Warriors’ big win over Broncos comes at a cost as fans wonder if Jett Cleary is next in line
The Warriors’ crushing 40-6 win over the Broncos should have been a statement night. Instead, it left fans talking about who might be missing next
The Warriors’ crushing 40-6 win over the Broncos should have been a statement night. Instead, it left fans talking about who might be missing next week — and whether young halfback Jett Cleary is suddenly in line for an NRL debut.
That question has gathered pace after Saturday night’s match at Suncorp Stadium, where the Warriors beat the defending premiers but lost Luke Metcalf to a hamstring injury and saw Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad sent to the sin bin and placed on report for a hip-drop tackle that hurt Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh.
Metcalf goes down
Metcalf clutched at his right hamstring after converting the Warriors’ third try in a first half the visitors controlled from the opening minutes. He played no further part.
Later, he was spotted in the sheds with the leg heavily iced, wearing the look of a player who knows the timing of the setback has hurt. The Dragons-bound No.7 is headed for scans, with the expectation he will miss several weeks.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster said the halfback had stayed close to the group despite the blow. “I’m sure he’s hurting but he’s been a good teammate,” Webster said. “At halftime, he joined the team, sat down with them. We don’t know any more about the injury.”
Another blow for the Warriors
Moments before Metcalf’s injury, the Warriors were hit again when Nicoll-Klokstad was sin-binned and put on report for the tackle on Walsh. The incident added to a messy stretch in a match the visitors had otherwise dominated.
The result itself was emphatic. The cost was not.
That is why some fans immediately began asking the same question online: is this the opening for Jett Cleary? The young Warriors playmaker has been mentioned as a possible debut option if Metcalf is sidelined for an extended period, and the injuries have put his name firmly in the frame.
Why the debate has turned to Cleary
The interest in Cleary reflects how quickly a depth chart can change in the NRL. One hamstring, one suspension issue, and a club that looked settled suddenly needs cover.
For the Warriors, next week now looms as a test of their options. For fans, it has become a waiting game — for scan results, for a disciplinary call, and for the chance that Cleary could be handed his first shot.
