Act of Squad: Warriors predicted Round 1 team and 2024 overview

By crushing the expectations placed on them last year the Warriors have set lofty ones for themselves in 2024, with a couple of high-profile signings only adding to the belief that they're a genuine chance of claiming a maiden premiership. 

Bringing back favourite son and former Dally M winner Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will add more class to a backline that as it was had no trouble scoring points last season, while in Kurt Capewell they have acquired a proven winner who was minutes away from helping the Broncos win it all in 2023. 

The signing of Capewell is particularly important given it should allow Marata Niukore to play predominantly as a middle forward rather than on an edge, strengthening an area which the Warriors lack depth in. 

The battle in the halves shapes as the biggest talking point, with Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf bringing vastly different skillsets to the five-eighth position, while in the back five fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and centre Tuivasa-Sheck are the only locked in players right now.

That leaves Rocco Berry, Adam Pompey, Ed Kosi, Marcelo Montoya, who all featured heavily in the NRL squad last year, along with impressive second-year centre Ali Leiataua, to battle it out for the remaining two spots. 

At the same time as spirits and expectations being high in Auckland, the departure of their best forward, Addin Fonua-Blake, at the end of 2024 is also hovering over the club, creating a sense of urgency around making the most of this current group.

Predicted Round 1 team

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
3. Rocco Berry 
4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
5. Marcelo Montoya
6. Te Maire Martin
7. Shaun Johnson
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Wayde Egan
10. Mitch Barnett
11. Jackson Ford
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Tohu Harris
14. Dylan Walker
15. Jazz Tevaga
16. Marata Niukore
17. Tom Ale

Full Warriors squad and signings here.

Key Changes

Ins: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (rugby union), Kurt Capewell (Broncos), Chanel Harris-Tavita.
Out: Bayley Sironen (Catalans Dragons), Josh Curran (Bulldogs).

Health Check

Shaun Johnson (ankle, Round 1), Demitric Sifakula (knee, mid-season). 

Positional Battle to Watch

It was a selection headache coach Andrew Webster didn't have to worry about last season, with Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf both suffering long injury layoffs that overlapped, ensuring one of them was always in the rehab ward while the other was on the field. But come Round 1 there's a big decision to be made when it comes to the No.6 jersey, after Metcalf took over from Martin in the middle part of the season and scored nine tries on his way to winning 10 of the 12 games he featured in through 2023. Martin has runs on the board and has played at the highest levels of the game, with his defence in particular standing out through the early part of last year, while Metcalf brings a different level of athleticism and is a game-breaker. The returning Chanel Harris-Tavita can be thrown into the mix too, although it's likely he will be repurposed as a utility in 2024.