Webster Reunites Barnett And Fisher-Harris For Broncos Vs Warriors

Andrew Webster has changed the Warriors’ front row for broncos vs warriors on Sunday. Mitch Barnett and James Fisher-Harris will start together for the first time in 2026, ending a stretch that kept Barnett on the interchange through all four of his appearances.

Webster And Barnett

Webster said the shift was built into his plan, not forced by the moment. “We never intended to play Jackson Ford for 80 minutes each week,” he said, adding that he had always wanted Fish and Barney together with Erin Clark as the passer and Ford coming on to finish the game.

Barnett accepted the switch after Webster approached him. “He approached me and I just said yeah,” he said. Barnett also said Webster wanted his style of game at the kickoff, while Ford’s workload may drop from 80 minutes to 70 this week.

Barnett’s 2026 Return

The selection gives Barnett his first start of 2026 after a stop-start season shaped by injury. He began late after finishing rehab from a season-ending knee injury last June, reached 50 games for the Auckland club against the Newcastle Knights, then broke a thumb in his next appearance and missed two games.

He played two more games before suffering a concussion and then sat out another week under concussion protocols. Barnett has said he has become used to the situation after last season and is glad to be back, while also hoping to string some games together.

Warriors Front Row Shift

Jackson Ford had made the No.10 starting jersey his own before this change, and Webster said he has not wanted to lean on him for 80 minutes every week. The move restores the front-row combination Webster has wanted while keeping Ford in the game plan as an impact option.

The Warriors take a 7-2 record into the match, and State of Origin selectors are due to name their squads after this weekend. For Barnett, the immediate task is simple: keep the body together long enough to build the run he has been chasing.