Source: Radio New Zealand
Mitch Barnett and Luke Metcalf have both returned from season-ending knee injuries. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
NRL: NZ Warriors v Wests Tigers
Kickoff 8pm, Friday, 27 March
Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Live blog updates on RNZ website
As his squad returns to full fitness, NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster has taken a pragmatic approach to his weekly selections.
Last week, co-captain Mitch Barnett took the field for the first time since rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last June and this week, half Luke Metcalf will make his long-awaited comeback from the same injury.
In both cases, their jerseys have been filled more than adequately by Jackson Ford and Tanah Boyd, so Webster has simply given the incumbents different jerseys – for now.
Ford has made the starting front-row position his own, logging huge minutes, leading the team in both run metres and tackles, leading the competition in post-contact metres and sitting atop the Dally M Medal standings after three rounds.
Boyd is the NRL’s leading scorer, including a try in each of the Warriors’ three wins, and also paces the competition in try assists. He sits fourth in Dally M standings and would be higher, if Ford wasn’t hogging all the points.
If it isn’t broken, why fix it?
Against Wests Tigers on Friday, Webster has named Metcalf at five-eighth outside Boyd, a position he has played extensively before.
When he first arrived at Mt Smart, Metcalf played that spot outside Shaun Johnson, but slid across to replace the club legend after he retired.
“The first time Luke ever played No.7 was last year, when we turned him into a halfback,” Webster confirmed. “Most of his career, he’s played fullback or No.6.
“I wouldn’t say it’s more natural, because he was leading the Dally Ms at No.7 last year, but it’s more the fact that he’s very good at both.”
Luke Metcalf has been training against the Warriors starters as he returns to play. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Metcalf, 27, is back on the field more than a month earlier than originally expected. His round 8-10 timeline was moved up a couple of weeks this month, but Metcalf has been training the house down and Webster was unable to hold him back any longer.
“He’s been training with the team – or against the team – for quite a long time,” Webster said. “It’s certainly helped our defence, because he’s been throwing opposition shapes at us and you get really good practice there.
“We thought we’d play it by ear and thought it would be a couple of weeks later. Two weeks ago, we thought it would be closer, because of the reps and how he was feeling, so it’s come a little bit early.
“I just thought he was ready to go. We had to rip the band-aid off at some point.”
With Boyd stamping his authority, Metcalf supplants Chanel Harris-Tavita, who scored a try double in the season-opener against Sydney Roosters, but missed time through concussion, and Luke Hanson, who scored a popular try on debut against Newcastle Knights last weekend.
“We don’t need a complete disruption of the way we play this week,” Webster said. “We need to drop someone in that knows their role and can have a high impact.
“Luke can do that, with the guidance of Tanah.
“Tanah can keep doing what he’s doing and he can put Luke in great situations, and when the time comes, Luke Metcalf can be a great traditional halfback as well.”
Playing alongside his in-form partner allows Metcalf to ease back into action, without the pressure of calling the shots immediately.
He’s riding shotgun, with Boyd behind the wheel.
“There’s got to come a time when you just say, ‘What’s our best 17 this week?’ and just put the pieces where we need them,” Webster said. “They’re good players, so they need to work it out.”
Meanwhile, Webster has adopted a similar mindset to Barnett’s return, which came off the bench against the Knights and will remain there against Wests.
When he does take the field, he will more likely replace veteran prop James Fisher-Harris or lock Erin Clark, not necessarily Ford.
Mitch Barnett has taken a seat behind Dally M Medal leader Jackson Ford in the Warriors line-up. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
“Jackson’s strength is playing big minutes and we’d be stupid not to draw on that,” Webster confirmed.
“It’s always a nicer feeling if you can make two [substitutions] at halftime, three you’re on the edge a bit and four you don’t want to.
“On the weekend, Morgan Gannon goes down early, then we need to replace our other two [middles], so that’s three subs before halftime. If you made a fourth and Jackson has to come off, you start to struggle at the back end of the game.
“His strength is endurance, so let’s stay with it.”
Barnett, 31, logged 35 minutes at Newcastle, running 121 metres and making 13 tackles, while assisting on Ford’s first-half try.
“I could have put Mitch back on late in the game, but thought he could stamp that as a good return, move on and ice up, and get ready,” Webster said. “He’s trained well again today.
“Slowly, but surely, he’ll get more minutes under his belt and eventually – it could be next week or the week after – he’ll be ready to start.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
