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Metcalf reveals injury return date after ACL injury
Sam Kosack • January 21st, 2026 1:36 pm
Luke Metcalf is hoping for a Round 7 return from the ACL injury that cruelled his breakout 2025 season.
Metcalf was a revelation for the New Zealand Warriors at halfback, taking over from Shaun Johnson following his retirement.
The 26-year-old came eighth in the Dally Ms despite only playing 15 games, finishing five points short of Nathan Cleary in second.
Metcalf’s Round 7 timeline means he would return against the Gold Coast Titans in New Zealand, five weeks ahead of Warriors’ co-captain Mitch Barnett, who is also returning from an ACL injury.
“The rehab's looking really well, actually,” Metcalf told SEN 1170 Breakfast, “I couldn't want it to go probably any smoother than it has.”
“I'm about five and a half months in at the moment. The timeline's around that nine-month mark, which would be I think about round seven.
“I don't have an exact date, but around that round seven mark would be pretty good.
“(I’ve) got my mate Mitch Barnett there, we're doing it together so it's always easier having that person there to do it with.
“I'm loving getting back into training, slowly getting back into the team stuff, and hopefully it can keep going fast.
“(Mitch is) going really good… I'll say he's probably about five weeks ahead, because I think he got surgery about five weeks before me.
“So, I would say you might see him in action a little earlier, but I'm in a bit of a race with him, at the moment.”
While Metcalf continues his recovery, Tanah Boyd, Te Maire Martin, and Chanel Harris-Tavita have rotated through the halves positions as the Warriors to lock down their halves combination for the opening rounds.
Harris-Tavita will likely start at five-eighth, leaving Boyd and Martin to battle it out for the vacant seven jersey.
The Warriors sorely missed Metcalf after his injury, missing out on a top four finish and dropping out of finals in the first week.
As tough as it was, for Metcalf however, the time away from the game has come with some silver linings.
His time on the sidelines has allowed him to develop his understanding of the game and the halfback position, leaning on Warriors’ legend Stacey Jones for advice and mentoring.
“It was obviously tough to take when it happened, but I probably try to… find a positive out of everything,” Metcalf said.
“I felt like I did a bit of work, in terms of studying the game (and) looking probably more in depth at who we’d (play) in that week.
“I was talking to Stacey Jones a little bit, doing a lot of work with our kicking and stuff like that.
“It was cool in that sense to look at it from a different lens, because you're not having to worry about physically preparing.
“I went back through and watched some of our games last year and had a look at where we can improve and stuff like that.
“The only negative to that is that it gets you itching to play so I try not to do it too much.”
It was that desire to improve and lead the Warriors that saw Metcalf re-sign for a further two years, turning down multiple clubs who were eager to sign the elite seven.
The Warriors are set up for arguably one of their best chances at winning a premiership this season, with the minimal changes to their top 17 over the off-season.
The chance to build a legacy in New Zealand, and the culture and support of the club, were all key reasons that saw Metcalf extend.
“It was a big year for me stepping into the halfback role… the negotiations with the Warriors ramped up towards the end of finals time,” Metcalf revealed.
“Looking at the squad we have, and obviously Webby (Andrew Webster) as a coach and Cameron George as CEO… the club's in such good hands, and I think everyone around here has a feeling that success is right around the corner.
“The chance to be a part of that first team to win… I feel like that's the legacy defining moment in your career.
“We have such a cool group here, all the players, all the staff, it's just such a good vibe and I feel like it's hard to find that in rugby league.
“It wasn't too much of a decision once I obviously looked at it from that landscape.”
