Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been the Warriors mister reliable all year — earning high praise from his coach and maybe even locking the number 1 jumper for the foreseeable future, even with the arrival of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck next season.
"Charnze will be in the team next year, he will be our number 1. Roger is a world-class player that will have a huge impact on this team, but if you are going to have a huge impact you want to have the best 17 players available and they are both obviously going to be in there, and if they're both in there, in positions they can both comfortably play at a high level, then we're starting to build an elite side," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said.
Nicoll-Klokstad left the Warriors in 2017 after seven games for the club to take up an opportunity at the Canberra Raiders.
The 27-year-old making a name for himself in the NRL at Canberra, playing four seasons and 66 games in green, one of those an NRL grand final. His time with the Raiders even attracting million-dollar offers.
"Canberra is really a place where my career kicked off for me. Playing your mates is a little bit weird, [but] not going to lie it's a great opportunity to play against your mates as well," Nicoll-Klokstad told media today.
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He makes his return to the Australian capital for the first time since his departure, when the Warriors play the Raiders on Friday night.
"Canberra is really a place where my career kicked off for me. It's an exciting time for me to go back to where it started," he said.
The Warriors sit one place above the Raiders in seventh on the ladder and come off the biggest victory of the season against the Dolphins.
"Someone said to me 'have you seen the ladder?' I honestly said 'no'. We have assessed ourselves, if we do really want to be a threat we have to improve," Webster said.
The injury toll again leaving Webster to rejig his line-up. A concussion injury to center Rocco Berry means NSW Cup standout Ali Leiataua is in line to make his debut.
"It's important we back our own. He's been playing well in reserve grade. He's been their best player, he's been reliable and tough," Webster said.
