to instead sign with Super League team Wakefield Trinity <\/a>in a shock move. <\/p>\nThat\u2019s $650,000 more cleared from the Warriors\u2019 cap, giving them a mini war chest to improve their roster for next season.<\/p>\n
The Warriors are flying this season and look sure to be in the finals hunt, but you get the feeling they are missing a key piece in the backline either at centre or fullback to be genuine title threats.<\/p>\n
Nearly five months since the November 1 deadline, most of the best available players have been snapped up, but there are still some game-changing options out there.<\/p>\n
Nothing is official but Will Warbrick is reportedly on the verge of signing with the Warriors from next season. At 28, he is an upgrade at wing over a nearly 33-year-old RTS. <\/p>\n
Rocco Berry has had his fair share of injury issues in recent seasons but when healthy, he\u2019s a huge asset.<\/p>\n
Off contract for 2027, he is keen to stay, but the Warriors will need to decide if he\u2019s worth the risk. It\u2019s clear though that when right and playing well, he makes this team better.<\/p>\n
Will Penisini is another option for the Warriors at centre but that\u2019s highly doubtful if Berry ends up re-signing.<\/p>\n
In terms of available fullbacks for next year, there isn\u2019t much available, with Connor Tracey and Will Kennedy the best of the bunch. <\/p>\n
It means that the Warriors will instead move ahead for 2027 with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Taine Tuaupiki as their No. 1 options for the next two seasons. <\/p>\n
Could they then eye off a big fish after November 1 of this year when the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Scott Drinkwater, Jahream Bula and Lehi Hopoate among others become available?<\/p>\n
Time will tell. <\/p>\n
Verdict – Buy<\/p>\n
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and his $650,000 salary will be off the Warriors\u2019 books at season\u2019s end, with the superstar outside back heading to the UK to continue his career.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
HAS KOTONI STAGGS GOT A CASE FOR THE NRL\u2019S BEST CENTRE LABEL?<\/p>\n
A bumper centre battle will be played out at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night when the Broncos take on the Dolphins in the seventh edition of the Battle of Brisbane.<\/p>\n
Kotoni Staggs will line up across from his former teammate Herbie Farnworth, who many consider the best centre in the NRL.<\/p>\n
Many others are of the belief that Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton holds that title but there is at least one person who thinks Staggs has a claim for the label.<\/p>\n
\u201cKotoni Staggs, are we thinking he\u2019s the best centre in the game in the moment on form?\u201d The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dean Ritchie asked the NRL360 panel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have Stephen Crichton, Herbie Farnworth and Staggs are the top three.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staggs was outstanding for the Broncos in their stirring second half comeback against Melbourne.<\/p>\n
In those 40 minutes he had 61 metres, four tackle busts, a try and a try assist as Brisbane scored 18 unanswered points.<\/p>\n
NRL360 host Braith Anasta was impressed by Staggs\u2019 game against the Storm, but believes Ritchie\u2019s claim was very bold.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a great player, don\u2019t get me wrong, but that\u2019s a big call,\u201d Anasta said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought he was too for 40 minutes against the Storm but they\u2019ve (Broncos) only won game in half of footy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staggs\u2019 form during Brisbane\u2019s premiership run last year was rewarded with selection in the Kangaroos\u2019 Ashes Tour. <\/p>\n
When on song, he can be devastating on both sides of the ball, but at the moment, he just lacks the level of consistency which makes Farnworth and Crichton so elite.<\/p>\n
Staggs can no doubt get to that level, but for now, there\u2019s at least a little bit of a gap between him and Farnworth\/Crichton.<\/p>\n
Verdict \u2013 Sell<\/p>\n
Kotoni Staggs diving over for a try against Melbourne.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
TANAH BOYD IS A SNEAKY ORIGIN SMOKEY<\/p>\n
This may elicit a few readers to think \u2018slow your roll\u2019, but hear us out. <\/p>\n
Alongside Nathan Cleary, the Warriors half has been the form No. 7 of the comp so far, leading his team to a 3-0 record and an impressive points differential of 84 which has the Auckland-based side atop the ladder.<\/p>\n
An ex-NRL whipping boy during his underwhelming stint at the Titans, Boyd\u2019s statistical output in just three games has been insane in 2026.<\/p>\n
He has recorded seven try assists, three tries and 46 total points with the Warriors putting on at least 40 in all three rounds.<\/p>\n
In fact, he leads the NRL in try assists and points.<\/p>\n
