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Live sport on SN this weekend‘Proud Dad’ Tohu Harris urges Warriors to keep it simple
Savannah Lendich Jonkers • September 18th, 2026 3:36 pm
Tohu Harris | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Former NZ Warriors captain Tohu Harris has watched the club’s rise from afar with pride as they remain in arms reach of their first premiership.
Harris, who retired in January 2025, played 234 games for both the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm, where he won the 2017 Grand Final.
“It's been an outstanding season. I sort of feel like a proud Dad watching them, although I had nothing to do with it,” he told Sport Nation Afternoons.
Harris said he has been particularly impressed by the growth of the younger players he once mentored who are now established NRL stars driving the Warriors’ campaign.
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“It's been awesome to see some of the steps that some of these younger guys who were very young when I was there, take that next leap in their careers and just how well they're doing, how much they've learnt and now they're out and out first graders which is awesome to see.”
Now facing the intensity of finals football, Harris believes the Warriors should avoid overthinking the occasion and stick to the formula that achieved them their top two spot on the NRL ladder.
“The bigger the game, the simpler you play, the more simple you prepare and so they've just got to stick to what sort of got them there,” he explained.
“You're not reinventing the wheel, you're just doing things a little bit quicker for a little bit longer and I think that will hold them in good stead.”
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Harris understands the hype around the Warriors has reached another level, with the club carrying the hopes of an entire country.
“There's obviously a whole lot more excitement around the game and that's throughout the whole squad as well. It just feels like a different competition, it's very easy to get up for so that helps when you're in the middle of the training week and you can't wait to get to the game.”
And he explained the excitement won’t lessen on Sunday.
“Once you run out, you can just feel the difference in intensity in the crowd.
“The hits are harder and the game's faster, so it's just exciting all around.”
Tune into Sport Nation for live commentary of the NZ Warriors vs Newcastle Knights at Eden Park this Sunday from 5pm.
Listen to the full interview below:
