2026 Season

Yeah I remember at the time in 2024 there was a real "one last job" vibe to that season, like you had comments from players and coaches basically saying they knew it was going to be really really hard to climb the mountaintop again given who they were losing.

But they weren't talking about Luai like many highlights watchers assumed. They were talking about James Fisher-Harris.

NZ Warriors 3rd with a 15-6 record this season, Wests Tigers 14th, 7-14.

Warriors' best ever season in defence was 2011 where they conceded 394 points, they're probably going to beat that. 65% win rate with Fish in the team since he got there, making him their winningest player ever. A lot of things going right at that club obviously but that's a team that has kept winning despite one of the worst injury records in the comp, can't keep the same halfback for more than a few games straight, because of an all-conquering forward pack, and he's the best forward in a team full of really good ones.

The core of the Penrith dynasty: Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota and Liam Martin. They had a lot of other really good players but those are the ones they wanted most badly to keep.

There should be some conversations about Fish's place in the history of the sport if he gets a 5th premiership this year. You'd be silly to write him off.
 
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HarVeeGee13 said:
Yeah I remember at the time in 2024 there was a real "one last job" vibe to that season, like you had comments from players and coaches basically saying they knew it was going to be really really hard to climb the mountaintop again given who they were losing.

But they weren't talking about Luai like many highlights watchers assumed. They were talking about James Fisher-Harris.

NZ Warriors 3rd with a 15-6 record this season, Wests Tigers 14th, 7-14.

Warriors' best ever season in defence was 2011 where they conceded 394 points, they're probably going to beat that. 65% win rate with Fish in the team since he got there, making him their winningest player ever. A lot of things going right at that club obviously but that's a team that has kept winning despite one of the worst injury records in the comp, can't keep the same halfback for more than a few games straight, because of an all-conquering forward pack, and he's the best forward in a team full of really good ones.

The core of the Penrith dynasty: Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, James Fisher-Harris, Moses Leota and Liam Martin. They had a lot of other really good players but those are the ones they wanted most badly to keep.

There should be some conversations about Fish's place in the history of the sport if he gets a 5th premiership this year. You'd be silly to write him off. Lazarus
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Glenn Lazarus had a slightly better record:

Glenn Lazarus won 5 premierships across 3 different clubs (Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos, and Melbourne Storm), boasting an elite first-grade career win percentage of just under 70% (approximately 69.5% to 70%) over his 254 club games
 
Yeah if we were doing a post-war Team of the Century up until today, Lazarus is one of the first props picked. Or even if there was a Team of the Century B Team.

I wonder if the interest in Moses Leota has been lukewarm since he was given permission to talk to other teams. A lot of fans are baulking at his price tag. I think theres the extra 100-200k Panthers tax other teams probably don't want to pay, understandably so.
 
Leota is an interesting one because he’s your enforcer & big game player, not the week to week guy. Right in the heart of that dynasty they’d use a bunch of subs on him specifically so he could play three 10-15 minute stints. The luxury of having Yeo and Fish on your team. I don’t think he’s been as effective as the #1 prop on that team, although he’s still been very good.
 
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PTB said:
Y

Glenn Lazarus had a slightly better record:

Glenn Lazarus won 5 premierships across 3 different clubs (Canberra Raiders, Brisbane Broncos, and Melbourne Storm), boasting an elite first-grade career win percentage of just under 70% (approximately 69.5% to 70%) over his 254 club games
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Yep, when you talk about Fish the first player you think to compare him to is arguably the best prop to play the game.

I do think Payne Haas is the guy I’d want for one game to save the world from the space aliens, but he has kind of mailed it in since winning the comp and signing elsewhere. Fish has never ever done that.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Yep, when you talk about Fish the first player you think to compare him to is arguably the best prop to play the game.

I do think Payne Haas is the guy I’d want for one game to save the world from the space aliens, but he has kind of mailed it in since winning the comp and signing elsewhere. Fish has never ever done that.
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Totally agree that Lazarus is the best prop forward to have played the game. Fish is the closest I’ve seen to him for the success he brings to each team he’s part of. It’s their mind set and the confidence they give to each player around them that sets them apart. Haas is the most devastating forward I’ve seen, however you would never see either Lazarus or Fish mailing it in as you say. Their character and pride wouldn’t allow that.
 
As a Kiwi player, Fish would have to be right up there as their number one forward. Could probably add Jesse Bromwich in the conversation as well.
 
Lazarus was probably underated in the all star raiders side of 87-91, but proved how great he was when he went to a Broncos side that had been equally star studded but underperforming until 92 and took them to dual premierships. Lazzo and Fish would be the ideal prop combo for mine.
 
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Owey said:
Lazarus was probably underated in the all star raiders side of 87-91, but proved how great he was when he went to a Broncos side that had been equally star studded but underperforming until 92 and took them to dual premierships. Lazzo and Fish would be the ideal prop combo for mine.
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Same for me.
Just to add a third prop forward whose record is comparable is Shane Webcke.



Shane Webcke - National Rugby League Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame

Shane Webcke won four first-grade premierships (including the 1997 Super League and 1998, 2000, and 2006 NRL/ARL titles) during his 254-game career with the Brisbane Broncos. He finished his career with a strong overall winning percentage of approximately 61.4% (156 wins from 254 games).
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Luai Hater Island real estate prices went gangbusters this year.

He was not one of Penrith's ten best players in even a single one of those premiership teams, and I'm being kind to him to not interrogate whether he was even top 15.
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He's closer to the top 15 than the top 10.

Even when he partnered with Burton in the halves, Burton stood out more.
 
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