Warriors job a chance to go to new level

Warriors head coach Andrew McFadden. Photo / Getty Images

New Warriors co-assistant coach Andrew Webster might be a relative unknown in New Zealand but he will arrive here intent on making a name for himself in the NRL.

The 32-year-old Sydney local has already amassed 10 years of coaching experience, including minor roles with Parramatta and the Tigers' NRL squads, and head coach and assistant posts in the Holden Cup and Super League competitions.

Webster's new job, alongside fellow co-assistant Tony Iro and under Warriors head coach Andrew McFadden, is the chance he has been waiting for to take his career to the next level. He is adamant the Warriors can fulfil their undoubted potential.

"This is the opportunity that I've been after and think I'm ready for," Webster explained. "There's a lot of upside to the Warriors at the moment. Obviously there's things that need improvement and we'll work through that in the next few months but just the opportunity to be an assistant coach in the NRL, I'm just going to rip in and give it everything I've got and try and help Cappy [McFadden] and the first grade team win as many games as I can.

"They've always had that untapped potential there but I think they've got guys with enough NRL games under their belt now that are ready to take that next step. This group can turn that potential into wins and consistency and really show everyone what they can do in the NRL and that's another strong reason why I wanted to go."

Webster is currently finishing up his coaching role with Wests Tigers Under 20s after they were eliminated from the NYC finals by Brisbane last Friday night. He plans on making the move to Auckland in the next month and wants to hit the ground running when the Warriors' pre-season gets under way on November 3.

"I'll probably try and get myself there earlier the week before and get settled down and ready for the Monday to rip in at training. I'm confident that I've got some bright new ideas. I'm going to bring a lot of enthusiasm and I'm definitely not scared to share my ideas with Cappy and make life easier for him. I'll bounce ideas off him and give him options to make some decisions."

That input is exactly what McFadden is wanting from his two new assistants, having shown the door to his 2014 offsiders, Ricky Henry and Adam Mogg.

"Certainly I want those guys to challenge me and bring new ideas," McFadden told the Warriors website yesterday. "Even though Andrew's quite young he's still had 10 years coaching and obviously Tony's had a long time in the game as well, so those experiences give them an insight into how good organisations work. And that's what I want them to challenge me on, on how we can improve our environment."

Despite Webster's tender years in NRL coaching terms, McFadden is confident he has the ability to make a strong contribution to the club's development.

"I've known Andrew for quite a while. I first met him when I was in my playing days at Parramatta, he was a junior guy coming through there, but I didn't really see him in the coaching field until I went over to France and he was coaching for Hull KR. He was doing that as a 25-year-old, coaching men, so it's pretty impressive to be able to do that and I've kept an eye on him since. I've done my research, he's got a really good reputation in the game and he's certainly a coach on the rise."

Webster flew under the radar when potential candidates for the Warriors assistant's roles were being thrown around in the media on both sides of the Tasman. Tigers NRL assistant coach Todd Payten was considered a leading contender but Webster insists the issue was never a problem for the pair.

"I stayed away from all of that. I don't like to get involved in it and I didn't know of anything between the club [Warriors] and any other assistant coaches at the Tigers. I'm still really close friends with those boys but ... to my knowledge Cappy was always interested in me."

Andrew Webster
Born: January 17, 1982
Current position:
Wests Tigers NYC head coach 2014 (also working with NRL squad)
Previous appointments:
Parramatta NYC head coach/NRL development coach 2013; Wests Tigers NYC assistant coach/Wests Tigers under-19 head coach 2012; Balmain Tigers SG Ball head coach 2012; Hull Kingston Rovers assistant coach 2009-11; Parramatta NYC work experience 2008; Hull Kingston Rovers assistant coach/academy coach 2006-07; Connecticut Wildcats player-coach 2005
Playing record:
Connecticut Wildcats 2005 (American National Rugby League)
Eastwood 2004 (Sydney Rugby Union grade competition)
Ryde-Eastwood Hawks 2003 (Jim Beam Cup)
Parramatta Eels 2002 (New South Wales Premiership)
Balmain Tigers 1998-2001 (New South Wales Premiership)