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Warriors duo under injury cloud, as Webster fumes at officials

Author
Alex Powell,
Publish Date
Sun, 29 Jun 2025, 8:23am
Luke Metcalf is helped off the field. Photo / Photosport
Luke Metcalf is helped off the field. Photo / Photosport

Warriors duo under injury cloud, as Webster fumes at officials

Author
Alex Powell,
Publish Date
Sun, 29 Jun 2025, 8:23am

The Warriors slumped to back-to-back losses for the first time this season in a match where little went their way.

Alongside injuries to their starting halfback and fullback, a couple of referee Adam Gee鈥檚 decisions left Webster exasperated.

Metcalf and Nicoll-Klokstad will undergo scans upon returning to New Zealand on Monday, but Webster has already ruled them out of the Warriors鈥 next fixture against the Wests Tigers on July 13 in Auckland.

While Webster was reluctant to speculate, early fears suggest Metcalf may have torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, a cruel blow for the 26-year-old, who suffered the same injury in his left knee in 2019.

鈥淚 think there are all possibilities on the table at the moment,鈥 Webster said.

鈥淚 just asked the doctor what it was and he said it could be a number of things, but let鈥檚 wait for the scans. Both certainly won鈥檛 be playing in two weeks, I can tell you that much.鈥

Metcalf has been instrumental to the Warriors鈥 strong season and was leading the Dally M count on 31 points before voting went behind closed doors after round 13. The club has already lost co-captain Mitch Barnett to an ACL injury this year.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster. Photo / Photosport.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster. Photo / Photosport.

Metcalf鈥檚 injury occurred when Broncos forward Brendan Piakura tackled him heavily, causing the playmaker鈥檚 right knee to buckle. Piakura was placed on report over the incident.

Metcalf needed assistance getting off the field, and footage from the dressing room showed him getting consoled by coaching staff.

The Warriors are likely to turn to either Te Maire Martin or Tanah Boyd to fill the void in the No 7 jersey.

Martin, typically a five-eighths, has made eight appearances off the bench this year. Boyd, a specialist halfback, is yet to debut for the club but has been in strong form for the Warriors鈥 reserve squad.

While injuries were a major concern, Webster was equally aggrieved by two key offside rulings that went against his side.

In the first half, hooker Wayde Egan was penalised for being offside. Then in the second half Broncos fullback Reece Walsh was taken out chasing an Adam Reynolds kick. He was rewarded despite appearing to be offside.

鈥淲ayde Egan in the first half, I ask you to go and pause it when the play-the-ball is and you tell me how he鈥檚 offside,鈥 said Webster. 鈥淗e鈥檚 three metres onside, it鈥檚 like they just made that up.

鈥淟ike Reece Walsh was way in front, the first infraction was that.

鈥淭hey probably [will] give me crap that it鈥檚 foul play or something. That鈥檚 the first infringement, I don鈥檛 know how they miss it.

鈥淚鈥檓 not a ref, I was down there and I could see it. He was miles offside.鈥

Despite the setbacks, the Warriors remain in fourth place on the NRL ladder, four points clear of the fifth-placed Broncos.

They will have next weekend off with their third and final bye of the season before regrouping to face the Tigers, who they beat 26-24 earlier this season.

 is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.

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