Warbrick vows to leave a lasting impression on the Storm

Hat-trick hero Will Warbrick said that every game in a Storm jersey this year is special as he hopes to play his part in a late surge to finals footy. 

The 1.93m tall Kiwi scored three tries and was a key contributor to two more in the Storm’s 42-20 victory over the Raiders, managing to snare almost every aerial ball that came his way. 

“Honestly, I've put in a lot of work during the week, and from the start of the year, and it's something that I really do try to work hard at. Sometimes I don’t get rewarded, but tonight I’m glad it paid off,” he told NRL.com.

“It was awesome be able to catch a few of those balls, especially at home. I do get a lot of joy from being able to perform well in front of our fans. 

“I'm obviously moving on from end of this year [to the Warriors], and so every game for me is really special. I'm just trying to just enjoy each one."

Warbrick also made 153 metres, picked up a try assist, and burst through eight tackles in a strong all-round performance. 

“He’s a big, strong athlete, and his ability in the air on the kicks is second to none,” said coach Craig Bellamy.

“When I played, wingers being the man of the match was unheard of, but these days wingers have got a whole heap more work to do. I thought he was certainly a big difference for us.

“I also thought some of his running was tremendous, and he defended well with that edge. He will be rapt with his performance tonight, and he should be – we were rapt with his performance as well.” 

He said that the dominance in the air against counterpart Savelio Tamale was a plan pre-game. 

“Yeah, it was a plan,” he said. 

“It’s one of my strengths, and something that I work on every week with Jahrome [Hughes], so it just really paid off. It’s something I try to do in every game, but I probably got rewarded for it more in this game.” 

With the season-long injury to Xavier Coates, and the much shorter – while impressive - Moses Leo on the other wing, Warbrick has taken up the mantle of being the Storm’s key threat from high balls. 

“I don't know if I feel the responsibility [without Xavier there],” he said.

“I just try to figure out what works for me and what my strengths are, and I believe that it is one of my strengths. It’s something Craig drives through during the week. I'm glad to do my bit for the team.” 

The game had extra meaning for Warbrick. It was designated as the Storm’s inaugural mental health round, with the club encouraging players and fans to “tackle tough together".

Storm old boys were at the game, the crowd was urged to check in with the person beside them pre-match, and there were fundraising efforts for mental health charity Beyond Blue. 

Warbrick was one of the driving forces behind the club establishing the round, having been open about being diagnosed with depression. 

“I'm really happy that the club took the initiative to have a round like today, and I hope it's something that remains going forward,” he said. 

“It’s an important topic. It’s making a creating a conversation about it for everyone, people that attend, people at home, just anyone, so it's more of a common thing now, to speak about.  

“If people need help, they should get help, and it’s good to check on people around you. I'm glad the club and people that joined the club were able to create a round like this.”