New Zealand Warriors 2025 season review
- Overview
- Highs
- Lows
- 2025 RLB Player of the Year – Leka Halasima
- Reasons to be positive in 2026
- My 2025 prediction – 15th
- Final 2025 position – 6th (+9)
Overview
After a poor 2024 campaign, the Warriors bounced back in style in 2025 to finish 6th and return to Finals footy.
For much of the season they looked on course for a top four finish, but an ACL injury to halfback Luke Metcalf in Round 17 derailed their season, and after they limped towards the finish line in the regular season, they were no match for the Panthers in week one of the finals – bowing out 24-8.
Highs
10 wins from the opening 13 games set the Warriors up for a Finals finish when their form dipped later in the year.
They got over the line in some tight games too, beating the Broncos in Golden Point and the Dragons by a field goal. Not to mention, a 40-10 win over the Sharks in Cronulla.
20-year-old Leka Halasima burst onto the scene in 2025, and looks like he’ll be a handful for years to come, while the likes of James Fisher-Harris and Erin Clark proved to be astute signings.
Lows
The Warriors lost seven of their last 11 games to limp into the Finals, where their week one loss to Penrith was inevitable.
A season-ending injury to Luke Metcalf in Round 17 exposed the lack of depth in the squad, and without him they looked lost.
Their attack wasn’t as good as it could have been either. They scored the fewest points of all the top eight sides, and even the 16th-placed Titans posted more points over the season.
2025 RLB Player of the Year – Leka Halasima
Erin Clark comes a close 2nd for his outstanding consistency, but for impact it has to be the young backrower. Halasima even finished as the club’s top tryscorer with 13, and although he tailed off towards the end of the year, he looks like being a big player for years to come.
Reasons to be positive in 2026
The Wahs have given themselves a great platform to build on for next year. I’ve raved about Halasima already, and at just 20, he has a long future ahead of him.
Sam Healey was one of the standout youngsters in 2025, while 21-year-old Morgan Gannon will be one to watch when he arrives from Super League side Leeds Rhinos.
The club won the NRL State Championship too, so look out for some more youngsters coming through the ranks.
My 2025 prediction – 15th
Final 2025 position – 6th (+9)
I’m happy to admit I got this one completely wrong. I wasn’t expecting much from the Warriors. They’ve always looked like a team who could win by 40 one week and lose by 40 the following week, with neither result coming as a shock. However, under Andrew Webster there’s a lot more steel and resilience about them, and they certainly proved me wrong this year.
