Warriors seek final tune-up against understrength Storm before Vegas opener

The New Zealand Warriors are running out one last time before the lights come up in Las Vegas. Tonight's match against Melbourne Storm is their final dress rehearsal, the last chance to sharpen combinations and stake a claim for Round 1 selection before the 2025 NRL season kicks off in the Nevada desert.

Andrew Webster has named a squad heavy with intent. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, the former Roosters captain, takes the wing for a second consecutive trial—a signal, perhaps, about where he'll line up when the real games begin. Alongside him are Luke Metcalf and Te Maire Martin in the halves, Wayde Egan at hooker, Jackson Ford in the pack, and Kurt Capewell at lock. These are the players Webster is building around, the ones he needs to see clicking in sync before the season opener. Egan will wear the captain's armband tonight, but the spotlight belongs to the halves pairing. Warriors supporters are banking on Martin and Metcalf finding rhythm together—the club's path back to finals football runs through their ability to orchestrate attack and control the ebb and flow of play.

Webster has also blooded some younger talent. Taine Tuaupiki, Leka Halasima, Samuel Healey, and Jett Cleary are in the squad, each looking to force their way into Webster's thinking for the season ahead. In the NRL, these trials are auditions. Every carry, every decision, every moment of composure or panic gets noted. For the fringe players, tonight could be the difference between Round 1 selection and a stint in reserve grade.

Melbourne arrives in a different state. Craig Bellamy has fielded a heavily understrength side for his first trial of the year—a pragmatic choice that reflects the Storm's depth and their willingness to manage workload in the lead-up to the season proper. The one name to watch is Stefano Utoikamanu, the highly-touted recruit making his Storm debut in the front row. Utoikamanu is the kind of signing that suggests Melbourne believes it can compete for a premiership. Alongside him, Lazarus Vaalepu will pack down in the props, while Tyran Wishart and Sua Fa'alogo form the spine. It's a skeleton crew by Storm standards, but it's enough to give Bellamy a read on where things stand.

For the Warriors, this is the final test before the real season begins. The halves need to prove they can orchestrate; the forwards need to show they can dominate the ruck; the outside backs need to demonstrate they can finish opportunities. Tuivasa-Sheck, in particular, is under scrutiny. A player of his pedigree doesn't move to the wing by accident—it suggests the Warriors see him as a finisher, a strike weapon in attack. Tonight will tell us whether that positioning makes sense.

The Storm, meanwhile, are using this as a checkpoint. Bellamy doesn't need to prove anything; he's one of the greatest coaches in rugby league history. But he does need to see how his new-look squad fits together, how Utoikamanu settles into the NRL, and whether his spine can function as a unit. The understrength nature of the side means this isn't about winning—it's about gathering information.

Both teams will fly out of this match with a clearer picture of what they have. For the Warriors, it's a final chance to convince Webster they belong in his Round 1 plans. For the Storm, it's a low-stakes look at how their new pieces fit. In a few days, the Warriors will be in Las Vegas, ready to open their season against an opponent yet to be confirmed. Tonight is the last breath before the plunge.