“If I’m doing something, I’m all the way. I can’t do anything half assed.”
That was the response that Storm winger Will Warbrick gave when he was talking about friendly games of golf with teammate Eli Katoa.
You can only imagine how that translates onto the footy field.
Warbrick’s journey to first-choice No.2 for the Storm has been an unconventional one. Growing up in New Zealand, he had a stint for the national Australian Rules team before winning a silver medal in Rugby Sevens at Tokyo 2020.
The 26-year-old is now set to become a triple international, with Kiwis coach Stacey Jones confirming he was all but certain to be selected for the Pacific Championships.
Warbrick the unstoppable
"He has gone to another level, with the way he is playing and from where he came from last year," Jones said.
"I have spoken to Will a couple of times during the year and let him know how he has been playing and that he is certainly right in the mix for us.
"I saw him do an interview earlier in the year and he said he wanted to make the national side. He has certainly made good progress on that journey.
"He seems very professional, and he is obviously in a good system at the Melbourne Storm. They tend not to rush players, and Will is reaping the rewards of how they do things at the Storm."
Warbrick signed for the Storm after the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were postponed until 2021, and made his NRL debut in 2023.
He has since scored 32 tries on the wing for Craig Bellamy’s side and is an at-times unstoppable aerial threat.
“It’s hard to stop and look back when you’re still on the move,” Warbrick told pan66.com ahead of the Storm’s preliminary final against the Roosters.
“I try not to get caught looking back and appreciating what I have done. Most of the time I’m looking forward, or looking where my feet are at.
“That’s where I’ve already grown the most, trying to be present, and that’s what I try and do.”
One of those moments that he hasn’t spent much time looking back at was last year’s semi-final against the Roosters, when his dramatic 78th minute try secured the win for the Storm.
The winning moment: Warbrick
“That moment is in the past now, and it’s a different time,” he said.
“When I think about the Roosters now, I feel like every game I’ve played in against them, it’s been tough, it hasn’t been an easy game. So that’s what I’m prepared for and thinking about.”
The three words that Warbrick used to describe himself are “positive,” “ambitious” and “driven.” Not only do those align with what he has achieved in his career, those traits are evident in how he talks about his off-pitch life.
His bookshelf is full of books that he can learn from. Biographies of other athletes are a big one – finding out what he can take from their leadership, their challenges, and apply it to himself.
“The typical day is pretty crazy, to be honest,” he explained.
“For example, if I’ve got training, I wake up, have my breakfast, do a little bit of mobility stretching, try and read. Try and balance stuff away from footy. Then come in, train, do what I need to do.
“I try and be organised and planned with what I do. I try to plan my days ahead, and my week ahead and whatnot. I feel like that helps me try to be productive and do things that need to be done.
“In season, a lot of my life revolves around rugby league. When I do have the chance to switch off, I try to, whether that’s chatting to family back home or video call or reading or watching a movie or playing PlayStation, just sort of whatever.”
If the Storm do manage to live up to their favourites tag, Warbrick’s laser focus will undoubtedly be a huge part of their success.
Warbrick has a hat-trick
“All I worry about is how I go about my week, and my training, and my preparation for the game,” he said.
“There’s no pressure. Don’t get me wrong, I want to win. There’s a desire to win and do well. But pressure is not the word I would use.”
