Hastings Boys' high belt out Warriors anthem to support captain and school old boy, Tohu Harris. Video / Hastings Boys' High School
Michael Burgess in Brisbane
In his first week of training with the Warriors in January, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad had a conversation that would turn his season around.
Despite plenty of achievements – including an NRL grand final and seven tests for his country – it was fair to say that the fullback arrived in Auckland with plenty to prove.
He had endured a difficult final season in Canberra, relegated to reserve grade, as coach Ricky Stuart opted for the pace and youth of Xavier Savage. That would test anyone’s confidence, off the back of a severe injury that had curtailed his 2021 campaign.
He took a brutal hit from Penrith enforcer Viliame Kikau in round five of that season and missed five months, only playing one more match at fullback that year, as he struggled with a bulging disc in his neck. To top it off, Nicoll-Klokstad was returning to Mt Smart as the replacement for hotshot Reece Walsh, who had become a cult figure among the Warriors’ fanbase. At the time, it seemed a long road back.
Always a thoughtful character, Nicoll-Klokstad had plenty on his mind, as coach Andrew Webster wandered over for a chat after an early pre-season session.
“He came up to me after training and said, ‘What do you think’,” Nicoll-Klokstad told the Herald. “I told him I could have done this; I could have done that. He turned to me straight away and said, ‘No mate, don’t come to me with a half-empty cup. Come to me with a half-full cup.
“That was a turning point for me. It really changed my outlook on things.”
That was the springboard for a strong pre-season, albeit compressed, after his World Cup commitments.
“Man, it was tough, one of the tougher pre-seasons I have done,” says Nicoll-Klokstad.
“But I was excited about the learning that was happening, squeezing the juice out of every training session and really enjoying myself too. I was back at the club where it all started and I had a coach that was backing me.”
As the season started Walsh was still a hot topic, as plenty wondered about the vacuum he might leave. They don’t now.
In terms of what the Warriors need, Nicoll-Klokstad has proved an upgrade on the young Queenslander, with his leadership, toughness, work ethic, vision, defensive organisation and underrated attacking qualities. He had a blinder in the opening game of the season – against the Knights in Wellington – which set the tone.
He has since eclipsed 4,000 running metres – an average of 187 a game – topped off by seven tries and seven try assists. But it’s his physical intensity that is most valued, as he sets an example that teammates feel obliged to follow, often taking two carries in a single set.
”It’s part of my job, something that the team needs from me at certain times,” said Nicoll-Klokstad, who is diligent with ice baths, stretching and other recovery. He is also a popular presence around the club, quick with a quip or a smile at meetings.
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad of the Warriors. Photo / Photosport
”I love the club, love being home, love my beautiful family,” he adds. “I can’t help but come into training bouncing and happy and making jokes, it’s just who I am. You can either be the energiser bunny or the one who takes the energy.”
His clash with Walsh is one of the most anticipated duels of Saturday’s preliminary final. Walsh has been electric for the Broncos this season, with nine tries and 22 try assists, while also managing a stunning State of Origin performance. He has been a staple of news bulletins in Brisbane this week, analysed in every newspaper and prominent on billboards and advertising around the city.
But Nicoll-Klokstad can be just as influential, shown by his brilliant display against Newcastle last Saturday, where he ran for 300 metres (including 103 post-contact) along with a try and try assist. He’ll need to be everywhere to defuse the Broncos’ kicking game, as well as organising his defence to stop their myriad threats.
The 28-year-old will take confidence from previous finals experience – as a key part of the Raiders’ deep runs in 2018 and 2019 – as well as a head-turning campaign this year.
”It circles back around to Webby,” says Nicoll-Klokstad. “That little conversation changed a lot for me. I was talking about it with my wife the other week. It made me look at things differently. I’ve mentioned it to him but he might not know.”
When asked by the Herald this week, Webster recalled the moment.
“He is such a perfectionist, cares so much and wants to be the best,” said Webster. “I told him ‘instead of telling me about all the things that didn’t work, what did you do so well? Doesn’t mean we can’t get better and address those things, or we walk past them. We can fix things but don’t forget what you’ve got.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
