Since his NRL debut in 2019, Boyd has amassed 69 appearances in first-grade, and has moved clubs in the hope of being the Warriors’ first choice at No 7 after a logjam of contenders at his old club.
Boyd’s move across the ditch couldn’t have come at a better time. The Warriors head into the 2025 season with no certainty over their first-choice halfback in the wake of Shaun Johnson’s retirement.
And while Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita have both shone in patches as a halfback, to call them specialists would perhaps be too strong a label. Throw Luke Metcalf into the mix, and the Warriors have a four-way shootout as to who’ll be the halves pairing by the time the new NRL season opens in Las Vegas.
Whoever wins the race for No 7 will have huge pressure on their shoulders to deliver. They’ll be replacing one of the Warriors’ greatest players, and all-time leading point-scorer.
Boyd, though, outlines that being another Shaun Johnson is not what the Warriors need.
“I don’t think you can ever replace Shaun,” said Boyd. “He was a pretty special player.
That day, Boyd scored a try, kicked three conversions, and most significantly kicked a game-high 771 metres with the boot. In that same match, Johnson kicked only 644 metres.
While the Warriors have without question lost plenty with Johnson’s retirement, losing his boot is potentially the biggest disruptor to the system Webster wants to play.
For Webster himself, wanting Boyd at the Warriors extends beyond what he saw in that one match. He sees a player with potential needing the chance to take his game to a new level.
“I always thought he was that kid who was a star on the way up,” Webster explained. “He debuted at a really young age with big hopes on him.
“Halves don’t really learn their craft until they’re between the 75 to 100 [game] mark. He’ll get close to that in the next couple of years. He’s fitted in really well, I’m really happy with what he’s done so far.
“He can goal kick, he can organise really well, he’s tough, he’s fit as anything.
Tanah Boyd has signed a two-year deal with the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
“I remember here on Anzac Day, he made it a tough day for us, that’s for sure.”
Regardless of who wins the race to be the halves pairing initially, the Warriors do have a core of four, if not five, contenders for 2025 and beyond.
In Johnson’s injury absence in 2024, Martin stepped up at halfback, and registered 16 try assists in 16 games, having shifted from being Johnson’s partner at five-eighth.
Metcalf has traditionally been Webster’s go-to at No 6, but his time at the Warriors has been blighted by injuries, and played only 19 games in two years.
Meanwhile, Harris-Tavita has proven to be capable across the park, including the halves. However, that versatility can also count against him, seeing the 25-year-old asked to play in multiple different roles, instead of specialising in one.
“That’s one of our highlights, that’s for sure [with] the depth we’ve got there,” said Webster. “I think we realised we need to create that depth every season as best as we can. It’s really important that they win you games, you’ve got to have them.
“They’re competing really well. I can see a difference that they’re really trying to help each other as well. They want each other to get better.
“It’s really good at the moment.”
But while he could be considered the front-runner to start at No 7, Boyd knows he still has work to do.
And if he is the man to run out at halfback against the Raiders in Las Vegas, he’ll do so as the first Tanah Boyd, not the next Shaun Johnson.
“I just want to focus on my strengths, whatever I can bring to the team,” Boyd explained.
“If they’ll like that, they’ll go with it. But for me, I’m just focusing on me and what I can bring to the team.
“I’m constantly trying to evolve my game and get better each day. I’m learning so much so far with Webby.
“It’s been a good change.”
Alex Powell is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
