It is no surprise that 2023 was the best season the New Zealand Warriors have had in some time and many put that down to multiple factors, one of those being head coach Andrew Webster.
As such, his ability to galvanise the players and bring the playing group together has seen him rewarded with an extension to his current contract as head coach.
Webster agreed to a three-year extension as Warriors head coach that will see him stay on until the end of the 2028 season.
Webster, the 2023 Dally M Coach of the Year is set to equal the longest coaching tenure of the club of six seasons.
It took just one season as head coach for the Warriors bigwigs to know that Webster was their man moving forward.
“Andrew has confirmed to us that he’s the right fit for our club and his skills as a coach are what we need to cement our long-term development through our pathways,” said One New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George.
“He did an extremely good job this season and we have every confidence that he’ll continue to grow into the role.”
Another key reason behind the longer deal was continuity for the Warriors. Webster keeps tabs on all grades and the club want young players to warm to him both now and in first-grade.
“Another important element of extending his contract is that the stars of the future can see stability in long-term planning in the head coaching role and they see a coach who is driven to develop players of all age groups to become NRL players of the future for the Warriors,” said George.
It was a simple one for Webster who says he had no plans in going anywhere else.
“I never wanted to leave in the first place so now I get to lock up the future which I’m really grateful for,” said Webster.
“It was great being here as an assistant when I was at the club the first time and it’s even better now.
“There’s a bright future from our pathways through to our NRL roster and especially in the front office with Mark (Robinson) and Cameron (George). I truly feel we will have sustained success.”