Andrew Webster has shown his hand for what could be the Warriors' most important match of the season, naming an unchanged 17 for Thursday night's home clash with the Brisbane Broncos at Mt Smart Stadium.
The decision keeps faith with the spine that has won the Warriors their last two games — Shaun Johnson at halfback, Reece Walsh at fullback, Wayde Egan at hooker, and Addin Fonua-Blake in the front row. The starting props combination of Fonua-Blake and Bunty Afoa has been the foundation of the Warriors' defensive resurgence over the past month.
Johnson's form at the heart of everything
There is a version of this match that goes badly for the Warriors if Shaun Johnson has an off night — but the 34-year-old has shown few signs of that since returning to the club. In eight starts this season, he has averaged 1.9 try assists and 185 post-contact metres, both career highs at this point of a campaign.
"Shaun knows this ground better than anyone in the competition. He grew up a Warriors fan — he understands what the crowd wants to see here."— Andrew Webster, Warriors head coach
Walsh's early-season injury scare now feels a distant memory. The Queensland fullback is back to the form that made him the most exciting player in the competition — a direct runner who can simultaneously play the passing game and punish teams with the kick return.
What the team sheet tells us
The most telling selection is in the centres. Rocco Berry and Adam Pompey retain their spots, meaning Webster is banking on the outside backs playing both sides of the ball. Both players have strong defensive numbers in the last fortnight, and the Warriors' edge defence has been their most consistent area all season.
| # | Player | Position | Last 3 games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reece Walsh | Fullback | 2 tries, 3 assists |
| 2 | Marcelo Montoya | Wing | 1 try, 4 line breaks |
| 3 | Adam Pompey | Centre | 0 tries, 3 offloads |
| 4 | Rocco Berry | Centre | 1 try, 96 run metres |
| 5 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Wing | 2 tries, 88 metres |
| 7 | Shaun Johnson | Halfback | 2 tries, 5 assists |
| 8 | Addin Fonua-Blake | Prop | 38 tackles, 0 misses |
| 9 | Wayde Egan | Hooker | 41 tackles, 1 try |
Broncos threat: where the danger comes from
Brisbane arrive in Auckland with injury issues of their own. Payne Haas — the Broncos' dominant prop and arguably the best in the competition — is named to start from the bench, giving the Warriors a narrow but real window to build a lead in the opening 40 minutes before Haas enters the game and changes the contest at the ruck.
The key Broncos weapon in the first half will be Adam Reynolds through the middle. Reynolds's short game has been their most effective play in back-to-back wins, and the Warriors' middle defence will be tested if Fonua-Blake is held to short bursts early.
For the Warriors, a win tonight closes the gap to the eighth-placed Canberra Raiders to just two competition points. Six rounds remain. The for-and-against differential remains the Warriors' biggest mathematical hurdle — but only if they stop winning games, which they show no sign of doing.