Andrew Webster faces an almighty task of rebuilding the New Zealand Warriors following the exits of three of his main stars.
Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris have retired while Addin Fonua-Blake requested an early release to return to Australia.
The trio have been the lynchpins of Webster’s side since his arrival from the foot of the mountains and will be extremely difficult to replace as the coach attempts to get the NZ outfit back on track after a disappointing 2024.
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Is Luke Metcalf the man to replace Shaun Johnson as the Warriors enter into new era?
Fonua-Blake’s departure had been rumoured for an entire year, giving the club plenty of time to accommodate his loss.
They then struck gold with the opportunistic signing of James Fisher-Harris midway through last season when the Kiwi captain voiced his desire to return home from Penrith.
However, while the front row has been effectively replaced, the other two positions pose major headaches.
Tohu Harris has been the pack leader for years but a debilitating wrist injury forced him into premature retirement in the off-season.
The announcement came as a shock with Dylan Walker and Erin Clark - who have been primarily utilised as impact players off the bench - vying for the No.13 jersey.
The major issue will be in trying to replace favourite son, Johnson.
The veteran halfback enjoyed a career renaissance under Webster, guiding the club to the preliminary finals in 2023 and missing out on the Dally M Medal by one vote to Kalyn Ponga.
The Warriors will undoubtedly miss his craft, leadership and experience with a host of players now set to compete for his position.
Apart from a three-year spell with Cronulla towards the end of his career, Johnson had been the face of the club ever since breaking onto the scene in 2011. With him officially gone, the Warriors have been forced to move on for good.
Luke Metcalf looks to be the early favourite, while Tanah Boyd has been brought across the ditch after his career stalled on the Gold Coast.
The former Sharks was paired with Te Maire Martin in the first trial of the season with the duo impressing as they linked well with each other.
"There’s heaps of aura around the No.7 jersey with Shaun Johnson and Stacey Jones - two of my idols growing up," Metcalf told Fox League during the Cronulla clash.
"So, it’s obviously been cool stepping in and having those two guys coach me and guide me through it."
Metcalf's impressive performance, which saw him threaten the defensive line with his running game as well as taking on the vast majority of the kicking responsibility, will have only strengthened his chances of grabbing the halfback spot.
"We will back two a bit earlier and say: 'Right, that’s it, it’s yours and to the others, you can take it off them' because if we don’t do that it’s not good for our team not to have that clarity," Webster revealed ahead of the Pre-Season Challenge.
"We’ve spoken a lot that we’re a squad and not individuals so whoever doesn’t get the job still has a big role to fill."