The New Zealand Warriors will turn to their two co-captains in the same starting front row for the first time in 2026 when they face the Brisbane Broncos on Sunday in NRL Magic Round. Andrew Webster has named Mitch Barnett and James Fisher-Harris to start together, a move that changes the shape of a side sitting at 7-2 and chasing another statement win at a pivotal point in the season.
Barnett's return to the starting pack comes after a stop-start run through the opening months of the year. He began his 2026 NRL campaign late after completing rehab on the season-ending knee injury he suffered last June, and in his four appearances so far all have come off the interchange. His comeback has also been broken up by a thumb injury, a two-game absence, two matches back, then a concussion that forced him out for another week under protocols.
The switch gives Webster the front-row pairing he had in mind when the season began. Jackson Ford had worn the No.10 jersey as a starter before this change and at times had gone the full 80 minutes, but the coach said that was never the long-term plan. He said he always wanted Fisher-Harris and Barnett working together with Erin Clark as the passer and Ford coming on to finish games, fresh and relentless for the final stretch.
Webster said the plan was built around balance. He said he never intended for Ford to play 80 minutes every week and that the idea was for him to come on after 15 to 20 minutes, then go right through to the end. He said Barnett had not yet built enough momentum after his disrupted return, which was why the change had not happened earlier. "That's why we wanted to do it - we've got our two skippers out there in the front row, and Jackson gets to come on and do his job," he said.
Barnett said the move was put to him directly and he accepted it. He said he felt for Ford because the prop had been in good form, but added that his own job was to bring the style of play Webster wanted from the opening kick-off. Barnett also said the big man could end up playing about 70 minutes rather than 80, so the reshuffle would not change much for Ford beyond his role in the match. "I'm hoping I can get a bit of a run going now and string some games together," Barnett said.
The timing matters beyond Auckland's pack. This weekend is the last chance for State of Origin hopefuls to push their cases before selectors name their squads, and the Broncos-Warriors meeting lands in that window. Fisher-Harris has already been a pillar of strength in the Warriors' 7-2 start, and the decision to line him up with Barnett gives the side its most powerful version of the middle just as the season starts to sharpen into representative shape.
