'So much to like': Warriors coach Andrew Webster hails 'ruthless ...

A beaming Andrew Webster found "lots to like" after seeing his "ruthless" Warriors side dismantle the Eels 46-10 in Sydney on Saturday night.

Coming off their heaviest loss of the NRL season against Souths in the Auckland rain last week, the Kiwi outfit needed to front to get their playoff push back on track.

They did that and then some, running in eight tries to two at a stunned CommBank Stadium to claim their biggest victory of Webster's tenure and move up to fifth on the ladder.

It was the Warriors' 10th victory from 17 games this season and arguably their most impressive, albeit against an Eels side shorn of their first-choice spine due to Origin commitments.

Nevertheless, the hosts still had plenty of quality on the park and were on a five-game winning streak. Yet an attritional opening 20 minutes aside, they proved no match for a visiting team for whom the halves pairing of Luke Metcalf and Shaun Johnson delivered a masterclass.

Matt Blyth/Getty Images

The "ruthless" manner in which the Warriors dismantled the Eels was music to Andrew Webster's ears.

Metcalf helped himself to two tries and dictated the play in an outstanding all-round display, while Johnson – appearing in his milestone 200th game for the club – was just as influential and nailed seven of eight conversions.

Winger Marcelo Montoya and enforcer Mitch Barnett also bagged doubles, while double centurion Dylan Walker and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak completed the rout.

The Warriors have now won six games in Australia this season as they continue their remarkable run under rookie coach Webster, who was delighted with the way his players responded to last Friday's setback at Mt Smart.

"There was so much that I loved. I thought the first 20 minutes weren't real smart. I think we looked the better side but we weren't executing," Webster said at the post-match presser.

"And then I thought the last 20 minutes of the first half [when they scored four tries] we were really ruthless.

It's always hard when you are in that situation [with a huge 30-4 halftime lead]. Parramatta were running really hard in the second half, but I think we won the second half. So I'm happy with that."

One aspect of the Warriors' play that Webster was particularly rapt about was the combination between Johnson and Metcalf.

Australian Metcalf had his finest game to date in a Warriors jersey, scoring two superb solo tries and having a decisive hand in two more.

Though a work in progress, Webster felt Metcalf and Johnson were developing an understanding that would make them a formidable pairing going forward.

David Neilson/Photosport

Shaun Johnson played a starring role in his 200th game for the club, nailing seven of eight conversions.

"Those two have done really well, they've worked hard on it. It's a combination I think we are going to continue to see growing and we need that combination to work," Webster said.

"The best part about Luke's game tonight was how reliable it was. It wasn't flashy. He looked flashy because he's brilliant, he's fast and he moves well. But it was the way we wanted to play and Luke shines when he does that."

"I thought he was very good at it. He had a couple of really, really good plays there."

But Webster reserved special praise for expectant dad Johnson, who had left his heavily pregnant wife Kayla behind in Auckland to play despite her being due to give birth to their second child.

"I think the big thing about Shaun is he just wants to win. He didn't want to go home to New Zealand and have his 200th, he wanted to do it here with his mates tonight," said Webster, on a night in which Johnson's team-mates Walker (200 games) Addin Fonau-Blake (150) and Wayde Egan (100) also celebrated milestones.

"They wanted to win together and they wanted to fix last week. So that was good."

Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Luke Metcalf gets a congratulatory hug from Wayde Egan after scoring one his two tries in Sydney.

However, Webster made it clear there had been no pressure on Johnson to travel from the Warriors hierarchy and it was purely a decision he made with his wife.

"That was all driven by him. As a club, we were super supportive for him to stay home because I get it, it's a worrying time, are you going to be there or are you not?" Webster commented.

"It's only a three-hour flight [from Sydney], but flights stop at 7.30pm at night so he can't get home now. He's got that 12-hour anxious wait, probably 18-hour anxious wait to get home."

Webster confirmed that Johnson would be on the first flight out of Sydney ("He won't be at our review in the morning. I don't think I can get away with that one!") as he vowed to keep his players' feet firmly on the ground after their resounding win.

"We don't get carried away with any loss, and we don't get carried away with wins. I feel like there's so many other parts of the game we can keep getting better at," he said.

"But there was so much to like, I was really happy."

The Warriors now switch their focus to back-to-back home games against the Sharks (2nd) and Raiders (4th) over the next two weekends.

Walker (arm) and captain Tohu Harris (ankle) both picked up niggles on Saturday night but Webster expects them to be fit for the visit of a Cronulla side he warned will present a "huge threat".

"We've made a mistake by getting carried away and looking too far ahead. I mean Cronulla, we got them late last time (a 32-30 win in round five) we played them and they are a very good side.

"Our defence is going to have to have a really big week this week to get ready for that challenge."