NZ Warriors 2026 Mid-Season Review: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

With the Warriors enjoying their second bye of the season in Round 14, I have no match to review, so I thought it was the best time to write my mid-season review.

I came into the 2026 season cautiously optimistic. In my season preview, I predicted the Warriors would finish sixth, believing that if they could pick up a few wins early, stay relatively healthy, and build momentum before Luke Metcalf returned, they would give themselves every chance of playing finals footy. What I didn't expect was for them to completely blow those expectations out of the water.

Rather than simply surviving without Metcalf, the Warriors flourished. Tanah Boyd grabbed his opportunity with both hands, made the No. 7 jersey his own, and helped steer the team through a remarkable run of form. Fourteen rounds into the season, the Warriors sit second on the ladder with nine wins from twelve matches, 22 competition points, and an impressive +154 points differential. It's not just that they're winning games; they're consistently proving they belong among the NRL's genuine premiership contenders.

One of the biggest differences between this year's side and the team we saw in 2025 has been their ability to score points. Last season, the Warriors won 13 games, but only five of those victories came by 13 points or more, with many of their wins turning into tense, grind-it-out affairs. This year, they've become far more ruthless when opportunities present themselves. Seven of thier nine wins have been by 13 points or more, highlighting a team that is not only creating chances but consistently converting them into scoreboard pressure. That improved attacking efficiency has allowed the Warriors to take control of games, build healthy margins, and ultimately put themselves in control of thier own destiny.

Sticking with the format I’ve used over the past few seasons, I’ll break this review down into the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Then I’ll wrap things up with a look ahead to the second half of the season, update my Player of the Year tally, and give my prediction for the Sharks clash in Round 15.

So, let's just get into it.

The Good

One of the biggest positives in the Warriors’ season so far has been their improved discipline and lower error rate. They currently lead the competition for the fewest errors (119) and sit top of the league with an 84% completion rate. That level of control has been key to building and sustaining momentum, especially in tight games where possession is crucial.

What really stands out is how that control is now translating on the field. In past seasons, high completion rates didn’t always lead to points, but this year there’s a much clearer link between completed sets and sustained pressure. The Warriors are turning possession into repeat sets, forcing mistakes, and consistently building scoreboard pressure. That discipline has also taken pressure off their defence, allowing them to defend from stronger, more controlled positions rather than constantly scrambling to recover from avoidable errors.

A key reason behind the Warriors’ success this season has been the strength of their forward pack. Their ability to consistently win the middle has set the platform for everything else, with the pack driving standards through effort, physicality, and high work rate. 

That effort has been led by Jackson Ford, who has run for 2,093 metres, including 872 post-contact metres, and made 514 tackles at 93.6% efficiency. James Fisher-Harris has been just as important, adding 1,728 running metres (670 post-contact) and 379 tackles at the same 93.6% efficiency, bringing strong leadership and real presence through the middle. Erin Clark has also been a standout, with 1,659 running metres (607 post-contact) and 328 tackles at an excellent 96.8% efficiency, underlining his consistency on both sides of the ball. Crucially, this dominance hasn’t just come from the established forwards. Younger players like Demitric Vaimauga, Jacob Laban, and Tanner Stowers-Smith have all contributed by doing the tough work and maintaining momentum when the starters rotate off. Their involvement has ensured there’s no drop in intensity, keeping the team moving forward at all times.

Together, this group has formed the backbone of the side, allowing the Warriors to consistently compete and often win the physical battle up front, which has been the foundation of their season.

One of the biggest success stories of the Warriors’ 2026 season has been the emergence of Tanah Boyd, whose outstanding campaign was unfortunately cut short by an ACL injury. In just 10 appearances, Boyd scored three tries, kicked 40 goals, averaged 486 kicking metres and 64 running metres per game, while also producing 10 try assists and nine line break assists. Although his goal-kicking accuracy of 70.2% left room for improvement, his overall impact on the team's attack was impossible to ignore.

