2025 NRL Team Previews

New Zealand Warriors NRL 2025 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: 12 Feb 2025

Jeremy Darke 12 Feb 2025

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New Zealand Warriors predicted to finish thirteenth in the 2025 NRL Season.
Team gains James Fisher-Harris but loses key veterans like Shaun Johnson.
Challenges for the Warriors include forward depth and uncertain halves pairing.

New Zealand Warriors predicted to finish thirteenth in the 2025 NRL Season. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

New Zealand Warriors NRL 2025 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement

New Zealand Warriors NRL 2025 Team Previews, Predictions & Player Movement
Where the New Zealand Warriors finish in 2025: 13
Projected Win total: 9
Best contender for Dally M: James Fisher-Harris
What’s to like
What’s NOT to like
New Zealand Warriors Offseason Player Movement
New Zealand Warriors Predicted Starting 17

Where the New Zealand Warriors finish in 2025: 13

The Warriors finished in 13th last season and that sounds about right in 2025. The Warriors have taken a big hit with the loss of their veterans and leaders, Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris to retirement and try scoring machine Addin Fonua-Blake.

They gained a leader though in James Fisher-Harris who is going to have to have one of the biggest seasons of his career, using his four-time premiership winning experience from the Panthers to help lead the Warriors back to the finals.

Projected Win total: 9

Due to their form in 2023, the Pythagorous expectation gives the Warriors a little more credit than what they may deserve in 2025, projecting them to have 10 wins this season. We were also kind in deducting just one win from New Zealand because in reality this season has the potential to be a tough one.

The loss of Addin Fonua-Blake, Jazz Tevaga and Tohu Harris makes the depth in their forwards a little thin and they will be relying on their development to strengthen their bench which is a concern.

Best contender for Dally M: James Fisher-Harris

James Fisher-Harris is going to need to find his feet running and lead the forward back of the Warriors in the absence of the retired Tohu Harris.

Fisher-Harris knows what it takes to win premierships and will need to install that work ethic into the back of New Zealand, especially with some younger talents expected to take a place in the starting 17 throughout the year.

The four-time Premiership winning prop will lead from the front so you can expect his workload statistics to be at the head of the pack in 2025.

What’s to like

The starting frontrow for the Warriors will be able to contend with the best in the competition with some heavy hitting props in Mitch Barnett and James Fisher-Harris churning the metres and Wade Egan being a menace at hooker (if he can stay away from HIAs this season).

What’s NOT to like

Depth in the forward pack will likely be a concern for the Warriors, however they have been known to produce quality young talent. Their starting forwards will compete, however, questions will be asked around the 20-30 min mark of the match when interchanges come into play.

Also a large unknown is how the combination of Luke Metcalf and Te Maire Martin will go in 2025 and if they are the halves pairing that can lead the Warriors to the finals.

New Zealand Warriors Offseason Player Movement

Ins: James Fisher-Harris (Panthers), Jett Cleary (Panthers), Motu Pasikala (uppgraded), Erin Clark (Titans), Sam Healey (Sharks), Tanah Boyd (Titans)

Outs: Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks), Jazz Tevaga (Sea Eagles), Marcelo Montoya (Bulldogs), Shaun Johnson (retired), Tohu Harris (retired), Zyon Maiu’u (Bulldogs)