Anonymity in the National Rugby League is a beautiful thing. The chance to fly under that ever-present radar and go about your business. Despite playing in the 2011 NRL grand final, the New Zealand Warriors are still well out of sight and well out of mind.
2160 kilometres away from the bright lights of Sydney and the hub of the rugby league world is Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland. The home of the next juggernaut to sweep through the NRL. Make no mistake about it, the Warriors are on the cusp of a scary dynasty.
The ingredients to a successful rugby league team haven’t changed. You still need a star playmaker. The Warriors have the biggest thing since Benji Marshall, in young halfback Shaun Johnson. A fearless hot-stepper who can embarrass you with feet quicker than a bullet.
Following in Marshall’s footsteps, Johnson is a young man who leads by example and knows that only form and victory keep you at the top.
A successful team needs a silky backline with size and speed. Manu Vatuvei, Kevin Locke, Krisnan Inu and James Maloney can hurt you from anywhere on the field. But the main thing about a backline is depth. The Warriors finally have it.
But forget about just how goddamn potent their backs are or could be. Ladies and gentlemen, here stands the most impressive forward pack in the game. Young, tough, brash and most importantly talented. This forward pack demands respect.
A game plan can’t be followed without the big men doing their job first. Rolling forward over the advantage line and dominating their foes for eighty torturous minutes.
Imagine lining up against these guys at a cold and windy Mount Smart Stadium for a second.
Russell Packer charges into you first with his socks around his ankles and his legs pumping. After finally wrestling him to the ground you look up to see Sam Rapira roaring directly at you. Then comes Ben Matulino and Jacob Lillyman and Ukuma Ta’ai.
Don’t worry about Mount Smart Stadium. These guys can win away from home now too. Just ask the Melbourne Storm.
You’re scrambling and scratching and fighting to repel them. They then move the ball two wide to Feleti Mateo who jinks and props and shoves his massive hand into your face before offloading to a flying Simon Mannering. Its too late, they’re away again.
You finally get the ball back and look for a break in the chain. You see five-foot-eight, 85-kilogram Nathan Friend and you charge at him. Friend drives his shoulder into your stomach and the air rushes from your body. Before you have time to react, Michael Luck has finished the tackle by grabbing the back of your knee and driving you into the dust.
Pain is a rugby league player’s best friend. Whether accepting it or giving it, a player is only as good as his work rate. The worst part about all this for opposition teams is the New Zealand Warriors still don’t know how good they are. When they finally realise, there will be no stopping them. They won’t be wondering what the fuss is about. They’ll be the fuss.
MJNewzealndwarriorsFan
Guest
I Love New zealand Warriors
ScottScottScottScottScott
Guest
Mate are you on repeat, your opinion of the Warriors halves two months ago was as wanted as Willie Mason as it is now and just repeating it doesn't make it credible. For his first year/half a year Johnson showed vision, ability and an extremely cool head for a young player, all outstanding attributes necessary for a good half. He has the ability to be as good as Stacey Jones if not better, the former who struggled to lead his team to points inside the opposition 20 when on attack towards the back end of his career. I don't know if you've seen the Warriors play apart from the 1st half of the grand final but Stacey would not have been able to pull of the play to put Lewis Brown over in the corner the previous week. Unfortunately for your arguement halves aren't made on the back of miss tackle stats. Maloney on the other hand was outstanding last year, sure he takes the ball to the line more often than a traditional half and his support play is second to none and he is a good talker, aggressive on the kick chase, a good kicker of the long ball...hang on those are all good traits. Maloney is a good half as the 7 or 8 clubs that were chasing him would attest. If i was a warriors fan i would much rather have a Maloney/Johnson combo than another Stacey Jones...especially that one that made an NRL comeback...awful. That is all.
James31
Roar Rookie
what makes the warriors look even more dangerous is there juniors from lastyear. the toyota cup team looked bigger then there first grade team when I was watching them lastyear...
Johnno
Guest
SBW should offers his services to the warriors, they would sign him in a heartbeat it would be great for the promotion of rugby league in NZ.