What makes Boyd’s rise even more impressive is where he stood at the end of last season. After activating his player option despite being told he would likely spend most of the year in reserve grade unless injuries opened a door, many questioned the decision. When that opportunity finally came, Boyd made the most of it. He quickly established himself as the side’s chief organiser, helped guide the Warriors to a strong start to the season, and earned a new contract along the way. Boyd may not have the flashy highlights or natural flair of some of the halves the Warriors have relied on in recent years, but what he brought was arguably more important: consistency, composure, and control. Week after week, he directed the team around the park, made smart decisions, and allowed those around him to play their roles. After years of searching for the right combination in the halves, the Warriors may have discovered that steady and dependable is exactly what they needed.

My game of the year so far was the Warriors’ most recent match, the heartbreaking 20-18 loss to the Panthers. It was everything you could want from a clash between the top two teams on the ladder. The intensity was there from the opening whistle, the physical battle never let up, and it had all the hallmarks of a finals match despite being played in June. While the Warriors fell just short, the performance only strengthened my belief that this side belongs among the NRL’s elite. They matched Penrith across the park and created enough opportunities to come away with the win.

What made the contest so memorable was the quality of football on display. Every set carried weight, every defensive stand felt crucial, and there was almost nothing separating the two teams. The Warriors showed they can go toe-to-toe with a side many still view as the benchmark of the competition.

Despite the disappointment of the result, there should be plenty of confidence taken from the performance. The effort, intensity, and execution were all there, and the lessons learned from this defeat could prove invaluable when these sides meet again later in the season, particularly if they cross paths in the finals.

The Bad

One area where the Warriors can still improve is reducing their reliance on forward dominance. When the pack is winning the middle and generating quick play-the-balls, the Warriors look like one of the most dangerous teams in the competition. But when opposition forward packs have been able to match them physically or slow their momentum, the attack has sometimes struggled to find another gear.

The losses to the Tigers and Sharks highlighted this clearly. In both games, the Warriors were unable to consistently win the middle battle, and as a result, their attack became more predictable and struggled to build pressure or points.

While a strong forward platform is the foundation of any successful side, developing more variation and attacking threats when that platform isn’t there could be the key to taking this team to another level in the second half of the season.

Goal kicking is one area that hasn’t cost the Warriors a match yet, but it is becoming an ongoing concern that could prove costly in tighter contests later in the season. Overall, their goal-kicking has been inconsistent, with the main kickers producing mixed results.

Tanah Boyd has landed 40 goals at a 70.2% success rate, which is below his usual standard, while Chanel Harris-Tavita has kicked 5 from 8 at 62.5%. At the NRL level, where margins are often razor-thin, those numbers leave plenty of room for improvement.

There have, however, been some encouraging alternatives. Taine Tuaupiki has impressed with 6 goals at 85.7%, while Adam Pompey has been flawless so far, converting all 3 of his attempts. Both have shown they can provide greater reliability when turning four points into six, and as the season progresses, the Warriors may need to lean more on their higher-percentage options to avoid leaving points on the field in key moments.

One area the Warriors still need to tidy up is their defence against second-phase play. Their structured system is generally strong when set, but it can be exposed when opposition teams extend sets through offloads, broken play, or late-arriving support runners. In those moments, the defensive line can lose its shape, forcing players into reactive decisions rather than controlled reads.

This has shown up at different points this season, where strong initial contact hasn’t always resulted in completed tackles, allowing opponents to build extra metres and momentum. That said, it is fair to note this is partly nitpicking, as their scramble defence often does a good job of cleaning up and limiting damage. Still, when it breaks down, it can quickly shift momentum and put the Warriors under sustained pressure. Tightening up around the ruck and finishing defensive sets more cleanly will be important, particularly against top sides who are most dangerous when given extra space and time.

