Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave and the NZ Herald's Bonnie Jansen get together to preview the weekend's sport.
Video / NZ Herald / Photosport
For Luke Metcalf, hardship could be the springboard to success.
The Warriors half was cruelly affected by injuries in 2023 but hopes a new approach to training and gym work will pay dividends.
Metcalf was almost the forgotten man of the finals run last season, thanks to atorn hamstring that ended his campaign in round 26. That was tough, as Metcalf had been one of the form players of the second half of 2023, with his pace and flair giving the Warriors a new attacking edge.
“It was a bittersweet moment,” admitted Metcalf. “I was so happy for the boys to make it to the semis, with that home final and do what they did but at the same time, from a personal note, I was a little bit upset that I couldn’t be part of it all.”
Metcalf wasn’t initially ruled out – with coaching staff publicly remaining hopeful – but he knew the chances of returning were remote.
Luke Metcalf celebrates a try with Rocco Berry. Photo / photosport.nz
After the hamstring problems last season, on top of others throughout his short career, he believes he has reached a turning point. The 24-year-old has a new appreciation of what it takes to stay healthy, along with the value of time in the gym.
“I’ve done so many reps in the preseason, it gives me the confidence to know that I am feeling good,” said Metcalf. “It took those [injuries] to understand how much I need to do to prep my body outside of training and away from training.”
“It could be a blessing in disguise in the future, in terms of not having those injuries. It’s probably the best I have felt at this time of year since I first started training with the NRL back when I was 18.”
Metcalf has put on “four or five” kilos and is feeling strong and solid, close to 90kg. It’s the culmination of a plan put together by the club’s high performance department – to ‘re-build’ Metcalf – along with a change of focus from the player.
“I started taking it a bit more seriously,” said Metcalf. “It was something I was never fully into away from footy.”
Metcalf isn’t worried about losing pace, expecting to be quicker from “putting on muscle in the right areas”. That’s an exciting prospect and another plus in the internal battle with Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita for the halves spot alongside Shaun Johnson. It’s a positive headache for coach Andrew Webster, though it will be a challenge to keep everyone happy and motivated.
Luke Metcalf scored six tries in 12 NRL appearances in 2023
Photo: NRL Photos / www.photosport.nz
Metcalf’s contract is up at the end of this season but he is relaxed about the future.
“Me and the club know where we are at, said Metcalf. “We’ll see what happens, I’m really enjoying my time here at the moment.”
Metcalf’s career has been a slow burn. He was an outstanding junior but an ACL injury and the Covid-19 shutdown stymied his three-season spell at Manly as a teenager, before seven first-grade matches for the Sharks across two years.
“Obviously some things haven’t gone right for me in the past with injuries and Covid and all that sort of thing when I was around that 21, 22 mark,” said Metcalf. “You see other people come on the scene and I’ve always known I’m up for it and right for it…I know I’ve got the ability.”
That was evident with his performances last season and who knows what is possible this year, off the back of the best pre-season of his career.
“It is going to be a great year for Luke,” asserted Webster. “The way he has trained has been unbelievable. Hopefully he stays injury-free but he has done everything he can to do that; he’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s put some weight on. He looks like he is ready to go, I’m confident for him.”
Metcalf will get a chance to display his organisational skills from halfback in Sunday afternoon’s trial against the Tigers in Christchurch, with Harris-Tavita at No 6. It’s an experimental lineup but familiar names include Marcelo Montoya, Bunty Afoa, Tom Ale and Jackson Ford. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck makes his long-awaited return while Ali Leiataua, who had a remarkable club debut in Canberra last year, is beside him in the centres.
“I’ll focus on my role, try to guide the team around, defend well, kick well and run the ball,” said Metcalf. “It’s about putting into practice the whole preseason.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.
