With the 2026 NRL season upon us, The Big League Podcast host Nathan Limm outlines the Warriors’ premier starting line-up. Is this our year?
While Nicoll-Klokstad was below his best in 2025, his place at fullback is not in jeopardy. Fans love to debate the Warriors’ other options for the No 1 jersey, but Nicoll-Klokstad’s leadership and effort levels cannot be understated.
While he only dotted down twice last year, the fullback produced more than 150 running metres in 16 games. Those hard yards give the middles valuable seconds to recharge. It would be great to see Nicoll-Klokstad more involved in the attack in the opposition 20 this year.
The Warriors’ edges need speed, and that is exactly what Khan-Pereira will provide. Arriving from the Gold Coast Titans on a three-year term, the winger has scored 53 tries in 54 matches. In his 10 outings last year, he averaged 137m a game, made 21 tackle breaks and 11 line breaks with two try assists.
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak gets first go on the wing against the Roosters, but will have his work cut out to retain a starting spot in the line-up after an inconsistent 2025.
Berry has unfortunately been a rare sighting in the starting line-up because of his frustrating susceptibility to injury. He missed the start of last season after shoulder surgery, battled hamstring issues throughout and dislocated his shoulder late in the campaign. That niggly shoulder will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Berry’s nous for defensive positioning is something the Warriors desperately need as constantly rotating centres greatly hindered their defence last year.
Once a target of some of the more bitter Warriors fans, Pompey has developed into one of the club’s more valuable backs. The centre played every game last season, switching edges when required because of injuries. While Pompey has the odd defensive lapse, he has greatly improved in consistency and is a sure-fire starter.
The Simon Mannering Medal winner produced another outstanding season in 2025. Tuivasa-Sheck scored 12 tries, made 15 line breaks and lit up highlight reels once again with electric footwork. He also produced the highest tackle efficiency of his career to date, at 86.59%, and the third-most average running metres of his career at 216.
His leadership, experience and work ethic undoubtedly make him a club great.
It’s odd for the trademark play of a five-eighths to be a destructive spot tackle, but Harris-Tavita has proven time and again that he will provide excitement on both sides of the ball.
As one of last year’s more consistent selection options, Harris-Tavita topped the stat sheets with 18 try assists. His best performance came in the 40-10 win over the Sharks in June, in which he made multiple try-saving tackles, made 242 run metres, had 69 post-contact metres and six tackle breaks. Harris-Tavita’s combination with Luke Metcalf proved fruitful in the first half of 2025 and will hopefully continue to flourish this year.
The securing of Metcalf’s signature on a two-year contract extension in October is the club’s most crucial off-season move. The 27-year-old could be the side’s most exciting prospect this year, given we have yet to see him string together a full season.
Metcalf was leading the Dally M race midway through 2025 but his campaign was cruelly ended by an ACL injury. The halfback’s recovery is tracking well, and he hinted he could be back earlier than his scheduled round seven return. Metcalf’s speed and directness in attack provide a point of difference from the Warriors’ other halves options.
The four-time premiership-winning Penrith Panther had plenty on his plate coming into his debut season with the Warriors. Fisher-Harris took on the leadership, with his success at NRL and test level for New Zealand making him a clear choice to lead alongside Aussie coach Andrew Webster and co-captain Mitch Barnett. However, with Barnett’s ACL injury ending his season after round 13, Fisher-Harris led on his own.
His mental clarity and determination were evident before the Warriors’ playoff contest against the defending champions. “No one really respects us. No one gives us any hope, and I actually love that,” he said. “We’re the only team from New Zealand. We’ll see what our actions can do.” Although the Warriors went on to lose, it is hard not to be stirred by Fisher-Harris’s conviction. He’s a man of few words, but when he speaks, people listen.
Calls for Egan’s inclusion in State of Origin seem to surface every year, and not without good reason. The 28-year-old’s ability to manipulate defenders around the ruck and create space for his forwards makes him easily one of the best hookers in the NRL.
Egan speaks eloquently to the public and his calm nature makes him a natural leader for the younger forwards in the side, particularly when the co-captains are off the field.
The Warriors’ talismanic co-captain’s looming departure at the end of the year is set to be a massive blow to the club, but Barnett has pledged to give everything to this final campaign. An ACL injury derailed what was set to be another season of consistently high standards from the 2024 Simon Mannering Medal recipient, who is due back in round two against the Raiders.
Barnett is a reliable defensive anchor, leading by example and bringing calmness that can only be developed through years of experience. Barnett received another State of Origin call-up for New South Wales in 2025, but sustained the knee injury days later in round 13 of the NRL.
The Warriors’ Rookie of the Year and People’s Choice award recipient rose to relative New Zealand superstar status in 2025 with countless stunning plays. Halasima made his name with eye-catching cameos off the interchange, but team injuries soon helped him get elevated into the starting line-up. The 20-year-old’s power, footwork and pace make him a solid edge player, but his aerial game truly sets him apart.
Halasima’s most memorable play last year came midseason against the Newcastle Knights, when an attempted Tanah Boyd field goal on the final play was deflected into his arms. Halasima darted past six defenders over 40m to score the winning try and etch his name into Warriors folklore.
Capewell’s leadership in the forwards cannot be understated. The Queensland State of Origin second rower donned the captaincy for a short period last year while Barnett and Fisher-Harris were injured, also shifting to centre to fill an injury void. He is a consistent, reliable ball runner, although he will want to improve on last year’s 109 missed tackles.
Last season’s Dally M lock of the year is one of the Warriors’ best signings in recent history. He played every match last year, filling the void left by former skipper Tohu Harris spectacularly. Clark’s performances are eye-catching without being flashy. He is an enforcer, making almost 150 run metres and well over 30 tackles per game in his first season at Mt Smart.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.