Building a cohesive halves combination will again be a puzzle for the Warriors in 2023.
The club’s halves stocks have undergone an overhaul for 2023, with Shaun Johnson the sole survivor from the 2022 first-team squad.
There was no stability in the halves pairings at the Warriors last season; Johnsonplayed alongside five halves while the club ran out eight combinations over the course of their 24-game season. Five of the Warriors’ eight combinations played just one game together.
Johnson is expected to remain the team’s first-choice halfback in 2023, while newcomers Luke Metcalf (Cronulla Sharks) and Te Maire Martin (Brisbane Broncos) join young gun Ronald Volkman in competing to play alongside the veteran.
While 2022 saw the halves turn into a merry-go-round, there is reason to be intrigued by this year’s options.
Martin is experienced and has played alongside Johnson with the Kiwis. He has a handy kicking game in general play and he is smart with his option-taking close to the line. He shapes up as the early frontrunner to partner Johnson in the halves, allowing the younger Metcalf (23) and Volkman (20) to continue their development.
Martin also provides the team with an option at fullback, along with fellow recruit Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad - who is also a proven centre - which could aid in opening up minutes for the younger players.
Metcalf welcomed the competition in the squad and was looking forward to staking his claim to first grade minutes.
“You can’t just have one or two; you need at least four, so the more the merrier,” Metcalf said of the competition in the halves.
“You’ve got to have competition and boys competing for spots. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Luke Metcalf joined the Warriors on a two-year deal. Photo / Photosport
Metcalf’s arrival at the club ends a long wait for the 23-year-old, who signed with the Warriors in November 2021 but had to see out the final year of his contract with the Sharks last season.
He brings a good ball-running option to the club, and uses his speed to his advantage at every opportunity. In just seven NRL appearances across two seasons, he has scored three tries. He describes his style of play as “eyes-up footy” and he plays with confidence.
There were suggestions the Warriors were hopeful of getting him to the club earlier, however Metcalf saw out his year in limbo, spending most of it in reserve grade as established halves Matt Moylan and Nicho Hynes – the latter winning 2022′s Dally M Award – running the show in first grade.
Metcalf has had a wealth of knowledge to tap into during his time in the NRL. Before joining the Sharks, he developed through the Manly Sea Eagles’ junior ranks when Daly Cherry-Evans and Trent Hodgkinson were paired in the halves at the top level.
While he didn’t see as much first grade action as he would have liked last year – with just one appearance – Metcalf said he embraced the opportunities to learn that were afforded to him by spending another year in the Shire.
“I had quite an enjoyable year at Cronulla,” he said. “I had a good crew there, there were a lot of good boys, [Craig Fitzgibbon] is a good coach and I learned a lot from him. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to and I didn’t get many games in first grade, but I had a good year learning and I couldn’t be more grateful for my time in Cronulla.
