Aotearoa Warriors have plenty of spine options ahead of the 2023 NRL season and while this is likely to brew competition, settling on a consistent spinal unit will be crucial. With Shaun Johnson and Wayde Egan established in their roles, Warriors have recruited Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Te Maire Martin back to Aotearoa. Warriors also signed Luke Metcalf who joins young Aussies Ronald Volkman and Freddy Lussick, as well as Taniela Otukolo in covering spinal roles.

Having young Aussies fizzing to grab minutes bolsters Warriors depth in positions that aren't covered by local lads. Most of the young Warriors who moved to Brisbane as part of the Warriors-Redcliffe collaboration don't play in the spine and these key roles were generally filled by players who Redcliffe wanted to develop. Otukolo played plenty of footy at hooker for Warriors-Redcliffe Under 21 and his development was stunted by a lack of reserve grade opportunities, despite dabbling in NRL footy.

Now Otukolo can gather experience in NSW Cup along with Volkman, Lussick and Metcalf. Warriors will return to SG Ball footy in early February and this will inform folks about the young spine players coming through the pipeline. There might even be a youngster who impresses over the summer training period to demand a crack at a higher level.

Having three impressive young Aussies ensures that the gap in Warriors junior development doesn't impact NRL depth in key positions. Within a year or two these holes will no longer exists as local juniors move through the pipeline. Warriors also snared Burleigh Bears fullback Taine Tuaupiki from Queensland's reserve grade competition, adding another young lad from Australia who is chasing higher honours.

A second tier spine of Tuaupiki, Metcalf, Volkman and hookers Lussick/Otukolo is low key exciting. Operating with these lads in NSW Cup ensures continuity throughout the Warriors style of play and new coach Andrew Webster's experience in establishing a multi-grade system should boost their development.

Nicoll-Klokstad is the leading contender to start at fullback, despite losing his spot with Raiders to Xavier Savage. After two excellent years in 2019 and 2020, Nicoll-Klokstad played 19 games in the last two seasons and this makes it tricky to forecast what he can offer at fullback for Warriors. At his best, Nicoll-Klokstad averaged 170-ish metres per game and was a constant running threat as well as having a lovely ability to be in the right place at the right time.

Development could come in the form of greater distribution skills and play-making, but Nicoll-Klokstad's skillset compliments the other spine contenders. The only Warrior with 25+ errors last season was Reece Walsh and he is now with Broncos (who have four players on their roster who had 35+ errors in 2022), leaving Nicoll-Klokstad with an opportunity to be a steady, reliable fullback.

Metcalf could cover fullback, although his 13 games in NSW Cup with Newtown this year were all played in the halves. Tuaupiki may also emerge as an option which will depend on his mahi this summer and how he performs in reserve grade. Te Maire Martin was a low key fabulous at fullback for Broncos last season and this could lead to him starting at fullback, yet his best position has and probably will be in the halves.

With that in mind, Martin's mahi at fullback last season is extra funky. Martin played 13 games with a 62 percent winning record for Broncos and they weren't as slick when Martin was absent. Playing fullback allowed Martin to operate down both edges in attack and his defensive mana was also on display. As expected, Martin didn't offer kick-return mahi like other elite fullbacks but he was instrumental in attacking movements for Broncos...

A key indicator of Martin's comfort in the halves is how he scouts the defensive line. Martin always has his eyes up and in some of those examples above he isn't looking where the ball is coming, he's looking at defenders. Martin is a half who can make the most of even numbers and he can pounce on an overlap with efficiency. This is done without fuss as Martin gets the footy where it needs to go.

Martin's running game is also an asset and this is evident in how his first movement is a burst forward to engage defenders, then he can fully commit to running if he finds a defensive lapse. Martin's kicking game wasn't required at fullback but he has grown up as a half and he is a capable kicker, which fits snug around SJ7.

Johnson is unlikely to be a dynamic runner next season and while he hit a career-low for running mahi in 2022 (49m/game - first time below 56m/game), last season was a niggly grind for the entire organisation. A better statiscal picture is painted by Johnson's try scoring as he scored at least six tries in his first six seasons, before six seasons with less than five tries. Combine that with an increase in kicking metres and a steady supply of try assist for a mature version of Johnson who needs to steer his team around the park.

Release the game-winning razzle dazzle expectation with Johnson. His communication and organisation will be crucial, along with executing the right plays to put the likes of Nicoll-Klokstad and Martin in favourable spots. Johnson has had 15+ forced drop outs in each of the last four seasons and he should be able to showcase a wide range of kicks, especially with a full summer training block under Webster.

Egan will once again hold down the hooking duties and as his Warriors career started in the summer of 2019/20, Egan is yet to enjoy a full season in Aotearoa. Egan has now played 20 games in consecutive seasons with a steady increase in his running mahi over his five NRL seasons...

• 2018: 14m/game

• 2019: 18m/game

• 2020: 29m/game

• 2021: 39m/game

• 2022: 49m/game

Egan's kicking out of dummy half increased over his first four seasons before a big dip this year. This will probably lead to more kicking next season under coach Webster and ideally Egan chimes in with one, maybe two kicks each game. Egan is a nifty runner and his best asset is his craft out of dummy half. Egan can slide one way and pass back the other way, he can engage markers before shifting the footy and this style of play is aligned how Apisai Koroisau operates; Webster can provide a crafty blueprint for Egan.

There is also crossover in how Egan works around the ruck with the running ability of Nicoll-Klokstad. While Nicoll-Klokstad will have distribution opportunities out wide, he will be most dangerous around the ruck where he can take a run at lazy defenders and provide consistent support. Always being in support ensures that a linebreak becomes a try and any fullback the Warriors use will probably have this as one of their key duties.

How Warriors build their bench under coach Webster will also be interesting. Warriors have signed Dylan Walker and he could take a bench spot to play as a mobile/passing middle forward, as well as covering halves and centre. Warriors could carry a hooker and Walker on their bench, leaving two spots for big boppers. Alternatively, Walker could cover hooker or he may be a contender to start at centre which would open the bench up.

Most importantly, Warriors have players with ample NRL experience covering positions mid-game as well as the grind of a season. The second-tier spine is a younger group who will have an opportunity to play NSW Cup every week and after sprinkling a few players into various Redcliffe teams, this can't not be underestimated. The top-tier spine features players with complimentary skills and maturity. Improvements in how the Warriors spine operates could be as simple as making fewer mistakes, while there is enough funk in the spine to excite hearty Warriors folk.

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