Warriors v Rabbitohs: Andrew Webster’s sympathy for Te Maire Martin in fight for first-grade spot

Andrew Webster understands any frustrations from off-contract half Te Maire Martin, even as he takes on a new role with the Warriors.

Since he arrived at the Warriors from the Brisbane Broncos in 2023, the 29-year-old has been forced to be patient in his wait for opportunities in first grade.

While Martin started the 2023 season as the first choice, injuries saw that mantle largely shift to Luke Metcalf.

Then, even as Martin shone in Shaun Johnson’s absence last year, he still lost his place once Webster had a full quota to pick from.

This year, as Webster has largely put his faith in a halves pairing of Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita, Martin has again been forced to bide his time and wait for a chance.

And while Dylan Walker’s exit to the Parramatta Eels has seen Martin take on the important role of being the Warriors’ No 14, his four appearances so far have yielded just 69 minutes of game play.

This weekend, as the Warriors travel to face the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Martin will again start on the interchange, in the hope of bouncing back from last weekend’s defeat to the Canberra Raiders.

But while he’d almost certainly prefer to be in the halves, his coach hailed the way in which Martin has thrown himself into his new job.

“He’s going well,” said Webster. “It’s all different for him.

“He’s nine cover, 13 cover, half cover and fullback cover. As soon as Charnze got sin-binned [against the Canberra Raiders], we wanted to move him and get him straight on the field.

“I thought he did a decent job, he’s got to keep working. It’s hard, during one week you don’t get reps in every single one of the positions you’re covering, because there’s not enough time.

“But he’s doing a good job, trying to do his best there.”

As coach, Webster is in a difficult spot when it comes to players in Martin’s boat.

On one hand, having such a strong roster is a situation that any club would dream for. On the other, though, finding a way to keep players happy while they aren’t playing is a challenge all clubs face at one point or another.

Te Maire Martin. Photo / Photosport

Aside from Martin, Tanah Boyd is another having to wait for the chance to impress. This weekend also sees Ali Leiataua drop down into reserve grade, given the Warriors’ options in the centres.

Taine Tuaupiki also lost his spot to the returning Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, despite his impressive start to the season playing on the wing.

And while Webster empathises with his players, the greater good of the collective always comes before the wants of an individual.

“It’s difficult for them, it’s difficult for me,” the coach professed. “They’re probably frustrated they’re not playing, but it’s great for our club that we’ve got that depth.

“They’re quality players. If we do have to call on them at some stage, they’re ready. If they force their way into the team, it’s exciting.

“It’s difficult in the sense that someone has to miss out, but it’s great for our club.”

In Martin’s case, though, the end might be in sight.

Given he comes off contract with the Warriors at the end of 2025, the half is currently able to negotiate with rivals to secure his next deal.

The Herald understands that Martin’s preference would be to stay at the Warriors. However, salary cap demands might put that notion on ice.

The signing of 19-year-old Jye Ginnane as a five-eighth for the future is already a sign that the Warriors are building depth in Martin’s position.

On top of that, the Parramatta Eels, Canberra Raiders, Manly Sea Eagles and Wests Tigers all need halves for 2026, and Martin would serve as a ready-made option – with 97 NRL appearances already under his belt.

But while Webster won’t publicly discuss his interactions with Martin, he says that the conversations around what happens next are being had.

“We always have those conversations internally. They’re private conversations between Te Maire, myself and the club.

“But we’ve got an honest and open and honest relationship, we chat regularly about it.”

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.