Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad says there’s “no ceiling” on what the Warriors can achieve this NRL season after another brilliant upset win against Canberra on Friday night put them fifth on the table.
Written off as a rebuilding project after finishing 15th last year, the Warriors turned celebrations for Jarrod Croker’s 300th game sour with their fourth win on Australian soil this year to assert themselves as a genuine finals contender.
Nicoll-Klokstad, who scored against his former side, was shuffled down Canberra’s depth chart last season and played plenty of NSW Cup with young gun Xavier Savage locking down the first-team role.
Ironically, Savage would go down early in 2023 with a broken jaw and hasn’t been able to reclaim his job since, the Raiders crying out for a fullback of Nicoll-Klokstad’s calibre as he tears it up across the ditch.
But there’s no looking back for the Kiwi, who holds no ill will towards his former home after his departure and insists being close to family made heading back to New Zealand the right call.
“A lot of things happen for a reason,” Nicoll-Klokstad said.
“The big reason was me being able to go home and be close to my boys. My boys are really enjoying their dad being around more, you can just see it on their faces.
“So it was definitely the right decision and no matter how I went out, I've got no issues or anything and still love the club.”
He admitted he’d been eyeing off his return game in Canberra from the moment he moved to the Warriors.
“It was circled during the preseason and really exciting to get here (but) my good mate was playing his milestone game,” Nicoll-Klokstad said.
“I want to play my best and I wanted to get the win for my team. But I just watched them hopefully enjoy the week and I hope (Croker) did enjoy the week.”
Other major off-season Warriors additions included back-rowers Marata Niukore and Jackson Ford, enforcer Mitch Barnett and halves Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf.
But it’s the old guard of gun forwards Tohu Harris and Addin Fonua-Blake along with red-hot halfback Shaun Johnson that’s been just as vital in reinvigorating the Warriors.
“Everyone is fitting in and jelling and I think it starts at the top,” Nicoll-Klokstad said.
“We've got a really good coach (Andrew Webster), a really good leader, we've got a really good skipper in Tohu Harris and we've got really good boys around him too.
“We haven't really put a ceiling on how far we want to go, obviously the main goal is to win the competition and without looking too far ahead, we do know we've been playing well and given ourselves every opportunity to do well this year.
“But there's still a long season, there's 11 more rounds … we've just got to keep learning.”
