NRL: Finals wins unique in club

Shaun Berrigan. Photo / Getty Images

Shaun Berrigan occupies a unique place in the Warriors. He and he alone knows what it takes to win an NRL grand final.

He's done it twice with the Broncos - in 2000 (beating the Roosters) and 2006 (against the Storm), the pinnacle of his 185 NRL games.

No other Warrior in the 2011 line-up can say the same - although Lance Hohaia, Krisnan Inu, Feleti Mateo and coach Ivan Cleary know what it feels like not to win the grand final (the Warriors lost in 2002 to the Roosters, and Parramatta, with Inu and Mateo on board, lost to the Storm in 2009).

Berrigan says the 2006 triumph was particularly memorable, coming over the minor premiers Melbourne Storm; the red-hot favourites.

"That season was all about belief, momentum and hard work," says Berrigan. "We worked hard in the pre-season and had a bit of luck. Most people didn't back us but we believed in ourselves.

"With belief, we had momentum and once you have momentum in a finals series anything can happen."

Berrigan was one of the central figures in that victory. He scored a 75m solo try to spark a comeback from 20-6 down against the Bulldogs in the preliminary semifinal and was named man of the match in the 14-8 grand final victory.

At dummy half on attack but centre on defence, Berrigan marked Mark Gasnier (Dragons), Sonny-Bill Williams (Bulldogs) and Greg Inglis (Broncos) in succeeding weeks.

"The other players knew I needed help sometimes," says Berrigan. "Like it is in every big game, nothing can be accomplished without your team-mates."

The Warriors have reached the play-offs three times in the last four seasons but have a scratchy 2-4 record in semifinal matches over the same period.

With the help of Berrigan, they are looking to make the next step but coach Ivan Cleary is reluctant to specify particular areas that need to improve.

"We want to get better in every area," says Cleary.

"We have tried to develop more depth and I feel [with the new signings] we have achieved that. Then it's about putting yourself in a position to play as well as you can every week."

After losing seven of their first 12 games last season, the Warriors enjoyed a five-match winning streak mid-season to finish a creditable fifth. A disappointing loss on the Gold Coast - combined with upsets in the other games - sent them out in the first week of the finals.

"Our younger guys got a little overawed," remembers Brett Seymour. "It was tough at the time but it is a learning curve."

Adds Cleary: "That experience in the semifinal will be good for a lot of them - they will be better off."

Berrigan's experience in 2006 could provide some interesting parallels for the Warriors this year. Despite eventually finishing third, the Broncos endured an inconsistent season, at one point losing seven of nine matches before finding form at the right time.

The Warriors maybe don't have the star quality and depth to sit near the top of the ladder all season but, like their 2003 and 2008 versions, appeal as a team that can go deep into the play-offs, providing they time their run right.

Meanwhile Berrigan, who last played in the NRL in 2007, is confident that he has still got what it takes.

"We train bloody hard - if I can keep up at training, then I am still pretty fit. You know yourself where you are at.

"Most people I have talked to say you know when it has gone. I am still good, strong, quite quick and fit."

Seymour thinks Berrigan is the missing ingredient the Warriors needed in terms of the experience he brings.

"You need a bloke who has been there and done that - you can't buy that. He will provide us with a different spectrum. He plays very direct from dummy half which will get our big guys rolling through the middle."

Cleary says of Berrigan: "He knows the game and he knows what it takes to win. What he says make sense and people listen. He is very competitive and brings a lot of leadership."

He has noticed considerable changes in the three years he has been away. "They have tidied the ruck up.

"There is less wrestle and the speed of the play the ball is faster. Guys seems to be a lot leaner now, which is good when you have to tackle them."