NZ Warriors expect Andrew Webster to hit the ground running from next season, but insist their new head coach won't rebuild the squad.
His three-year appointement has been confirmed, with previous experience at the club and a glowing endorsement from a former Warriors coach helping him secure the job.
Webster is the man the Warriors hope will lead them to NRL glory and he comes with big wraps from one of the best in the game - mentor Ivan Cleary.
"He was hugely complimentary of Webby's work ethic and what he can bring to the table," said Warriors chief executive Cameron George. "He was no doubt he is a head coach, no doubt."
Webster's been part of Cleary's premiership-winning coaching group at Penrith Panthers, but he's now ready to go it alone, returning to Mt Smart Stadium seven years after his first stint as an assistant under Andrew McFadden.
His knowledge of the club and the challenges it faces is a major factor in his appointment.
"He understood the landscape we work in, and the logistial challenges we have in going back and forth," said George. "He's got a really good understanding of that."
Webster will also be charged with helping nurture junior players, something the Panthers are renowned for, as the Warriors try to get back on their feet and rebuild their pathways, after spending three seasons in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our challenge and our responsibility is that... we can create a system and a pathway where those boys and their families want to be Warriors," says Warriors football general manager Craig Hodges.
"He's got a real passion about kids coming through and developing properly," said George. "You're seeing that in the system he's at now."
But Webster won't rebuild the current roster and George insists the squad will be competitive next year.
While the club has already lost powerhouse forward Matt Lodge, and will bid farewell to centre-cum-second-rower Euan Aitken and fullback Reece Walsh at the end of the season, the Warriors have help on the way, with forward Mitch Barnett, utility back Darryl Walker and fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad signed for next season.
"The expectation is for him to come and succeed, like us all," he said. "He's one of many, but we are not rebuilding, let's be clear on this."
Any success would be welcomed with open arms by the Warriors faithful.
