With NRL playoff hopes now dead in the water, NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster will resist the temptation to experiment with his playing line-up over the next three weeks.
Instead, he's adamant the Auckland club will continue to name the best players available in a bid to farewell departing stalwarts on a winning note.
A golden-point defeat to the Dolphins last weekend has effectively — but not quite mathematically — ended the Warriors' post-season chances, as they prepare to salvage pride against Manly Sea Eagles, Canterbury Bulldogs and Cronulla Sharks in their remaining fixtures.
NRL playoff hopes are virtually gone after defeat to the Dolphins (Source: 1News)
Webster insists winning is still the priority, above blooding new players for next season.
"If people have earnt it, I'll definitely do it, but one of our values is you've got to earn everything," he said. "To play in the NRL is a big deal and I don't think we should just hand out jerseys.
"That doesn't mean we can't reward people we think deserve it. I've got one eye on the fact we want to win every week and we'll put the best team out there to win — we're not going to hand out jerseys just for the sake of it."
One contender knocking on the door of a return to first grade is half Luke Metcalf, who began the season in the No.6 jersey, but was sidelined early with a broken leg. He has turned out twice for the Warriors reserves and has flown across the Tasman to prepare against the Sea Eagles.
Webster faces some delicate selection decisions in the halves, with retiring veteran Shaun Johnson also cleared to take the field, after he was a late withdrawal against the Dolphins with a quad niggle.
The coach wants to send club legend Johnson off in the appropriate manner, while bringing Metcalf back into the reckoning, but also keeping faith with incumbents Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita.
"Luke will definitely be in our extended squad and who plays on the weekend might not necessarily be how it looks 1-17," he said. "Luke's definitely eligible and will be in consideration this weekend, particularly off the back of two good performances in New South Wales Cup.
With Johnson's departure, Metcalf looms as an important piece of the Warriors puzzle next season, but Webster isn't prepared to name him alongside Martin or Harris-Tavita just to test their possible 2025 partnership.
"I'm not interested in how that combination looks," he said. "I don't think three games of that combination will be enough muscle memory for next year.
"I've seen enough of Te Maire, I've seen enough of Chanel... I know, when Luke plays his best, what that looks like. I'm just excited to win three games of football and if that means Luke is that guy, or if it's Chanel or Te Maire, we're going to do it.
"Shaun will be fit to play this week, so Shaun will be back in the team and I hope we can send him out a winner for the next three games."
One statistic Webster will be keen to erase sometime soon — Johnson has not contributed to a Warriors win since April 8 against South Sydney Rabbitohs.
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