Two grand final appearances in eleven years is not the worst record in the National Rugby League.
But for the New Zealand Warriors, it always has been a case of one step forward and three steps back.
The year was 2011 and the Warriors rollercoaster ride to the decider at ANZ Stadium had New Zealanders across both islands jumping for joy.
Granted, the mighty All Blacks are the pride of the land over there, but this NRL franchise had the entire country behind them.
Casual fans headed out to buy merchandise in their droves and record numbers tuned in on televisions for the final match of the season.
The Warriors were soundly beaten by the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, but the groundwork had been laid for a golden era of rugby league to follow.
Young stars like Shaun Johnson, Kevin Locke and Ben Matulino had fans beaming.
Then reality hit.
2012 came around and the Warriors went into remission once again.
Those casual fans grabbed the remote and changed the channel back to the Super Rugby and folded their Warriors flags and caps back into the bottom draw.
Last weekend was the perfect time to get their season back on track. A trip to Wellington and a clash with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in front of over 30,000 fans at Westpac Stadium.
They shot out of the blocks and looked destined for a famous victory.
And then it happened again.
The Warriors fell away like they always seem to do.
“I think it’s pretty much the same as the last few weeks. It’s obviously something in preparation that we need to tidy up,” coach Matthew Elliott said after the loss to Canterbury.
“It’s not as though we’re not addressing it. We’ve just got to do a better job of it that’s for sure.
“I thought our effort to hang in there and get ourselves back in the game again was really positive. We just didn’t play positive footy… it’s too hard to be stuck in your end for 40 minutes and try and hold on.”
After appearing in the 2002 grand final the Warriors missed three of the following four finals series.
Prodigies like Ali Lauitiiti and Clinton Toopi quickly faded into rugby league history.
Almost like clockwork, the Auckland-based club self imploded last season, finishing 14th despite showing so much promise the year before.
Is this just a young side trying to find their feet? Is it time these players were held accountable? Or will this group of youngsters fade like prodigies past?
pogo
Guest
Yeah great player, nice guy, maybe not the leader required Who would you have instead?
pogo
Guest
Also making Betham the captain was a blunder in my opinion.
pogo
Guest
And now John Ackland wants out apparently, not good news as he is a master talent spotter.
pogo
Guest
Daniel Anderson stuffed it up as I recall. He tried to play mind games with people and fired Lauititi in the prime of his career (super league dream team with leeds the next year) to try and send a message to the rest of the squad. After that he lost the players. They were on a huge losing streak when he got the chop. But Cleary they definitely should have hung on to.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Cleary should have been given a 10 year contract at the Warriors. In saying that, they stuffed up it with Daniel Anderson too.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
The irony of it all Pomoz.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Admin has always been a problem over there.
kill or be killed
Guest
Poor coach, poor culture........ they wont acheive anything until they can find the right long term mentor and have a hardnosed edge to them like a Manly or Canterbury.
Spiritfree
Guest
I don't think that Elliott is destroying the team. The players were in a big deep dark hole by the end of 2012 and they have a long way to climb back. It's like the monkey that's on their back, but isn't really there at all. Psychological. Right now they're in a rut, still, but the quality of play is way better than it was at the end of 2012. Handling errors, for example, are very low now. There are so many youngsters in the team, they've gotta be given a bit of time. Having said all that, if the coach was to relieve Mannering of the captaincy immediately, things would change a whole lot more quickly. What is the point of having a captain who doesn't say anything to the players on the pitch?
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
On the plus side, the Panthers have a great coach who is slowly building the foundations for a successful future. I want the Warriors to succeed, but after watching Elliot destroy my team for five years, I was shocked when you gave him a job. I hope you got him on the cheap!
Worrier fan
Guest
The "spine" of the Warriors, which is critical to any team, is riddled with issues. You have Locke who hasn't kicked on like everyone hoped, and Fishiahi who is enigmatic and inexperienced. You have Johnson at half who is inexperienced and still learning so the result is rocks and diamonds. Leulua'i is hardly setting the world on fire at six and perhaps better suited to 9 and then you've got Friend who's solid at best but is not dynamic like the Warrior hookers of Hohaia, Henderson, or Heremaia. If you look out wide you've got Hurrell who is more rocks than diamonds due to inexperience and marquee signings in Neilsen who is injured and is not an attacking player then you have the polarising Manu who scores tries most wingers mum' will score and misses more tackles than he makes. In 2009 with two years to go on Cleary' contract the Warriors administration will never admit it but they shoulder tapped Bluey for the coach' role. Admittedly the Warriors were too flash that year but then Cleary made the semis in 2010 and they had to let him see out his final year in 2011. This threw a spanner in the works because Bluey had no job in 2011 and even worse the Warriors made the Grand Final but the administration had already decided to get rid of him. How is that going now? Great fwd thinking Scurrah, Hart, and co - NOT!
George Kohunui
Guest
Hi, what are we doing we are been call the chokers instant of Warriors an we are unfit i change from Rugby to League an now i dont now wat to do now the excitement has gone its like the candle lite has gone out.i dont want to go back to Rugby .bring back a bit off pride back in to our game we are the most dangerous team in the NRL if we get our shit together. an at the moment.been call a choker sux give us a bit of pride back in to our game.
Tony
Guest
Agreed, more should have been done to keep Cleary as "Bluey" turned out to be an absolute joke. Now we're stuck with Elliot, who doesn't even have the lads fit enough by the looks. More lean times ahead...
Klee gluckman
Guest
This is unfair. Warriors missed 2006 play offs because salary cap breach. Not the players fault. In 2009 sonny fai drowned and the club let it get to them. The warriors have made the play offs more often than not in the Watson era. We let go of clearly now the panthers are getting better and we are worse. If we still had clearly who had us in the top 8 five of six seasons he was in charge we would be fine. It's the management screwing us up.