NRL: Cleary can only hope he's on to a winner

Sam Lousi is one of a number of junior Warriors whose future looks bright. Photo / APN

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary will get a close up glimpse of his own future against the Panthers tonight.

Cleary, the Penrith coach from next season, will like the look of some of his future charges, and have doubts about others.

In the long run though, when he has settled into his new job under Panthers supremo Phil Gould, Cleary might close his eyes now and then and think about what he left behind in Auckland.

Penrith have long been under-performers, with only rare title challenging seasons and crowd numbers also short on potential.

The promise of Gould's initial reign 20 years ago has turned into very little. Ditto in many respects for the Warriors, but not for much longer one suspects.

There were a few ins and outs involving Cleary's decision to leave the Warriors for the greater security of a long term deal with the Panthers.

But if his overriding ambition is to win premierships and create a dynasty, then he's almost certainly backed the wrong horse.

His demons are not only from within. Gould himself leads the warning signals about the danger league faces in west Sydney, where the existing Aussie Rules team will join the AFL next year. (Sportal reported that Gould dined with the Greater West Sydney Giants boss and discovered they had a $46 million budget compared to the Panthers' $7 million.)

Maybe Gould has ulterior motives in overstating the threat, but the success of Aussie Rules in new territories suggests not.

Cleary's new assignment will include battling the Giants, having just left the NRL's sleeping giant.

The Warriors' history is awful compared to their potential, but they are now positioned superbly with an experienced yet fairly young first grade squad proving itself competitive with the best in the NRL, and a crop of outstanding juniors ready to impose themselves on the competition.

John Ackland, the junior Warriors coach, has become one of the most influential and important characters in Auckland and New Zealand sport.

Dashed in his hopes of becoming the head coach - losing out to his old Mt Albert comrade Brian McClennan - Ackland has extended his deal in charge of the juniors, who are crushing most of their opponents with a crop of young players set to star in the NRL.

Ackland's ability to find, encourage and develop these players has its best chance of bearing most fruit now because new coach McClennan will trust and fully understand what is coming through.

The new wave of first grade newcomers have been led by Kevin Locke, and quickly followed by Bill Tupou, Elijah Taylor, the flying Shaun Johnson and Glen Fisiiahi. But there are plenty more, as anyone who has watched the Warriors will attest. When under threat, the juniors push a button that blows opponents away. Omar Slaimankhel, Konrad Hurrell (both schoolboy union players), Sam Lousi and co are on the rise.

While Auckland rugby's development flounders on the evidence of embarrassing performances in the ITM Cup, the junior Warriors are humming and proving attractive to all comers. The key change is that the rising Warriors can now trust the system they are part of, instead of finding often nondescript Aussies blocking their path. This will build a Warriors loyalty in the city, the way it has for the Broncos in Brisbane, and increase the club's potential to find and keep the best.

And this city - and country - has extraordinary potential in that regard, especially compared to suburban Sydney clubs. The upcoming salary cap increase might help keep the best Warriors talent in town.

For tonight's match, Penrith's sparkling attacker Michael Jennings is back after being stood down for a drinking indiscretion, although outstanding forward Luke Lewis is still missing. The Warriors, chasing a top four spot, are slight favourites. Over time, they are the heavy favourites.