Luke Metcalf feels the Warriors have taken a step forward but the best is yet to come from his blossoming halves partnership with Chanel Harris-Tavita.

Shifting into the No.7 jersey following the retirement of superstar Shaun Johnson, Metcalf helped steer the Warriors to a morale-boosting win over Manly after their first-round shocker.

The Warriors' next challenge comes Friday night against the Sydney Roosters, who are flying high after knocking over premiers Penrith last round.

The home side is looking to end a win drought in Auckland against the Tricolours that dates back to 2017.

Metcalf was in the firing line after their 30-8 loss to Canberra in Las Vegas but gained maximum Dally M points in round two courtesy of a try, six goals and two try assists in his side's 20-point win.

The 26-year-old said he wasn't fazed by the early criticism.

"I go into every game confident, regardless of the previous weeks, however I played and if I thought I had a good game or a bad game," said the ex-Shark.

"Being a halfback, you've got to deal with the good, the bad, whatever it is, and, yeah, I'm happy to take that."I want to play that role and in that jersey, so yeah, just got to take it."

Metcalf, whose 2024 season ended in round four through a broken leg, felt there was plenty of upside to his pairing with Harris-Tavita.

"I feel like we link really well and our styles match up well together, and we're both same age and we think similar about the game so that's a good thing too.

"It always helps we get along really well off the field too and hopefully it's going to start showing on the field with our performances and, yeah, I feel like we're building something nice."

Metcalf was impressed by the Roosters' showing against Penrith, with the visitors bolstered this week by the return of heavyweight trio Lindsay Collins (illness), Spencer Leniu (suspension) and Victor Radley (concussion protocol).

But he said his team needed to focus on themselves rather than what the Roosters would bring.

"It was an awesome game, it was a contender for game of the year already," he said.

"They've got one of those teams that you just expect to be top four every year ... but we sort of just more focus on ourselves."I feel like as long as we turn up and really stick to what we want to do, that's sort of what we want to focus on."