At a glance
Andrew Webster isn’t fazed by the respective teams’ season start records as the winless Warriors host the top-of-the-table Raiders in Christchurch – but he wants to “get rid of a yuck feeling’’.
Ricky Stuart’s Canberra combo have had two victories while the Warriors – one of the pre-season favourites – have yet to open their 2024 account.
But Webster believes his group’s best ‘‘is better than most in the NRL’’, and the Warriors head coach isn’t losing any sleep over that statistic ahead of tonight’s clash at a sold-out Apollo Projects Stadium.
“How many wins they’ve had or how many losses we’ve had in comparison to them, that’s not a factor.
“We've got to beat ourselves this week … we’ve got to do everything right and worry about our own game. If we do that against a really good Canberra side, we will give ourselves a real good chance to win.
“We are worried about our performance rather than 0 and 2, or 2 and 0.’’
Webster was encouraged that the Warriors “built a lot of pressure on the Storm’’, and ‘‘if we do it for longer, we will get what we want“against the Canberra.
He noted the Raiders lead the NRL for most tries and kicks and have the highest tackle set completion rate. Like the Warriors, they pride themselves on a strong kick-chase game
“Every one of their players is hard to tackle. We are going to have to bring our best defensive game, and they have offloading threats everywhere.”
But Webster is confident the Warriors have the firepower to be one of the best in the NRL. “But we all know it’s there for 80 [minutes], so we’ve got to get that right.”
He admitted they had had problem periods in their two opening games - the second 20 in the season opener against the Sharks, and the first 20 in last week’s loss to the Storm in Melbourne.
“We’ve just got to make sure we present for the whole 80.”
Despite the defeats, Webster and his coaching staff never considered wholesale changes. There were no selection dramas, with hooker Wayde Egan’s return from injury the only change to the run-on 13 in Melbourne.
That again comes down to Webster’s confidence in his charges, with big wraps paid this week to rookie Taine Tuaupiki’s stay form at fullback and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s transition to his new role at centre.
Webster was confident the first-choice dummy half would be fit to start.
The Warriors’ experienced pack, led by captain Tohu Harris, faces another big challenge from a Raiders unit bolstered by skipper Elliott Whitehead’s return to the second row after a groin injury.
Kiwis star Joseph Tapine – one of the best middle forwards in the NRL for the past few seasons – and a slimmed-down Josh Papalii are ball-carrying threats.
What: NRL, Warriors v Raiders
Where, when: Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch; 8pm tonight
Coverage: Like on Sky Sport 54, updates on
Warriors: Taine Tuaupiki, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Rocco Berry, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Marcelo Montoya, Luke Metcalf, Shaun Johnson, Addin Fonua-Blake, Wayde Egan, Mitch Barnett, Jackson Ford, Kurt Capewell, Tohu Harris (capt). Interchange: Freddy Lussick, Tom Ale, Bunty Afoa, Dylan Walker.
Raiders: Jordan Rapana, Nick Cotric, Matthew Timoko, Albert Hopoate, Xavier Savage, Ethan Strange, Jamal Fogarty, Josh Papalii, Danny Levi, Joseph Tapine, Hudson Young, Elliott Whitehead (capt), Morgan Smithies. Interchange: Tom Starling, Emre Guler, Zac Hosking, Pasami Saulo.
Referee: Liam Kennedy.
Tapine is one of four New Zealanders in Stuart’s squad, along with veteran fullback Jordan Rapana, rejuvenated hooker Danny Levi and centre Matthew Timoko. There would have been a fifth, but centre Seb Kris is out with concussion.
As for Webster, did he gain any consolation
“We are worried about our performance rather than 0 and 2, or 2 and 0.’’ Andrew Webster, Warriors coach
from the Warriors losing last week to Xavier Coates’ spectacular aerial try, since dubbed the best in NRL history?
“No, it hurts more,’’ he said. ”It was a freakish try, but we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that situation. I’m looking forward to getting rid of that yuck feeling.“