Coach Andrew Webster during a Warriors training session. Photo / Photosport
Coach Andrew Webster during a Warriors training session. Photo / Photosport
Warriors fans may be waiting a few weeks yet to discover who will succeed Tohu Harris as club captain.
The selection process is well under way to choose a replacement for the former skipper, who earlier this month announced his shock decision to retire from rugby league.
But having been “hit for six” by that news, and with no shortage of experienced contenders in his ranks, coach Andrew Webster is taking his time with the call.
“We’re just going through the process of who wants it, first of all, and how do they display that every day at training,” Webster said. “It’s not just on the field – the captaincy here has a lot of things off the field.
“We’re very lucky that we’ve got a lot of candidates, and a lot of people are willing to do it as well. That’s why I don’t think we can rush into it.
“Two weeks ago, we knew Tohu was here; now he’s not. So I can’t be rushed into it. But at the same stage, we’ve got to get one before round one.”
That fixture will be played in rather unfamiliar surrounds, with the Warriors starting their campaign against Canberra in Las Vegas on March 1.
The trip only adds to the difficulty of reviving a side who last season slumped to a 13th-place finish, before Harris joined fellow veteran Shaun Johnson in retirement.
Despite the departure of that pair, Webster can be confident he’ll be handing the captaincy to a player ready for the burden, with Mitch Barnett having previously filled in for Harris and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck having been club captain before switching to union.
Then there’s current Kiwis skipper James Fisher-Harris, who has already made a significant impression since joining the club after winning four straight NRL premierships with Penrith.
“Fish sets the example as soon as he walks in the door,” Webster said. “He does it with his actions. When he speaks, everyone listens, but his actions are his most important thing.
“Everyone’s intensity increases around him. He’s fit in really well – it must be strange being at Penrith all your life and you come to a new club, but he’s fitting in great.”
James Fisher-Harris during a Warriors training session. Photo / Photosport
The 29-year-old’s addition appears even more important after the loss of Harris, whose 234 games of NRL experience is almost matched by Fisher-Harris (203).
Webster wanted to ensure Harris’ contributions were appropriately honoured before contemplating filling a hole that opened when the lock struggled to adequately recover from a wrist injury.
“It’s a big blow,” the coach said. “The NRL doesn’t stop for anyone, that’s the insensitive thing sometimes. So I think it’s important to celebrate Tohu for what he’s done in the game, what he’s done for us as a club with his captaincy, and the way he plays.
“But then it’s also, okay, what’s next? You just can’t go and replace Tohu overnight. They’re just not out there, a player of his calibre, so we’re gonna miss him.”
Webster enjoyed his break under the assumption Harris would be present for another season, but preseason training began to offer hints that would not be the case.
“He was very motivated to give it a go after the operation – he really wanted it,” Webster said. “He came back fit, physically running fit, so he was in really good shape.
“But we started to see signs that he was frustrated that it wasn’t returning from the operation as well as he liked. It hit me for six a bit at the end, but you could definitely see little signs.
“We’ve lost a lot of experience. We’ve still got plenty as well, but it’s a different dynamic without Shaun, Tohu – there’s space for people who want to take it and grow.”
