The Warriors during an NRL trial match against the Melbourne Storm. Photo / Getty
NZME's sports writers are joined by Mike Hosking to analyse the outlook for the Warriors in 2022.
Michael Burgess: It's hard to see a transformation like 2018, where they went from being awful the season before to finishing two points behind the minor premiers. But the benefits of a proper pre-season and a settled base should see some improvements on last year, particularly defensively.
Christopher Reive: No, it is not the Warriors' year. Things do look set up for the all too familiar Warriors rollercoaster to be at full speed again this season though. They've got a talented squad, but talent only counts for so much if you can't put things together on the pitch. Expect some good wins and just as many baffling losses; the true Warriors experience.
Kate Wells: As much as I love the saying "it's our year"… I don't think it will be. Having Shaun Johnson back will be a big boost, but the side is lacking depth and experience. When a big-game player goes down injured they struggle. The side does have potential to do great things if they stick together over the next few seasons. Not to mention the word 'consistency', which the side have struggled with.
Mike Hosking: Every year is the Warriors', and not only is this year their year, it is the year they come home after over 1000 days away. The price paid to remain in the competition is not to be under-estimated and their return will be one of the greatest days in Warriors' history. Also let us not forget in the preseason we beat Melbourne …early signs are good signs.
Winston Aldworth: No. Because they are the Warriors.
Burgess: Shaun Johnson. Sure, he is a different player to the jet-heeled kid of his peak years but he still has a magic touch and makes things happen. The 31-year-old is already in the top 10 Warriors of all time (maybe top five) and has a chance to extend his legacy.
Reive: Euan Aitken. While I'm as excited about Shaun Johnson's return, Aitken's 2022 is a lot more intriguing. Brought into the club to fill the need for a strike centre, Aitken could well be a full-time second rower come the end of the year. Will his body hold up? Will someone with his skill make them even more of an attacking threat? Can he match it defensively? If there's one player I'm watching closely in the 2022 season, it's Aitken.
Wells: Josh Curran. He had an outstanding 2021 season, and he stepped up following Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's departure. It's also easy to forget that he's just 22, so he's just going to get better. He gets stuck in – which is what the side has lacked in the past.
Hosking: Shaun Johnson. I want him healthy and at a stage of his career that he can make a major contribution via leadership as well as on the field. It's a chance to put the past behind us and for him to make a long and lasting contribution to the club that gave him his start.
Aldworth: Shaun Johnson. He was a phenomenon in his original stint with the club, and the heartbreak of his departure will quickly be forgotten by fans if he brings back his brilliant best. He returns with a wiser head and hopefully still young feet, plus he'll at least be familiar with the Warriors' struggle to find consistency - the most consistent thing in the NRL.
Burgess: There'll be the usual early/mid season dramas with refereeing interpretations, as the NRL powerbrokers try to manufacture entertainment and no doubt another controversial new rule. There also be plenty of interest in Wayne Bennett and the Redcliffe Dolphins, as they try to persuade more players to move to the expansion team for 2023.
Reive: It has to be the Canterbury Bulldogs. They've struggled mightily in recent years and hit rock bottom in 2021. Now, they come into 2022 with a completely revamped lineup including some of the game's biggest names. But with big talent comes big responsibility, and it remains to be seen whether coach Trent Barrett can get the best out of the squad. For sports fans who like a little drama with their code, the Bulldogs' season is going to be must-watch content.
Wells: The battle of the Australian halfbacks. It's a position stacked with talent and experience. Manly Sea Eagles half Daly Cherry-Evans came out earlier this week to say he's gunning for a spot in Mal Meninga's team for the World Cup in England later this year. But his spot could be easily taken by youngster Nathan Cleary, after guiding Penrith to victory in 2021.
Hosking: There was a claim this past week that a lot of the clubs are cheating in terms of salary cap. These allegations aren't new but they damage the game, the reputation of league, and need to be taken far more seriously than it has been. It is a sport that competes not just against other sports but the entertainment industry generally, and the dodgy old days of shonky deals need to be put behind us.
