He had plenty of those last season in helping the Warriors to the grand final and will be missed in 2013. He is second in the NRL in points scored (36) and linebreaks (5) and has also accrued an impressive 18 tackle breaks, but this is offset by the fact he holds the unenviable record for the most missed tackles (26).
The Warriors had already signed Kiwis utility Thomas Leuluai before Maloney confirmed he would be leaving Mt Smart Stadium so already have a replacement, but Maloney is a quality player whose best football could still be ahead of him.
He hopes that could see him win a NSW State of Origin jumper and even this week former Australian international Greg Alexander picked Maloney as his choice to play against a Queensland side that has won the last six series.
"Maloney is as tough as they come - a real State of Origin player," Alexander wrote on nrl.com. "He hits a hole well and has a first-rate kicking game. In my eyes, Maloney is leading the five-eighth pack at this moment in time."
Maloney has been mentioned as a Blues candidate for some time but faces competition from the likes of incumbent Jamie Soward, Terry Campese, Todd Carney and Jarrod Mullen. He doesn't subscribe, however, to the theory it's more difficult to be selected while at the Warriors.
"There's a lot of drive to get there but I try to not listen to too much of the talk," he said. "The more you start looking ahead and lose track of what you are trying to do, the worse it's going to be. I'm just focused on one week at a time and playing good football with the Warriors. If something can come off the back of that, I will be over the moon.
"It could [be easier to achieve at the Roosters]. There's a lot of chat about that but I don't really buy into it. I think if you're playing the right style of footy and you are going well enough you will get there anyway. If I jagged one this year, it might put all that to bed."
It will help if the Warriors are playing well and winning. They share an identical two-win, two-loss record with the Roosters but the two sides had contrasting fortunes last week. The Warriors easily dispatched the Titans 26-6 while the Roosters were demolished 44-4 by Melbourne.
The Sydneysiders have a lot of relatively new faces but can still call on the likes of Braith Anasta, Mitchell Pearce, Anthony Minichiello, Sam Perrett, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
Warriors coach Brian McClennan is worried about the "bounce back" effect for a side coming back from a heavy defeat as well as the fact the Roosters are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their grand final win over the Warriors and many of the players from that side will be honoured at the game.
The Warriors are trying to create their own history and need to win games like tomorrow night's.
Fullback Kevin Locke (leg) and winger Manu Vatuvei (hamstring) are both rated good chances to play and prop Sam Rapira is named to make his first appearance of the season.
* Warriors side to face the Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium tomorrow (9.30pm NZT): Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Ben Henry, Jerome Ropati, Manu Vatuvei, James Maloney, Shaun Johnson, Sione Lousi, Nathan Friend, Ben Matulino, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c), Elijah Taylor. Interchange: Russell Packer, Ukuma Ta'ai, Lewis Brown, Sam Rapira, Glen Fisiiahi, Konrad Hurrell
