KEY POINTS:
The old adage that there are two types of coaches - the ones who have just been sacked and those who are about to be - does not apply to the Warriors' mentor Ivan Cleary this season and is unlikely to anytime soon.
The coach can feel secure in his job not just because the club last month extended his term by another year through to the end of 2010, but also because Cleary would have to stuff up monumentally to undo the good he's brought to the Warriors since the days of the club's salary cap woes.
Last year was their first finals appearance since 2003. They won more games than they lost for the first time since 2003. The crowd average doubled, to 13,225.
In his third year in charge, 37-year-old Cleary is set to become the club's longest-serving coach, eclipsing Daniel Anderson's three-and-a-half seasons.
He's popular with the club management because he's practical, a thinker who can see the bigger picture in sponsors, fans, media and the wider game. He's popular with the players because he's cool and collected, he delivers ideas and Lo! They work.
That was never better proved than when the side needed revitalising after slumping to six straight losses in mid-2007. It was a painful run, culminating in a Round 13 2-4 defeat to a depleted Melbourne Storm.
It poured down that night. The Warriors bombed chances, the crowd went home early. It appeared their race was run, and already lost.
Then they won three on the trot, starting with the Sharks in Cronulla. A loss in Townsville, then three more wins on the trot. They had to take three wins from their last five games to make the playoffs and did that, plus turned in the most entertaining game of the year, 31-all with the Roosters after double overtime.
Cleary rates that turnaround "the biggest thing we did last year. Six losses at the halfway mark - there was every chance of it turning to custard at that stage."
If they fall into a similar hole again, they have the knowledge of how to get out and the belief in their ability to do it, he said.
For the first time in several seasons, the Warriors start with continuity within the squad, just four players out and three in, and stability in management. That gives him great confidence, Cleary said.
When he came into the top job, Cleary inherited Tony Kemp's under-performing squad and the salary-cap problems created by former management, which has hamstrung the recruitment programme and the shape of the team right through to this year.
His big off-season buy was Broncos' centre Brent Tate - a purchase inspired by Tate's work on and off the field, his presence and his work ethic. And he's "right up there" as contender for fastest man at the club, racing wing Michael Crockett and Manu Vatuvei.
They start with just fullback Wade McKinnon out of the picture due to injury. It's a big "just". But this time last year people were asking "who's Wade McKinnon and how come they let Brent Webb go?". If anyone can pick another top fullback it's former fullback Cleary, who earmarked McKinnon's back-up Aidan Kirk as an up-and-comer last year.
Kirk seems in the same mould as Cleary - not the fastest nor the flashiest fullback around but safe, solid. Cleary had a great vision for getting to the right place at the right time - he will want to impart this to Kirk.
The Warriors have the hardest start of any team - champions Melbourne away in week one, beaten semifinalists the Eels at home in week two, grandfinalists Manly away in week three.
He admits he is still mulling over the effect of the reduction from 12 to 10 interchanges and how to rotate the bench. "There's still a lot of question marks to it ... I'm still tossing up ideas and waiting to see how the first few rounds go."
Injuries will be a key - before there were stages in games where he kept players back, he said, and that may not now be possible.
There are a raft of players in the 50-100 games bracket now, a handful about to burst the 100-game barrier, where coaching great Wayne Bennett says they finally become useful. They have the great leadership and ground-gain of Steve Price, Ruben Wiki's marshalling and Michael Witt's 92 per cent kicking record. And don't forget Brent Tate's gas.
"We took a lot of confidence out of last year," Cleary said, adding to the list of pluses.
No predictions, though. "There's not much between fourth and 10th."
Tenth would be a big let-down given all that promise and potential. But they'd have to do worse in order for their coach to get the heave. He's already lifted his average above 50/50 and only the best can do that and maintain it.
* IVAN CLEARY
Born 1/3/1971 Sydney
Junior club Beacon Hill
Playing record
189 premiership appearances: for Manly (15 1992-93); North Sydney (37 1994-95); the Roosters (84 1996-99); the Warriors (53 2000-02). Most points for the Warriors in one season, 242 from 8 tries and 105 goals, in 2002. The club's second-highest points scorer (439).
Coaching
Roosters premier league 2003-2004 (won premiership 2004), Warriors assistant coach 2005, head coach since 2006. 50 NRL games as coach - won 25, lost 24, drawn 1.
