The Warriors can win it all — and Webster has earned the keys
Give Wayne the Maroons for one year
Queensland should appoint Wayne Bennett for one year and stop pretending there is a better solution hiding behind the curtains. Cameron Smith has said he is not ready, Billy Slater has quit after five enormously successful seasons and Bennett has declared himself fit and available. The answer is standing there waving.
Origin coaching is not primarily about tactical detail. Good assistants can handle that; the head coach must galvanise a group, remove the noise and light the fire, which remains Bennett’s great gift. I regard him as Queensland’s greatest Origin coach, and his repeated returns — including the 2020 series — prove he understands the peculiar rhythm of this contest.
Souths are apparently comfortable with the arrangement because they trust Bennett and Ben Hornby, who is an NRL head coach in waiting and can carry more responsibility through the pre-season. Ben Teo, Matt Ballin and Darius Boyd are possible Maroons assistants, and I reckon Boyd plays a role if Bennett gets the job.
Fair enough. Origin coaching is brutal. Bennett has survived hotter kitchens than this.
Canberra’s Hudson Young offer is exactly right
Canberra must pay Hudson Young elite money because he is an elite player, and their proposed offer is a statement of strength rather than desperation. My understanding is the deal will be around $1.1 million a season for three years, making it the richest offer in Raiders history, although whether Young accepts remains uncertain.
He is not merely an edge runner. Young came through as a half and five-eighth, which explains the passing, kicking and ability to crab infield before puncturing a defensive line; combine that skill with his wholehearted effort, leadership and current Origin and Test standing, and Canberra are buying considerably more than a conventional back-rower.
If no agreement is reached, I think the Raiders will allow him a 10-day window to negotiate exclusively with PNG. That is smart management, but it also exposes the uneven contest created by PNG’s financial and third-party advantages. Canberra have already experienced a star choosing Sydney for less when Jack Wighton joined Souths, whose contract was ultimately registered at a higher value and structured differently from the original proposal.
The Raiders need Young. They have now given themselves the strongest possible chance of keeping him.
Ivan’s 500th deserves more than a polite clap
Ivan Cleary’s 500th NRL game should be celebrated properly because four consecutive premierships have somehow made his extraordinary journey look inevitable. It wasn’t. He began at the Roosters, won a reserve-grade competition, was speared at Penrith, walked out on the Tigers and then returned to Penrith for the magic-carpet ride.
Before the 2021 grand final, Cleary was being carved up as a coach who could not win a premiership after about 350 games. Now he has four. If almost any other coach reached 500 with that record, the drums would be rattling all week; instead, the milestone arrived with remarkably little fanfare, partly because Cleary has never seemed interested in throwing himself a parade.
The more urgent issue is Penrith’s form after back-to-back losses. They have looked clunky, vulnerable and battered after two top-four clashes, but I expect them to beat a Melbourne side missing Jahrome Hughes. It is time for Penrith to fine-tune before the finals and chase the home semi-final they want.
Melbourne remain dangerous at home, yet their roster requires work following Eli Katoa’s retirement, with Cameron Munster’s contract unresolved and Nick Meaney leaving. Cleary’s milestone curse can wait. Penrith’s response cannot.
Penrith cannot afford Liam Martin’s asking price
Liam Martin is entitled to ask Penrith for $1 million a season, but the Panthers would be mad to meet it while trying to finalise Isaah Yeo and Nathan Cleary. Martin is an out-and-out weapon who has played as tough as any back-rower, yet Penrith’s success has been built on setting a valuation and refusing to become sentimental when the market races beyond it.
There is also a legitimate question about shelf life. Martin will be nearly 30 when the season begins, has endured an injury-affected year and does not play 80 minutes every week, largely because his impact depends on hurling his body into collisions that eventually send an invoice.
That does not mean he is not worth seven figures elsewhere. For a struggling club such as Parramatta or the Tigers, Martin’s standards, aggression and edge would be transformative; replacing Kelma Tuilagi with Martin at Parramatta would be a considerable upgrade. I could justify those clubs paying $1.1 million because they are purchasing culture as much as metres.
But I reckon all roads lead to PNG. His name has been consistently linked there, and Penrith have too many essential pieces ahead of him in the queue.
The Bulldogs cannot lowball Preston
Canterbury must improve their offer to Jacob Preston because $1.9 million, believed to be over three years, will not survive contact with the open market. Preston has rejected it, rival clubs are circling and the Roosters have emerged in newspaper reports as a possible suitor.
This is not a reason for Bulldogs supporters to panic, because negotiations are a dance and the opening offer is rarely the final one. Preston loves the club that found him in the NSW Cup and gave him his NRL opportunity, while I think Canterbury identified him as a future captain before he had even established himself in first grade.
But affection does not repair a salary cap. I reckon the Bulldogs have limited wiggle room because their roster is badly out of shape, and Preston is guaranteed to command considerably more elsewhere. He is elite and will probably play for Australia this year; paying him like an emerging fringe forward would be roster malpractice dressed as discipline.
The Bulldogs have other highly paid players, so they cannot reach Hudson Young territory. They should still find the middle ground quickly, because losing Preston after developing him would cost far more than the extra money required to retain him.
The Warriors’ premiership window is wide open
The Warriors can win the premiership this year, and Andrew Webster’s extension through 2032 is the smartest long-term commitment the club could make. They have beaten Penrith, defeated the Roosters in New Zealand and remained in the top-two hunt despite changing their fullback and halves while Wayde Egan has moved in and out through head knocks and other injuries.
That adaptability is the mark of an outstanding coach. Webster has improved players across the roster, created a brutally detailed middle and allowed the strike outside them to choose their moments, while Andrew McFadden also deserves credit for his recruitment work. The result is not merely a spirited team enjoying a nice season; it is a side with a genuine premiership profile.
The equation is simple. Home-ground advantage in week one would be enormous, and the Warriors sit only 10 points behind Penrith on differential with three rounds remaining. Souths are in strong form after beating the Bulldogs, but they expended enormous energy in that defensive effort and will be without Latrell. I expect the Warriors’ attention to detail and attacking threats to wear them down.
This club entered the competition in 1995 and has twice reached a grand final without winning one. History has offered glimpses and heartbreak. Webster has built something sturdier: their window is open now, and they are good enough to finally climb through it.