Paul
Guest
Hopoate is only 18 so still has plenty of gas, Matai is constantly injured and the other 2 would be lucky to play 40 minutes between the 2 of them in any given game.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
@ScottWoodward .. No Warriors fan here mate .. Just an admirer of their style.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Curtis, You sound a very passionate Warrior and you are correct that every successful rugby league team needs a star playmake. The Warriors problem, and the reason why they were outclassed by Manly in the GF, is because they do NOT have a playmaker. Manly had Daly Cherry-Evans who took control and called the shots, before implementing clever passes and tactical kicks. The Warriors 6 and 7 went missing off Nobbys, nowhere to be seen in the initial crucial 40 minutes when the game was being won. Johnson is much better, like Benjy, playing second reciever, as he is a brilliant individulist. Maloney is also a brilliant player but not the organiser the Warriors need. Both Johnson and Maloney are also two of the worst defenders in the NRL. They need to find another Stacey Jones if they are to go one better.
Tom, Sydney
Guest
The key to the Warriors will be Bluey Mclennan and how he takes to the coaching capper in the NRL. Lots of pressure in the NRL that he would not be use to in the Super League in the UK. He has plenty of talent at his disposal and plenty of accolades for achievements so far but lets see what happens when they start to string a few losses together and people start calling for his neck - does he panic and start to reign in the natural instincts of his attacking players or goes on the complete defensive and drop them all together! Personally I hope Bluey and the boys do well just for the fact they are an outpost team doing well for rugby league!
Jaceman
Guest
They play a good brand of footy so deserve some success but their adventuous spirit sometimes brings them undone. The NRL have given them a leg up by forcing Manly to travel to Auckland for the first game (GF replay) 8 days after they get back from the WCC in the UK.
Mals
Guest
I like the way the Warriors approach the game. They will be a force again this year but the one question mark hanging over the team will be Maloney & where his head space is.
Paul
Guest
Fair enough but i still think the NRL is different, Remember the super league is really only out of 3 or 4 clubs at best . I hope the warriors do well i just think the weight of expectation will be their downfall. Everyone will be watching them.
Dave0270
Guest
Best pre-season article I've read by far! - All stars this, SBW that, IC whatever, please! are we trying to promote the game or what? As a die hard Warriors fan in OZ I'm kinda used to the 'out of sight out of mind' thing and have come to enjoy it and relish in it, makes winning all the more sweeter, I mean lets face it, we could win the comp 3 years straight and still not rate a mention this time of year. If we won in 2011 Manly would have still dominated the news sites here and personally I'm all for it! Can't wait to see the 2012 Warriors under Bluey. Great read bud, keep it up!
Go warriors
Guest
Paul dont understimate the new warriors coach. Brian Mclennan is a very succesfull coach he has won two super league grand finals as well as winning the tri nations in 2005 for the Kiwis which was his first year coaching in the big time and they beat Australia twice in the same year something which hadnt been done for a very long time. He also knows the club scene in Auckland very well which will be a huge advantage.
kiwidave
Guest
Leaving aside your racist stereotyping, the fact that the warriors are half full of non-PI players (Brown, Mannering, Maloney, Friend, Packer, Luck) tends to suggest it is a problem with the warriors not certain ethnic groups. The rest of the NRL teams have plenty of PI players as well, did Hopoate, Matai, Galuvao and Tony Williams run out of steam in the grand final?
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
dinosaurs............
oikee
Guest
They will be under the radar even if they win 2 in a row, going onto their 3rd win the NRL will want to change the rules, make them weaker. :) Probably drop them from the comp, that sounds like a rugby league move.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
The Warriors lost alot of talented prospects in the past due to rugby union or Australian NRL clubs signing them to development deals when they're 12 or 13. Their Under 20's program has shown over the last few years that they are doing a better job at picking, keeping and moulding talent
Jaceman
Guest
They have a tremendous advantage with all those athletes to pick from with the stay at home factor but it is still surprising how many good ones come to Australia esp Melbourne
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Well it starts with winning at home doesn't it .. If you're unbeatable at home .. the wins come away from home
Paul
Guest
Mate its just fact, Why does it have to be racist or sterio typing to point out what everyone can see, if not why have the warriors not been succesful, They have Money, a huge talent pool . I wasnt just talking about the forwards, The backs are the same. All the experts talk about seeing of the first 30 minutes against the warriors power.