The Warriors’ Round 4 32-14 loss to the Wests Tigers was one of their more disappointing performances of the season so far. They started strongly, racing to an early 10-0 lead, but once momentum shifted, they struggled to regain control. From there, the game gradually slipped away, with errors creeping in, defensive structure breaking down, and the Tigers building confidence as the contest opened up. What made it particularly frustrating was that the match felt like it was there for the taking early on. The Warriors had built pressure and looked in control, but couldn’t manage the game once things began to swing. Instead of slowing the tempo and re-establishing their structure, the game sped up around them, allowing the Tigers to play with freedom and find space. In hindsight, it served as an important early-season reminder of the standards required each week. While the Warriors had started the year strongly, this performance highlighted the danger of lapses in concentration and the importance of maintaining control for the full 80 minutes, regardless of the scoreboard.

And now all that's left is the ugly.

The Ugly

The injury to Tanah Boyd was one of the defining low points of the Warriors’ season and a harsh reminder of how unforgiving the NRL can be. After a career-best start and finally locking down the role of chief organiser, his momentum was cut short by an ACL injury that ended his campaign just as he was taking full control of the team’s attack. His form had also helped shape the club’s wider direction, influencing key roster decisions, most notably Luke Metcalf choosing to move on rather than compete for the halfback role Boyd had made his own. In many ways, Boyd wasn’t just performing well; he was actively reshaping the future of the Warriors’ spine. Seeing that progress halted so suddenly only adds to the frustration, especially given the club’s recent run of serious injuries. Just when stability in the halves looked like it had finally been found, the game once again delivered a reminder that both momentum and long-term planning can be taken away in an instant.

The season-ending ACL injury to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was another major setback for the Warriors, coming not long after the loss of Tanah Boyd for the year. In what was meant to be his final season in the famous jersey, RTS deserved a far better farewell than this.

A true club great, he leaves behind a legacy few can match, a Dally M Medal winner, a four-time Simon Mannering Medallist, and one of the most influential players in Warriors history. Beyond the accolades, his impact both on and off the field helped define an era of the club.

His final chapter had also started to take shape after his move into the centres, where he was finding his rhythm and building a strong partnership with Alofiana Khan-Pereira on the left edge. That combination was growing in confidence each week and adding a dangerous new attacking outlet at an important point in the season. Instead, injury has cut it short, ending his campaign prematurely and denying both him and fans the ending he deserved. It’s another reminder that in rugby league, while the stories are often romantic in hindsight, you rarely get to choose how they finish.

This is admittedly a bit of a selfish one, but I’ve really missed having the Warriors at Mount Smart recently. The team is just at the end of seven straight weeks without playing at their true home ground. Even allowing for “home” games in Wellington and Brisbane, plus two byes, it just feels like a very long wait between games in Auckland, and they had a similar situation last season, too. I completely understand why the club takes games on the road. It helps grow the game, reaches different fan bases, and events like Magic Round come with clear benefits. But as someone who enjoys getting to games whenever possible, it’s hard not to wish there had been a few more opportunities to watch the team at home.

The Season so far and what's next

Overall, the Warriors have exceeded my expectations this season to date. The Ladder is still tight, like it is most years, but the Warriors are sitting second place with 9 wins and 3 losses, but are only two points ahead of the third-place Roosters and four points ahead of the fourth-place Sea Eagles, so that spot is not guaranteed and the Warriors will have to keep their foot down and keep those wins coming. 

While there are still areas for improvement, particularly around defending second-phase play, goal-kicking consistency, and turning periods of dominance into points, the Warriors have built a strong platform through the first half of the season. Their forward pack has been among the best in the competition, while players such as Jackson Ford and Chanel Harris-Tavita are producing some of the finest football of their careers. Even with the season-ending injuries to Tanah Boyd and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the side has shown it has the depth, resilience, and belief needed to overcome adversity.

More importantly, the Warriors have proven they can match it with the NRL’s best. Their recent performance against Penrith reinforced that they belong in the premiership conversation. If they can continue building on their strengths while addressing the areas that need refining, there is every reason to believe this team can make a deep run into September.

Looking at the second half of the season, the Warriors have 12 matches remaining, along with one final bye. Sitting near the top of the ladder, they are in a strong position, but there is still plenty of work to do if they want to secure a top-two finish and put themselves in the best possible position for the finals. The Warriors have six home games left, although one of those will be played in Christchurch. The standout fixture is the Round 23 rematch against the Panthers, a game that could have a major impact on both the top-four race and the premiership picture. They also have six away games remaining, including a challenging trip to Suncorp Stadium in Round 24 for their second clash with the Broncos at that venue this season.

