After just one season, Andrew Webster is among the most successful coaches in Warriors history. He is only the third to reach an NRL preliminary final – following Daniel Anderson (2002, 2003) and Ivan Cleary (2008, 2011) – and no previous mentor has done so well in their rookie season.
An alphabetical analysis of Warriors coach Andrew Webster ahead of Brisbane Broncos preliminary final
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Belief: Brick by brick, Webster rebuilt the squad’s belief. It was at rock bottom after last season, after 18 defeats, many of them brutal and all sorts of off-field dramas.
Clarity: Webster is a strong communicator. “He makes it clear what he wants but does it in a way that people respond to,” said one player. He also doesn’t leave people guessing. When the return of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was confirmed, Webster was straight on the phone to reassure incumbent fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad of the plans for 2024. The same goes for selection choices, with clear reasons given both externally and internally. Webster has also engendered a strong Culture, though he is no fan of over-celebrating, or Carrying On, as he calls it).
Denzel Washington: From The Pelican Brief to Remember the Titans, Webster’s favourite actor. See also Defence - Webster’s priority from the moment he took the job. “That’s what every successful team is built on – it’s non-negotiable,” he said. The Warriors have been transformed, with the third-best defensive record in the competition.
Feedback: Two-way, open dialogue is a cornerstone of his style, both with his staff and the squad. Webster is always open to ideas, especially from fellow coaches, and is prepared to do more listening than talking in meetings. He has pushed players to assess their own training output and areas to improve, rather than solely relying on top-down messaging.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Garry Jack: The Balmain Tigers, New South Wales and Kangaroos legend was Webster’s childhood hero. Growing up in Carlingford, in northwest Sydney, there were many players to admire but none better than the tough, fleet-footed Jack, who accumulated almost 250 games for the Tigers.
Hunger: Webster never made it as a player, which has offered a greater appreciation of what it takes to scale the mountain. He has empathy for players at every level, from stars to fringe hopefuls. Hunger is also a trait Webster looks for in potential players, with the signing of backup fullback Taine Tuaupiki a prime example. “Once I spoke to him, I knew he was our guy,” said Webster. “You could tell how much he wanted it.”
Identity: Webster has wanted the Warriors to forge their own identity. While previous coaches have offered some big Australian clubs as the template, Webster has looked within. “We have got to be who we are, don’t try and be something we are not” is a constant mantra. See also Intensity, with Tohu Harris saying some pre-season drills were the hardest of his career, even going beyond the infamous Melbourne Storm sessions.
Joker: Getting the balance right has been an impressive strength, especially for a rookie coach. “He knows when to have a laugh, and when to be serious,” said NRL veteran Dylan Walker. See also Julia Roberts, his favourite screen belle.
Kevin Costner: In rare moments of downtime, Webster will be watching Yellowstone, the television series set in Montana, featuring the star of JFK and Dances with Wolves.
Learning: Webster doesn’t sit still – and expects those around him to be the same. While big on celebrating success, he is also driving constant improvement. “That’s the message,” said one staffer. “What is good enough now might not be next time.”
Max: Now almost 4 months old, Webster’s son arrived the day before the Broncos clash in Napier. Webster had planned to miss that game but the timing just worked out. See also Media. Results have helped, but Webster is a natural. He is honest, upfront and approachable, engendering mutual respect and his press conferences have become appointment viewing for many fans.
Negating Negativity: It’s not all sunshine and rainbows but Webster accentuates the positive. He doesn’t ignore poor performances but is careful with the way he offers criticism publicly, especially of individuals. Even in private team meetings, he tries to strike the balance, not afraid to lay down the law but wary of going too far.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Open-minded: Webster is prepared to take ideas from everywhere, even borrowing from other sports, in the search for success.
Phil Jackson: His coaching icon, outside rugby league. See also Passion. Webster has it, in spades. He is one of the first to arrive at Mt Smart most mornings and the last to leave.
Quality: Despite his affable demeanour, Webster can be demanding. Some training sessions have stretched on and on, with the preparation expected to replicate game-day quality.
Resilience: Trying to enshrine this was the foundation of the pre-season, whether it was calling a team activity for 6am or the dreaded competition days in training. It was also a common phrase in early media sessions and has become a hallmark of his squad.
Shaun Johnson: Webster doesn’t like to take too much credit for Johnson’s remarkable renaissance in 2023 – but he should. The halfback has worked extremely hard, especially physically, to get himself to levels not seen for years. But Webster was the catalyst. As the Herald revealed in April, a phone call between the duo was pivotal to Johnson’s reinvention this year, while the coach has also developed the structure and gameplan to get the best out of the 33-year-old.
Tracksuit: Webster is a hands-on coach, prominent in almost every training session. Even this week, ahead of their biggest game of the year, he was running in attacking drills with the left edge. See also Trust, the bedrock of the relationship with his players. “It’s something that takes a long time to build but you can lose quickly,” he said. “He makes you want to play for him,” said one squad member.
Underrated: For most of 2023, though not now.
Victoria Bitter: Webster’s amber nectar of choice. See also Versatile, engendered from long apprenticeship on the coaching ladder, in England and Australia.
Watene-Zelezniak: With 22 tries to his name this season, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is one of many examples of players in career-best form thanks to the environment created this year.
Xerox: Webster isn’t afraid to copy best practices. He has taken elements from coaches he has worked under or with, across almost two decades, adapting pieces to what might work in this environment.
Yearning: More than most Australians, Webster knows what success would mean to the Warriors fanbase. He got an insight from his two seasons as an assistant in 2015 and 2016, where the team reached great mid-season heights before crashing, not helped by season-ending injuries to Shaun Johnson and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck respectively.
Zest: When Webster says he loves his job, which he does often, he means it. But he doesn’t really need to say it; according to club insiders, his zest for life and energy is apparent on a daily basis, despite the constant pressure from such a demanding job.
