The New Zealand Warriors enter the 2024 season as a team looking to make as big a statement as any.
The statement?
That they are no longer the inconsistent team who have been present throughout essentially their entire NRL existence to this point.
That's not a knock on the Warriors, but the simple truth of the matter is that they haven't, for the most part, been able to string multiple games together, let alone multiple seasons.
2023 saw them do the former of those though, with Andrew Webster earning every cent of his deal and repaying the faith shown in him by the club in what was an exceptional rookie head coaching season.
But now the Warriors, who have the support of a nation behind them and quickly became the hottest ticket in Auckland during the finals series, must back it up.
Here are the big questions that will determine exactly how well they might be able to go in 2024.
3. Where does Kurt Capewell fit in?
In a surprise move late in the off-season, former Queensland Maroons State of Origin second-rower Kurt Capewell was released by the Broncos to pick up a new deal with the Warriors.
He brings plenty of experience to the club, but exactly where he will fit into the side's best 17 remains a question.
The most realistic scenario is that Capewell ultimately becomes the replacement for Josh Curran, who spent most of the 2023 campaign struggling to hit his potential and playing off the bench for the Warriors.
A part of that though was also down to the breakout form of Jackson Ford, who had moved across from the St George Illawarra Dragons ahead of last season getting underway.
There is little doubt he will remain in the starting side, while Marata Niukore and Capewell will be the players likely fighting it out for the other second-row position.
Whether Capewell plays in the starting side or off the bench, there is little to no doubt he will bring experience and impact to the Warriors. It's just whether he fits in to the system which will ultimately determine how good of a move this is.