As of writing, their final 12 opponents are evenly split between six teams currently inside the top eight and six outside it. On paper, it looks like a balanced run home, but the NRL rarely offers easy games. Several lower-ranked teams have already shown they can upset quality opposition, and the Warriors experienced that firsthand against the Tigers earlier in the year.

If they can maintain the standards they have set through the first half of the season and continue building on their strong foundation, they will give themselves every chance of making a genuine push for the premiership.

Update on Brad's Player of the Year Standings

After every match, I award Dally M-style 3, 2, and 1 points to the Warriors' best performers, and with 14 rounds now in the books, the race for my Player of the Year award is beginning to take shape.

Sixteen different players have collected points so far this season, highlighting the contributions being made right across the squad. 

Jackson Ford currently leads the way on 13 points after a career-best campaign, while Taine Tuaupiki sits second on 9 points. Tanah Boyd, Erin Clark, and James Fisher-Harris are locked together on 8 points, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck close behind on 6 despite his season-ending injury. 

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak sits on 5 points, while Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Jacob Laban have collected 3 points each. Chanel Harris-Tavita and Alofiana Khan-Pereira are next on 2 points, with Leka Halasima, Tanner Stowers-Smith, Demitric Vaimauga, Mitchell Barnett, and Te Maire Martin all picking up a point during the opening 14 rounds.

On the other side of the ledger, I also keep track of the players I select each week as needing to improve. Fortunately for the Warriors, that list has remained relatively short throughout the season. Just seven players have featured so far, with Leka Halasima and Ali Leiataua the only ones selected on multiple occasions, each receiving two selections.

The remaining players to make the list are Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Marata Niukore, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, and Demitric Vaimauga, who have all been selected once. Perhaps the most telling statistic, however, is that on three occasions this season I haven't been able to nominate anyone at all, reflecting the consistently high standards the Warriors have maintained through the opening 14 rounds.

Next Round's Thoughts and Prediction

In Round 15, the Warriors return home to face the Sharks, who defeated the Dragons 34-12 in Round 14.

As for the team I would pick, Sam Healey has been ruled out with a thumb injury, and with no further update on Leka Halasima's hamstring issue, I'm assuming he won't be available either.

I would bring Kurt Capewell into the starting side in place of Halasima and promote Makaia Tafua to replace Healey. The only other change I'd make is bringing Mitchell Barnett back onto the bench in place of Marata Niukore.

I know Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is ready to return, but it's impossible to leave Taine Tuaupiki out of the side based on his recent form. The Warriors also need Adam Pompey's goalkicking, which means the only realistic spot for CNK would be Ali Leiataua's. Personally, I'd rather give Leiataua a chance to bounce back after a tough outing and let CNK get a game in NSW Cup to regain match fitness before returning to first grade.

The Sharks have been one of the hardest teams to figure out this season. At their best, they can trouble anyone, as the Warriors found out in Round 5 and the Sea Eagles did in Round 13. However, they have also let several winnable games slip away, which is why I've often labelled them flat-track bullies. When they get on top, their attack can be dangerous, but they haven't always handled pressure well when games become a grind.

For the Warriors, the formula is fairly simple. They need to win the battle through the middle, control possession, and build sustained pressure. If their pack can dominate the ruck and create quick play-the-balls, it will give their spine every chance to take control. The return to Auckland should also provide a boost, with this being the team's first home game in seven weeks. I don't expect it to be easy, but if the Warriors bring the same intensity they've shown for most of the season, I think they can gain some revenge for the earlier loss and get the job done by at least 12 points.

So that was my mid-season review, and as usual, I will leave you with some questions.

Who has been your player of the year to date?

Who is your player that needs to improve the most?

Where do you see the Warriors finishing on the ladder?

What are your best and worst games for the Season so far?

What is your score prediction against the Sharks?