The New Zealand Warriors’ 2025 NRL season ended in heartbreak on Saturday, with coach Andrew Webster conceding his side still lacks the final ingredient to become genuine premiership contenders.

After spending 16 consecutive weeks inside the top four, the Warriors were dealt a double blow when co-captain Mitch Barnett and breakout halfback Luke Metcalf suffered season-ending knee injuries. 

The twin losses proved difficult to overcome, with the Kiwi side entering the finals having lost five of their last seven games. 

Facing four-time reigning premiers Penrith in the elimination final, the Warriors started strongly and clawed their way back into the contest with a second-half try from second-rower Leka Halasima. 

MORE: Forward or fair? Panthers’ forward pass sparks fury in Warriors loss

However, late tries from Casey McLean and Brian To’o sealed a 24-8 defeat, bringing their season to an early end on home turf in front of their fans.

After such a strong season and coming into the match fired up, the Warriors coach said ending their campaign with a first-round finals exit has been “heartbreaking”. 

“We came here ready to go, we looked like a finals team, but we lost. That’s why it’s heartbreaking,” Webster said.

“You lose a finals game, it should hurt. The moment it doesn’t hurt, you probably shouldn’t be here. That pain, I could give a great speech about how far we’ve come.

“But we want to be one of the best, we want to be the best. We’ve got a bit of work to do.”

Webster acknowledged that, while the club’s season had seen them “build some great stuff”, he highlighted that they are still missing the “last piece” needed to make the leap from being a top-eight finisher to genuine premiership contenders.

Despite the disappointment, the 2025 season showcased significant progress for the Warriors after they failed to make the finals last year. 

Leka Halasima led a new wave of forwards, Luke Metcalf had emerged as a potential Dally M contender before injury in his first season stepping into the shoes of former halfback Shaun Johnson, and the club’s NSW Cup side finished atop the ladder with just two losses.

Webster praised the team’s cohesion and handling of adversity but stressed that further growth is needed to make the next leap.

The three-year coach of the New Zealand Warriors praised the resilience of his squad, highlighting the strong cohesion between senior and younger players in navigating adversity.

“We brought a lot of young guys through, I feel like our senior players have done a terrific job, the way we’ve handled adversity, we’ve stayed really tight as a group,” he stated.

“This group is so well-connected, but there’s a piece missing and I feel like we could launch if we take those learnings and go to the next level, or we could stay exactly where we are, which is just a top-six team.

“I just think we can be better.”