New Zealand Warriors 2026 season preview
2025 recap
The Warriors were impressive in 2025, as they claimed a top eight finish again after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
They were beaten comfortably in week one of the Finals by Penrith, but by that stage they were a tired and patched up squad against a side who were flying into Finals. So, all in all, it was a solid season from Auckland’s finest.
2025 position: 6th (Eliminated in week one of Finals)
Key signings
Jye Linnane (Newcastle Knights), Morgan Gannon (Leeds Rhinos), Haizyn Mellars (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Alofiana Khan-Pereira (Gold Coast Titans)
Key departures
Edward Kosi (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Moala Graham-Taufa (South Sydney Rabbitohs), Bunty Afoa (Wests Tigers), Morgan Harper (Released), Kalani Going (Penrith Panthers), Freddy Lussick (Penrith Panthers), Tom Ale (Penrith Panthers)
Players to watch
On stats alone, Alofiana Khan-Pereira is one of the best wingers to ever play the game. With 53 tries in 54 games, there are very few players with a strike rate to match his. However, he was frozen out by the Titans last year and none of te traditional ‘big sides’ came in for him, so I’m intrigued to see how he goes in 2026.
Morgan Gannon is another intriguing arrival to look out for. The Englishman missed the whole of 2024 through injury before a strong comeback in 2025. He’s still only 22 and has played over 70 times for Leeds Rhinos, so he’s far from a rookie, but very much untested at NRL level.
Young gun
Jett Cleary is one of the youngsters on the fringes of first grade, who’s hopeful of a call-up this year. The younger brother of Panthers superstar Nathan, the younger Cleary, has shown up well in pre-season, and with Luke Metcalf still ruled out for the opening few rounds, there’s a chance we could see him early on.
Our prediction – 11th
The Warriors surprised me with how well they did last year, but I’m still tipping them for a lowly finish again in 2026. They’re probably the NRL’s most inconsistent team, so they’re due to finish outside the top eight again this year. That’s not the only reason I’m tipping them to miss out though. For me, there are easily eight sides who look better placed for a Finals spot in my eyes.
