The 2025 New Zealand Warriors’ season ended in heartbreak, with Andrew Webster’s men falling short in the elimination final against Penrith.

Injuries defined their campaign with co-captain Mitch Barnett and breakout halfback Luke Metcalf both suffering season-ending ACL injuries mid-competition.

Barnett’s leadership through the middle and Metcalf’s attacking spark were sorely missed late in the year.

Despite these setbacks, the Warriors managed to finish in sixth place on the ladder, maintaining a positive points differential across 27-rounds.

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What were the Warriors strengths and weaknesses in 2025?

Webster’s influence on the squad jumps through the screen. His disciplined game plan has transformed the Warriors into a side that is difficult to put away.

New Zealand led the league in completion rate at 81 per cent, a figure that wouldn’t compute for fans who have been watching this club for the last 30 years.

Whilst their fundamentals were improved this season, without Metcalf, they lacked the punch in attack to pose any real threat to opposition teams.

They lingered at the bottom of the competition for tries and line breaks, forcing them to rely on discipline to grind out victories. 

In defence, the Warriors were stout, finishing fifth in points allowed. The additions of James Fisher-Harris and Erin Clark had a compounding effect on the rest of the side.

The elimination final against Penrith started promisingly, with a penalty goal from Tannah Boyd giving them the early lead in wretched conditions.

However, the patient approach from the Panthers proved to be too much for a depleted Warriors outfit, ultimately ending their season in front of a parochial Auckland crowd.

In his post-match comments, Webster described the loss as “heartbreaking”, but praised the squad’s growth, cohesion and resilience in the face of adversity.

How are the Warriors set up for 2026?

Emerging forwards Leka Halasima and Demitric Vaimauga exemplified that this season wasn’t necessarily make-or-break for the Warriors as there is a wave of talent ascending through their pathways systems.

As for an out-and-out, number one, centrepiece of an offence – Metcalf proved that he could be a Dally M contender when fit.

Recent reports suggest that the Warriors have moved quickly to secure Metcalf for the long-term despite his injury, solidifying his status as the face of the franchise.

Now that the dust has settled on the season for the Warriors, attention turns to how they will attack the off season to ensure the problems that came back to bite them this year are left in 2025.

Key re-signings include Halasima, Vaimauga, Jacob Laban, Jackson Ford and Tanner Stowers-Smith, ensuring continuity in a promising forward pack.

The Warriors are yet to make a splash in the free agent market, but as November 1 approaches, look for them to target speed in the outside backs to help with their attack.

Ultimately, 2025 highlighted both the progress and the work still required for the Warriors to lift the Provan-Summons trophy for the first time in the history of the club.

Webster’s side is close to breaking into true premiership contention, which was evident in their electric start to the season. The next step will be pairing defensive resilience with attacking potency.