The Warriors have spent three decades chasing their first NRL premiership, but Billy Slater believes Andrew Webster has finally built a team capable of winning it.
New Zealand strengthened its title credentials with consecutive victories over Penrith and Brisbane, prompting Slater to make his most definitive assessment of the club this season.
“I think they’re the best team in the competition,” Slater said on The Billy Slater Podcast.
“They don’t beat themselves.”
His comments were reported by Nine’s analysis of the Warriors’ premiership credentials.
Webster Has Rebuilt the Warriors’ Identity
The Warriors entered the NRL in 1995 with a reputation for attacking unpredictability, powerful ball-running and individual brilliance.
That approach produced memorable football but rarely delivered the consistency required to win a premiership.
Webster has changed the club’s identity.
“They have individual brilliance in their game, but they don’t rely on it,” Slater said.
“In the past, the Warriors have traditionally been about high-risk, offloads, being really physical and you don’t know what you’re gonna get and therefore they’re gonna be inconsistent.
“But they have totally flipped that script.
“Andrew Webster has flipped it on its head and said, ‘We’re a hard-working football team that don’t beat ourselves,’ and that’s exactly how they’re playing.”
That transformation has been most obvious in defence.
The Warriors have become comfortable winning through discipline, field position and sustained pressure rather than waiting for a spectacular play to rescue them.
“We all know defence wins premierships,” Slater said.
“If you don’t have a really good defensive game, it’s gonna be really difficult to win a premiership.
“They’ve conceded four tries in the last three games, which is really hard to do in the NRL.”
Victories Over Panthers and Broncos Send Warning
New Zealand’s 28-12 victory over Penrith provided the first major statement.
The Warriors established an 18-0 halftime lead against the competition leaders before controlling the second half and sealing the result through Luke Metcalf’s second try.
They then demolished defending premiers Brisbane 40-6 at Suncorp Stadium.
The Broncos were desperately poor, but the Warriors still deserve credit for refusing to relax after establishing a comfortable lead. They scored seven tries and continued defending aggressively despite losing Metcalf to a hamstring injury.
That ability to maintain their standards against an opponent offering little resistance supports Slater’s argument.
Webster’s side is no longer relying on emotion, home crowds or flashes of individual talent. Its performances are being built around repeatable habits capable of surviving the pressure of September.
Top Two Remains the Key
Slater believes securing a top-two finish could determine whether New Zealand reaches its third grand final.
“I really believe that they can finish in the top two,” he said.
“Then they’d be two home wins away from playing in a grand final. I think they’re a real chance.”
The Warriors have never won the premiership, losing grand finals to the Sydney Roosters in 2002 and Manly in 2011.
Finishing inside the top two would give them a home qualifying final and potentially another match in Auckland for a place in the decider.
That pathway would be enormously valuable.
Travelling repeatedly between New Zealand and Australia during the finals would make an already difficult assignment considerably harder. At home, however, the Warriors can use the atmosphere and travel demands to place opponents under immediate pressure.
Metcalf Injury Creates Serious Test
The greatest threat to New Zealand’s premiership campaign may now be its growing injury list.
Metcalf will miss the remainder of the regular season after reinjuring his hamstring against Brisbane. The NRL’s official casualty report lists him as targeting a return during the finals.
Te Maire Martin is also recovering from a hamstring injury, leaving rookie Luke Hanson to partner Chanel Harris-Tavita against South Sydney.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will miss two matches through suspension, while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tanah Boyd are unavailable with season-ending knee injuries.
The Warriors have repeatedly handled disruption this season, but losing their preferred halfback immediately before the finals represents their most significant challenge yet.
Metcalf gives the side genuine speed around the ruck and scored twice against Penrith. New Zealand can win without him during the remaining regular-season matches, but his availability could determine its attacking ceiling in September.
Slater’s Praise Is No Longer Premature
Some doubts remain understandable.
The Warriors lack the recent finals experience of Penrith and the Sydney Roosters, their halves combination remains unsettled and injuries are beginning to test their depth.
However, dismissing them because they have never previously won the competition ignores what Webster has changed.
The Warriors are defending like a premiership team, controlling field position and continuing to win despite losing important players.
Their forward pack, led by James Fisher-Harris, Mitchell Barnett, Erin Clark and Kurt Capewell, can compete with any side in the NRL. Wayde Egan provides composure around the ruck, while young players such as Leka Halasima and Jacob Laban have supplied power and energy.
Slater’s declaration is bold, particularly with Penrith and the Roosters still occupying prominent positions in the premiership race.
But after the Warriors dismantled both the competition leaders and reigning premiers in consecutive weeks, calling them the NRL’s best team no longer sounds outrageous.
The question is not whether New Zealand can win the premiership.
It is whether the Warriors can keep their most important players healthy long enough to finish the job.
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