NRL: Wayde Egan excited about Warriors' appointment of Andrew Webster

Wayde Egan has given a thumbs up to the Warriors' coaching appointment. Photo / Getty

Senior Warriors player Wayde Egan believes new coach Andrew Webster has the credentials to take the Mt Smart club to another level.

Webster was confirmed as the Warriors' new head coach on Friday, with the 40-year-old signed on a three-year deal from the 2023 season.

Egan is confident that Webster's long tenure as an assistant – including the last two seasons at Penrith – can translate to success in Auckland.

"It's a great decision," Egan told the Herald. "He has come through a really good system at Penrith. He has lot of experience at different clubs and it is not rocket science this game, you want to do what the good clubs are doing.

"He will bring in structures that Penrith has had; if he can implement a similar style that will go a long way towards building the club we want to be."

After coming through the grades at Penrith, Egan remains close with his former Panthers teammates and says the feedback about Webster has been universally positive.

He's also unconcerned about Webster's lack of time in the NRL hot seat - having only three games as a caretaker head coach - and thinks it could be an advantage.

"Sometimes you can get a head coach that might think it's his way or the highway but as a young coach it will be exciting," said Egan. "He can work with the leadership group and his assistant coaches to develop a game plan."

The resolution to the Warriors' coaching search was overshadowed last week by the departure of Reece Walsh, with the 19-year-old confirmed on a three-year deal at the Broncos on Friday. He gained an early release for personal reasons, following a split with his partner, who is the mother of his young daughter.

Egan will be sad to see Walsh go, but is also sympathetic to the circumstances.

"It's a tough one," said Egan. "He's a great kid and probably one of the most talented young guys in the game but to keep him away from his family at such a young age is just not fair.

"The club has been beat up in the media about letting him go but they put people first. If the shoe was on the other foot and they weren't letting him go, there would probably be people bashing the club for not letting him see his daughter. Everyone is a person first and we have to do what's right for him and his personal life."

Egan is good friends with Walsh, who he says is caught in a difficult predicament.

"He's very disappointed about not being able to stay, but he wouldn't be able to see his daughter enough if he was based in New Zealand," said Egan.

The impending arrival of Raiders fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad softens the blow, with his experience and dependability.

'Reece is a big loss but to have someone like him, with his work rate and toughness will really help us at the back," said Egan. "He's a different player to Reece but high quality. I've played against him a lot and he is always tough to deal with."

After a week off with the bye, the Warriors are back in training today, ahead of their round 18 clash with Parramatta in Sydney on Friday.