Can he keep that pace up? Probably not, but it\u2019s easy to claim that the Warriors haven\u2019t looked this good in attack in a long, long time, and Boyd is the conductor behind it all. <\/p>\n
Fox League\u2019s Matty Johns believes simplicity has been key for Boyd as nailing the little things has built the hlafback\u2019s confidence as the game goes on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s gone to the crossroads and done a deal with the devil. I couldn\u2019t be happier for the bloke,\u201d Johns said on Matty and Cronk.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing I like about his game is that he\u2019s built his football on simplifying things and building confidence on the simple things.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis man focus was just on kicking. You just need to kick well and make your tackles and bit by bit, brick by brick, he\u2019s building his game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Initially thought as a bridging option until Luke Metcalf returns from injury in about a month\u2019s time, unless something drastic happens, it will be Chanel Harris-Tavita on the hot seat when Metcalf returns, not Boyd.<\/p>\n
The Titans junior is Maroons eligible and will need a Tom Dearden injury to be considered given the deeds of the Cowboys halfback in last year\u2019s series.<\/p>\n
With that said, Dearden\u2019s form to start the season has been shaky as has the other candidates in Sam Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans.<\/p>\n
Dearden will get first crack if healthy but if Boyd continues to play at a high level, there\u2019s a chance Billy Slater considers him for Queensland\u2019s extended squad. <\/p>\n
Verdict \u2013 Buy<\/p>\n
Tanah Boyd leads the league in points (46) and try assists (7) through three rounds.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
KNIGHTS ARE SET TO FREEFALL DOWN LADDER<\/p>\n
Newcastle started the Justin Holbrook era with a bang, winning in Las Vegas before thrashing the Sea Eagles a fortnight later.<\/p>\n
The win at Brookvale came at a massive cost though. Fullback Kalyn Ponga (hamsting) and shiny new recruit Dylan Brown (knee) suffered injuries within ten minutes of each other and were subsequently ruled out for eight weeks and four weeks.<\/p>\n
That leaves a whopping $2.7 million on the sidelines and two of the NRL\u2019s richest contracts on ice. <\/p>\n
Without Brown, Ponga and the exciting Fletcher Sharpe, the Knights couldn\u2019t match it with the red-hot Warriors last weekend. <\/p>\n
Sharpe is back on deck this weekend but Brown and Ponga will be out for a few more weeks at least. <\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s wooden spooners may have started 2-0, but a look at their upcoming schedule reveals a brutal stretch of games.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs, Raiders, Tigers, Roosters and Panthers are next up – all games they desperately would\u2019ve needed their best players involved to have a chance.<\/p>\n
Verdict \u2013 Buy<\/p>\n
Holbrook reflects on sin bins in loss | 03:29<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Could the Panthers pull off a near impossible pre-Origin feat? One expert certainly thinks so following their perfect…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346308,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[12587,85,2652,69666,184334,184336,184342,9689,9504,184341,184340,83103,184345,8054,8059,19546,175248,172978,184346,70623,159105,121188,2647,5637,184347,184332,184339,184344,184348,62753,13891,21093,184343,13893,2648,111,139,64,13902,69,2659,184337,9486,184338,3654,93377,213,20184,21086,33826,159466,148398,68287,25482,184333,184335,13883,176086,77388],"class_list":["post-346307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-america","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-billy-slater","tag-bold-call","tag-brent-read","tag-bridging-option","tag-brisbane","tag-brisbane-broncos","tag-bumper-centre-battle","tag-centre-label","tag-chanel-harris-tavita","tag-confidence-hit","tag-cooper-cronk","tag-daly-cherry-evans","tag-daniel-nuttall","tag-dean-ritchie","tag-dominant-win","tag-dragons-fans","tag-dylan-brown","tag-finals-footy","tag-footy-club","tag-fox-league","tag-gold-coast-titans","tag-herbie-farnworth","tag-horror-loss","tag-ideal-way","tag-impossible-pre-origin-feat","tag-impressive-points","tag-justin-holbrook","tag-las-vegas","tag-luke-metcalf","tag-man-focus","tag-nevada","tag-new-south-wales","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-nz","tag-oceania","tag-origin-period","tag-penrith-panthers","tag-quality-opponents","tag-queensland","tag-shane-flanagan","tag-sports","tag-stephen-crichton","tag-steve-roach","tag-tackle-busts","tag-tanah-boyd","tag-todd-payten","tag-tom-dearden","tag-try-assists","tag-unanswered-points","tag-underwhelming-stint","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-wake-up-call","tag-wollongong"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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