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The Live Sport Bible is here!Warriors NRLW side to go from ‘good to great’ in 2026
Savannah Lendich Jonkers • June 5th, 2026 11:04 am
Warriors NRLW head coach Ron Griffiths
With extreme growth and the addition of key players during the off-season, the Wahine Warriors could be the side to beat in 2026.
Head coach Ron Griffiths told Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy: “we are 30 percent better than what we were last year and that’s right across the programme.
"I think in some areas like rugby league skill and development, we’re probably a bit further along.”
A re-addition to the NRLW competition last season after a five-year hiatus, the side finished 8th on the table in 2025, falling just two spots short of making the finals.
"We were strong last year without being great at moments, but we believe there's no reason we can't go from good to great if we keep applying ourselves," Griffiths added.
And the addition of Gayle Broughton, Mele Hufaga and Annetta-Claudia Nu'uausala, who were part of the Premiership-winning Broncos team in 2025, as well as sevens star Stacey Waaka, will only strengthen the squad.
Gayle Broughton | Photo: Instagram/Gayle Broughton
“What the players we've brought allowed us to do is stay in those moments for longer when the game really starts to bite and take advantage of our speed out wide.
“I think we'll see a team that is really tough physically, defensively and tightens the line and just starts to squeeze the opposition like a vice.
"In attack, we're free flowing and we can open the field up and then play from anywhere on the park.”
Griffiths, who formerly coached the Newcastle Knights women to back-to-back titles, said the Warriors club has a charter to win both NRLW and NRL Premierships and CEO Cameron George has become vocal on the subject in 2026.
“If you need something, you ask him and he says he’s going to help you win a Premiership. You say, yeah, and he says well get it done.”
Wahine Wahs "building something special" with recruitment for 2026 NRLW season | Scotty & Izzy
Griffiths, who has also recently been assigned as Kiwi Ferns assistant coach, said New Zealand has truly become his home and moving from Australia is the best decision he's made.
“Last year at our presentation I got up on stage and they were asking me questions, and they said 'well, what's it like?'
"There's an old John Fogarty song, 'Joy of My Life' and I just said that's where I'm at the moment. This is the joy of my life, this club and the players that I've got, it's just so rewarding and so effortless.
Listen to the full interview below:
