Tohu Harris will be a terrific signing and will add balance to the back row. He does all the tough stuff well but also provides attack with good footwork and ball skills.
The Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale signings add much-needed depth to the backline.
Overall, I think the Warriors will be a much harder side to beat in 2018 than in previous years.
They should stay in the race for the top eight until much later in the piece and a playoff appearance isn't completely beyond them if they have some luck on the injury front.
Top Eight: • Cowboys • Roosters • Storm • Eels • Sharks • Broncos • Panthers • Rabbitohs
David Skipwith
The Warriors are set for a season of rebuilding but despite strengthening their roster, more tumultuous times could lay ahead for the underachieving Kiwi outfit.
Once again, they have the talent on paper to match it with the competition's best teams and the addition of big name recruits Adam Blair, Tohu Harris, Blake Green, Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale will help the Stephen Kearney-coached side improve.
But big questions still hang over their ability to perform consistently and win on the road after they managed just one away victory in 13 games outside of Mt Smart Stadium last season.
A good start to their campaign is crucial but despite the fact they are winless in nine visits to Perth, it may be a good thing that they head west for their round one clash against the Rabbitohs.
If they can break that hoodoo, it will give the side a boost ahead of a tough run between rounds four and eight, when they face the Roosters, Cowboys, Broncos and Storm.
However, early defeats will see them come under intense scrutiny and with Kearney already under pressure to get results, a bad start could lead to the club exploring alternative options.
A top eight spot is not beyond the Warriors but I expect they will land just short of making the playoffs.
Top Eight: • Cowboys • Storm • Roosters • Sharks • Eels • Panthers • Broncos • Raiders
Michael Burgess
The Warriors will sneak into the eight — but it will be a close run thing. It may be sunstroke from our wonderful summer, and logic suggests they will miss out again, but it's better to be optimistic in March.
The Auckland team should improve on last season, though it would be hard not to.
Blake Green is a significant upgrade on Kieran Foran, and should bring out the best in Shaun Johnson.
Tohu Harris is also a great recruit, offering more than Bodene Thompson or Ryan Hoffman, while Peta Hiku and Gerard Beale increase depth in the outside backs.
It also appears the penny has finally dropped, and the coaching staff have abandoned the fruitless bash-and-barge offensive strategy employed last year.
The Warriors should also be fitter and more focused — though we've heard that before — and surely lessons from 2017 have been learned.
That's the positive part of the equation. On the downside, it's hard to see how — once again — their front row will compete with most other teams.
Ben Matulino and Jacob Lillyman might be missed more than many think.
The Warriors also have a considerably tougher draw than last season, and have yet to prove they have the ability and desire to prevail in tight contests.
Top Eight: • Storm • Panthers • Roosters • Cowboys • Eels • Broncos • Rabbitohs • Warriors
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