NZ Warriors v Cronulla Sharks pre-season: Everything you need to know

Warriors v Sharks (NRL pre-season trial)

Kick-off: 9:30pm, Friday 7 Feb

Shark Park, Sydney

Live blog updates on RNZ Sport

Head to head 2024

Sharks beat Warriors 16-12 at Go Media Stadium on 8 March.

Warriors beat Sharks at PointsBet Stadium on 31 August.

Defeat in their penultimate game of the regular season broke a four-game Sharks winning streak and ultimately cost them second on the table - they would have had a better points differential in a countback with Penrith - and a bye through the opening week of playoffs.

2024 placings

Sharks - Won 16, lost eight, fourth.

Lost to Melbourne Storm 37-10 in qualifying final, beat North Queensland Cowboys 26-18 in semi-final, lost to Penrith Panthers 26-6 in preliminary final.

Cronulla won their first premiership in 2016 and have missed the playoffs only once (2021) in the past decade.

Warriors - Won nine, drew one, lost 14, 13th.

The Auckland club was inside the top eight after seven rounds, but a four-game losing streak saw them slide down the table and another five-game slump later in the draw put paid to any late run at the playoffs.

Context

Both these teams will begin their 2025 campaigns in Las Vegas, as part of the NRL showcase, so they get an early start to the pre-season, with Penrith Panthers and Canberra Raiders - the other US-bound clubs - also facing off this weekend.

Failing to make the 2024 post-season means the Warriors off-season has been longer than preferred, but hopefully that means they will be in great shape to start their schedule and hungry to beat up on other teams, after punishing each other on the training field.

This fixture represents an important step in developing a new culture, as coach Andrew Webster tries to replace departed starts Shaun Johnson, Addin Fonua-Blake and captain Tohu Harris. This selection provides some clues on who may fill the voids.

What to watch for

Captaincy

Still no word on who will wear the Warriors armband this season, but the leading contenders are probably Mitch Barnett, who filled in for Harris during his injury-plagued 2024 campaign, and new arrival James Fisher-Harris, who has been an inspirational leader of the Kiwis national team and has championship pedigree with Penrith.

Both are in the starting line-up today, with other candidates Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Dylan Walker and Kurt Capewell also on show.

New arrivals

Fisher-Harris and Erin Clark will want to make an impression, after arriving at Mt Smart in the off-season. JFH needs little introduction and Clark starred with the club during his junior career, making one first-grade appearance, before departing across the Tasman.

He has since chalked up almost 100 games for Gold Coast Titans and adds some versatility to the pack. Fisher-Harris is straight swap for Addin Fonua-Blake in the front row and Clark fills Harris' spot at lock.

RTS

Constant conjecture over what position Roger Tuivasa-Sheck might play this season may have been answered with his initial selection on the wing for this game. Webster has repeatedly insisted on trying to develop the crosscode star in the centres, where he played for the All Blacks, preferring Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in his best position at fullback.

This was the first sign that RTS may be on the move to the wing, where he began his NRL career with Sydney Roosters, but a training niggle has since seen him withdrawn from the fixture, replaced by Ed Kosi.

Halves

With Johnson's retirement, the Warriors are on the hunt for a new halves combination, and Luke Metcalf and Te Maire Martin get first dibs.

Metcalf started last season outside Johnson, but broke a leg and was replaced by Martin, before returning later in the campaign. They never played together, even when Johnson was injured.

The pair win this chance by default, with Chanel Harris-Tavita and newcomer Tannah Boyd picking up training niggles that have sidelined them early.

Jett Cleary

Webster has done his best to suppress any suggestion that the teenage wizkid has been signed as a straight replacement for Johnson, but the family name - he's the son of former Warriors coach and current Penrith mastermind Ivan, and younger brother of Panther star Nathan - has everyone abuzz at his prospects.

Cleary has been signed for three years and will likely spend most of this season with the Warriors U21 Jersey Flegg team, but he's also on an extended bench for this game and his every move with by greatly anticipated.

Cronulla

While Webster has tried to roll out most of his frontliners - the two injured halves, second-rower Jackson Ford and centre Rocco Berry seem the most notable absentees - the Sharks are holding back several of their stars, including Fonua-Blake, who was granted an early release from the Warriors to cross the Tasman.

Also missing are half Nicho Hynes, forward Cam McInnes and centre Jesse Ramien. Kiwis winger Ronaldo Mulitalo is also missing, amid rumours he's being shopped around other clubs.

A couple of young Kiwis to watch are brothers Hohepa and Niwhai Puru, who have Cook Islands/ Māori heritage, while centre Kayal Iro is the son of former Kiwis star Kevin Iro and nephew of Future Warriors manger Tony Iro.

Teams

Warriors: 1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Ali Leistaua, 4 Adam Pompey, 18 Ed Kosi, 6 Te Maire Martin, 7 Luke Metcalf, 8 James Fisher-Harris, 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Mitch Barnett, 11 Jacob Laban, 12 Kurt Capewell, 13 Erin Clark

Interchange: 14 Demitric Vaimauga, 15 Marata Niukore, 16 Moala Graham-Taufa, 17 Sio Kali, 20 Luke Hanson, 21 Jett Cleary, 22 Taine Tuaupiki, 23 Daeon Amituanai, 24 Bunty Afoa, 25 Eddie Ieremia-Toeva, 26 Sam Healey, 27 Dylan Walker, 28 Tanner Stowers-Smith, 29 Freddy Lussick, 30 Motu Pasikala

Sharks: 1 Will Kenney, 2 Sione Katoa, 3 Mawene Kiroti, 4 Kayal Iro, 5 Sam Stonestreet, 6 Dan Atkinson, 7 Niwhai Puru, 8 Braden Hamlin-Uele, 9 Jayden Berrell, 10 Tom Hazelton, 11 Siosifa Talakai, 12 Billy Burns, 13 Oregon Kaufusi

Interchange: 14 Hohepa Puru, 15 Tuku Hau Tapuha, 16 Lachlan Crouch, 17 Blake Hosking, 18 Chris Vea'ila, 19 Kyle Pickering, 20 Michael Gabrael, 21 Brad Fearnley, 22 Taj Ford, 23 Riley Pollard, 24 Eli Clark, 25 Kristian Dixon, 26 Felix Faatili, 27 Sam McCulloch

Where to watch

Sky Sport 1, 9pm Friday