Kiwis legend Richie Barnett has called on the New Zealand Warriors to drop the hammer and let Roger Tuivasa-Sheck off the leash ahead of their Friday night clash with St George Illawarra.

The Warriors have looked impressive to start their campaign in 2024 after making the preliminary final last season but still sit 7th.

“I don’t think they have constructed enough shape to utilise him because they have used him more as a ‘create something out of nothing’ mentality,” Barnett told the New Zealand Herald.

“I’d love to see that exposed a bit more, to give him a bit of space.

“They haven’t quite got that right. They are using a lot of the lead runners – most of their shape is hitting a forward – and very little is going out the back door for someone like Roger or Rocco Berry.

“At some point, they need to find some more room for those guys.”

The Warriors travel to Wollongong on Friday night in the 6pm timeslot.