‘Don’t want to feel this pain again’: Webster reacts to Warriors’ NRL exit

It won’t feel like it for the club, its players or fans, but the Warriors have plenty to be proud of after the season they’ve had.

That, though, only adds to the pain coach Andrew Webster will be feeling after Sunday’s 12-10 NRL semi-final defeat to the Newcastle Knights.

Having been handed a wake-up call with a 26-16 defeat to the Dolphins in last week’s qualifying final, the Warriors became the second team in as many years – after the Canberra Raiders in 2025 – to crash out of the NRL finals in straight sets, despite qualifying in the top two.

Just three weeks on from a 46-32 victory over the same opposition in the penultimate round of the regular season, the Knights had the last laugh, as Justin Holbrook’s side stifled the Warriors and left them listless and out of ideas in front of a partisan crowd of just under 49,000.

Warriors forward Demetric Vaimauga sits dejected after the side's loss to the Newcastle Knights. Photo / Brad Roberts

That support, both at Eden Park and across New Zealand, was at the forefront of the Warriors coach’s mind immediately after the final whistle.

“We had a whole country behind us all year,” said Webster. “We certainly felt it this week, we wish we’d have repaid them.

“But at the same time, we have to make sure that when we get back to this moment, we actually know exactly what to do.

“That’s motivating, but it’s really tough in the sheds at the moment. When you give yourself an opportunity and you don’t take it, it hurts.

“You think you’re a pretender, you think you’re making up the numbers. We weren’t, we were very confident in our abilities.

“We won some big games, dominated some big teams. It’s in us, top two was no fluke. We earned the right for two semis, and didn’t get the job done – that’s hard to take.”

Webster is perhaps underselling it.

Across the 27-round regular season, the Warriors claimed 17 wins from 24 matches to set a new club record, and finished in second place having scored the most points of all teams in the competition.

It was only points differential that saw the Warriors miss out on what would have been a second minor premiership in the club’s history, which instead went to the Penrith Panthers.

Off the field, the club has also enjoyed another season of fanatical support – home and away – and banked millions of dollars from merchandise sales on both sides of the Tasman. As of Monday morning, though, it all counts for nothing.

Demetric Vaimauga reacts to defeat in the Warriors' NRL semi-final loss to the Newcastle Knights. Photo / Photosport

While the pain of defeat at Eden Park will linger for days, weeks and maybe even months to come, there is a part of Webster that knows exactly how significant the achievements of the season are.

“I said to the boys I was proud, I’ve got to believe my own words,” he continued. “It’s hard to look back at what we’ve achieved, but there is an element of motivation.

“We don’t want to feel this pain again, it’s tough to go through it. But we’ve definitely come a long way as a club and a country – that crowd was ridiculous with how good they were.

“There are so many good things happening at our place, with how many young players we’re bringing through.

“If we look back, we’ve achieved a lot – but not what we wanted to.”

James Fisher-Harris is a man of few words. As a player, four premierships in four years with the Penrith Panthers make him the most decorated player currently at the Warriors.

Mitchell Barnett of the Warriors reacts after the side's loss to Newcastle. Photo / Brad Roberts

But as the leader of this group, one saying goodbye to the likes of Mitch Barnett, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Luke Metcalf, Marata Niukore among others, this season will now go down as one that got away.

“I’m just going to enjoy a couple of moments with the bros, and the boys that are leaving,” said the club co-captain.

“It’s hard to look too far ahead when it’s hurting like this, but we’ll get there.”

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.