New Warriors coach Andrew Webster isn’t one for trinkets, souvenirs or flashy motivational posters.
His Mt Smart office is minimalistic: A desk, a couple of chairs, a few folders and a laptop. The walls are bare, apart from two A4 sheets of paper detailing style of play options, as well as the overriding key principles developed by Webster and the wider coaching team.
When the Herald visited, Webster had been in the job only a few months and was flat out in his first pre-season. But he admits he is not overly fussed on personal photos or memorabilia in his office, probably not surprising given there is little time for reflection. Like any NRL coach, Webster keeps a punishing schedule. Spending a day with him and the Warriors was instructive to understand the level of detail that goes into top tier league.
His alarm goes off most mornings between 4.40am and 5am, and after a gym workout, he is at the club by 6.30am, catching up with staff ahead of the 7am planning meeting.
From there, it doesn’t stop. The team begins to arrive soon afterwards and Webster is presenting to them at 7.45am, the first team gathering which sets the tone for the day. Training is planned the day before, before being finalised in the morning, in meticulous detail. Despite his promotion, after years of being an assistant, he remains a hands-on coach.
It’s not always going to be possible given his myriad roles but he believes it is a strength and something he enjoys. He takes a full part in a lot of drills. His default mode is encouragement but Webster is also quick to indicate when things are not good enough. After training, there are reviews with his staff, while certain players pop in to debrief or for a chat before planning begins for the following day. And week.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster speaks to the team during a training session. Photo / Photosport
Webster, along with the leadership group, has driven a lift in standards, and things seem more intense, whether it is jogging to a training drinks break, or competing in a drill. He has added more structure to the players’ day, and in a club first, has them assessing their own training video, before selecting a few clips to talk over with a member of the coaching staff. It’s a small step but one designed to drive personal responsibility for improvement, as well as getting the squad used to regular feedback.
At the same time, Webster is conscious of the demands on the modern player.
He has introduced plenty of novel aspects to pre-season - one veteran told the Herald he has experienced more variety from this mentor in a few weeks than he did in the past five or six years - and is trying to keep the players physically and mentally fresh.
There is always hope in the air during an NRL pre-season - especially with a new coach. It was the same with Brian McClennan, Matthew Elliott, Andrew McFadden, Stephen Kearney and Nathan Brown. It’s a similar feeling around Webster.
He has widely impressed the past few months, delivering on the potential Warriors powerbrokers saw, with a range of positive attributes.
While the bigger tests - and definitive judgement - will come later, the opening chapter is promising.