Aldworth: The sports fan in me would love it to be something on the field. The sports editor in me is looking forward with certainty to it being off-field dramas.
Burgess: They lack experience and strike out wide and will be in a pickle (again) if hooker Wayde Egan gets injured, given the importance of the position. Leadership is also a concern; Roger Tuivasa-Sheck left a huge vacuum, Tohu Harris will miss a large chunk of the season and it's a youthful squad.
Reive: Where the points are going to come from remains a worry. A year ago, the Warriors were among the bottom three try-scoring teams in the competition – with their 80 tries putting them above only the Brisbane Broncos (77) and Canterbury Bulldogs (60). Shaun Johnson will no doubt lay a few more on, but he hasn't been the healthiest player in the competition in recent years – and last year had just five try assists in 10 games for the Sharks. Creativity in attack, particularly inside the opposition 20, is going to be an area to keep an eye on.
Wells: The inexperience in the reserves. The 13 that Nathan Brown's picked to start against the Dragons on Saturday is great on paper, but they are lacking in experience on the sideline. Hopefully we see more players given opportunities out on the park to help build up their stocks in case of injuries.
Hosking: Whether they can go the distance - consistency has plagued us, we are brilliant then we are crap we have never strung a series of victories together. If we win two in a row we go off our heads in celebration. We need to look like a club that is capable of beating anyone and everyone. No one goes undefeated, but when we hit the playoffs we need to look like the side that can keep winning, not the side that was lucky to get there.
Aldworth: There are many. Starting the season without skipper Tohu Harris - an absence that comes hot on the heels of previous skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's switch to union - puts the Warriors behind the advantage line before a whistle has even blown.
Burgess: There is quite a list, given last season's mixed output but Kodi Nikorima would be near the top. The 15-test Kiwi needs to shed his inconsistent reputation.
Reive: Any half not named Shaun Johnson. Kodi Nikorima, Chanel Harris-Tavita and Ash Taylor are not signed beyond the 2022 season and with Luke Metcalf joining from Cronulla in 2023, there isn't going to be room on the roster for all of them next year. All three are playing for their next contracts – be it with the Warriors or elsewhere – and in the competitive halves market, they're going to need to take the opportunities to increase their stocks.
Wells: Shaun Johnson. Although there's plenty of expectation on him, he will have high expectations of himself. We know what we can expect from him in a Warriors jersey, and it will be interesting to see a more mature version of himself out on the park.
Hosking: Reece Walsh after the rumours during the off-season and last year's fall from grace. Take the gifts you have and make them work for you. Being talented isn't enough, hard work, professionalism and results are what make careers and reputations, not five minutes of early career highlights.
Aldworth: Reece Walsh - he's been at the club five minutes and already he's been brilliant/busted with cocaine/linked with other clubs. The kid is an ace to watch, and all Warriors fans - along with sincere league supporters throughout the competition - will want to see him run well and go well wherever his career takes him.
Burgess: Eighth. It's probably misplaced pre-season optimism and I certainly wouldn't bet on it. The most likely scenario is a position in the bottom half - but if they edge the close games and avoid any major injuries they could sneak into the playoffs.
Reive: I have faith that this Warriors team is capable of making the post-season. Granted they'll likely get dispatched in the first round, but hey, finals footy is finals footy. I've felt that way for the past few seasons, though, so who really knows? Regardless, I'm saying eighth.
Wells: Ninth. I think they will narrowly miss out on the top eight. Add a few season-ending injuries into the mix, and they won't have enough firepower to push them through to the finals.
Hosking: They will finish between fifth and eighth, make the playoffs, go deep into the playoffs. Surprise the doubters and at the very least cement themselves as a permanent top-eight side, if not finalists. Once you're into the final four it's a crap shoot.
Aldworth: As with so many of the cornerstone subjects in New Zealand public life, Mike Hosking is wrong about the Warriors. They'll finish outside the top 10.