Luke Metcalf has his fingerprints all over the club's 8-2 start to the season. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
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NZ Warriors star Luke Metcalf insists it's way too early to read anything into his stellar rise to the top of the NRL player rankings.
After taking maximum points from his team's 16-12 win over the Dolphins last weekend, the highflying halfback now leads the Dally M Medal standings, with the end-of-season winner being crowned Player of the Year.
The mantle is a fair representation of Metcalf's contribution to the Warriors' 8-2 record and second spot on the competition table, but he's keeping his feet firmly on terra firma over his prospects of ultimately taking out the award.
"Obviously, I've seen it, but it's Round 11 and things can change so quick," he said. "In one week, someone else could be leading it, so it's nothing I'm going into games trying to win.
"Obviously, it's pretty cool to be at the top of that [standings]. Some of the best players in the game win that award, so you'd be lying if you said it was something you don't smile at, but it's so early, you don't want to get too far ahead of yourself."
Metcalf's fingerprints have been all over the Warriors record this season. After an indifferent start against Canberra Raiders at Las Vegas, he produced a breakout performance against Manly Sea Eagles, including two try assists, 6/6 goalkicking and a try on fulltime to cap the win.
He kicked a late penalty to beat Wests Tigers and an extra-time penalty to beat Brisbane Broncos, pulled off a trysaving - and possibly gamewinning - tackle against North Queensland Cowboys and potted a late field goal against St George Illawarra Dragons.
Against the Dolphins, his kick-and-chase effort secured Kurt Capewell's match-turning try.
Metcalf, 26, currently sits one point clear of Cronulla Sharks fullback Will Kennedy, with Wests Tigers front-rower Terrell May another two points adrift.
Luke Metcalf slots a field goal against St George Illawarra Dragons. Photo: David Neilson/Photosport
Each week, two independent judges vote 3-2-1 on the top performers from each game. Through the first 12 rounds, those votes are released publicly, but next week, they go 'behind closed doors' until the winner is announced before the NRL Grand Final.
Only one Warriors player has ever won the Dally M Medal, although Metcalf's predecessor - Shaun Johnson - came within a point two years ago, when the club reached the preliminary finals.
Current winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck took out the major prize in 2018, playing fullback, and he has seen his young teammate mature before his eyes.
"I don't know much about the scoring, because Luke and myself in 2018 … you don't focus on that," he recalled. "You just focus on the week in, week out - turning up to training, having fun with the team, working hard and learning, and the results come on the back of that.
"If you go hunting for the points, you'll never get them. You just have to turn up and go to work.
"We just let Luke be Luke. I've enjoyed watching him grow and him owning the team.
"He is our starting halfback, this is his team and we back him. He believes that too and seeing him come out of his shell has been awesome."
His newfound standing is especially impressive, given the many who questioned his ability to fill Johnson's shoes in the No.7 jersey - those doubts only increased, after his underwhelming performance in the season-opener.
"I'm really happy for him," coach Andrew Webster said. "When Luke runs, we look way better.
"He's different to other halfbacks, he can make linebreaks and score tries, and can set them too.
Luke Metcalf celebrates his try against Manly Sea Eagles. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
"Round one, I don't think we gave him an opportunity to play, considering the way we were tackling that night. We were pretty poor and the Raiders had way too much momentum.
"It's pretty hard for a guy, at the start of the season, to have a stamp on the game, when your forwards aren't doing that."
Despite his haul of Dally M points, Metcalf's own teammates have adjudged him Man of the Match just once - against the Cowboys, when his two tries were balanced by his outrageous defensive play on winger Murray Taulagi, dragging him into touch centimetres from the corner flag in a cover tackle.
Afterwards, Webster observed that halfbacks weren't known for their defence, "but the good ones are".
"They've got such high hopes for Luke that he's going to improve and they know he hasn't reached his ceiling," Webster said. "Externally, he's creating a lot of hype and he's winning the Dally M, so we're proud of that and happy for him.
"His teammates love him, but they know he's got more in him."
Metcalf has another year on his current Warriors contract, which means other clubs can come calling from November. His Dally M performance has considerably improved his stock, so the Auckland club must move quickly to secure his future at Mt Smart beyond next season.
"No, I haven't had any conversations just yet," he said. "I'm not too sure what's around the corner, but as of right now, I haven't had too many discussions.
"I know it's so cliched, but I just want to keep playing good footy and the talks will start happening, I'm sure.
"Everything that's meant to happen will happen when it's supposed to."
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