broncos: Marcelo Montoya - We’re representing Hawke’s Bay this weekend

Dylan Walker celebrates a try with Marcelo Montoya, who's been in good form for the Warriors this season. Photo / Photosport

Warriors utility back Marcelo Montoya and his teammates are looking forward to the opportunity to show their Hawke’s Bay fans at a packed McLean Park what they can do.

“We’re looking forward to representing the Warriors but also representing the people of Hawke’s Bay.”

Montoya, 27, recently signed a new contract with the Warriors that will have him stay at the club until the end of the 2025 NRL season.

His personal form this year is indicative of the improved position of the club as a whole under the guidance of new Warriors head coach Andrew Webster.

“I guess I’m playing to a level I know I can play to. I’m still figuring out what I can produce on the field. For me it’s good because I know what I can do but it’s been hard in the recent years, but it’s been good with a full pre-season under my belt,” Montoya says.

“We’ve got a really good squad with boys who want to work hard for each other and that makes my job a lot easier. I’m enjoying my footy. I love the club and it’s really enjoyable at the moment.”

Webster and his staff have been instrumental in the turnaround in fortunes from last year, when they finished 12th on the ladder, well short of the top eight needed to reach the playoffs.

“It’s been a lot better than what it was in recent years. It’s a big credit to the coaching staff, they’ve done an awesome job in terms of getting us to where we are today,” says Montoya.

“I know most of the boys are playing really good footy as well but it all stems back to what the head coach is doing and what his staff are doing. He has an awesome staff that work really hard, but not only that, but just the whole club in general. The medical staff are awesome, all the people upstairs are really committed and they all work really hard which makes our jobs a lot easier.”

Their Broncos opponents have been one of the NRL’s front-runners as the regular season approaches the halfway point, and the Warriors are well aware of their qualities.

“They’re playing really good footy. They’ve been really consistent in what they’ve been doing. It’s going to keep us on our toes for sure,” says Montoya.

With Warriors captain Tohu Harris hailing from Hastings, and the recent events of Cyclone Gabrielle, Montoya says the Warriors as a whole realise the significance of their visit to the Bay.

“I know it’s a special place for Tohu and obviously what happened earlier in the year with the cyclone, it was terrible to watch. It pulls on the heartstrings when people go through what they went through. It’s pretty sad because you’ve got people who worked their whole lives to buy a house or build their family there and it’s all lost. It breaks my heart for those people.”