Warriors showing signs of championship team

Manu Vatuvei of the Warriors is congratulated by his teammate Konrad Hurrell after scoring an intercept try. photo / Getty

The long drought is nearly over. I can see the signs of a championship team on and off the field at Mt Smart Stadium.

I accept there are plenty of tough games ahead for the Warriors but finally, the ducks are in a row and we are seeing a genuine threat for not next year, but this year's premiership. Did I just say that?

While the focus in Sydney for the last two weeks has been on the shambolic handling of Manly and Kiwi star five/eigth Kieran Foran's, is he or isn't he going to Parramatta Eels contract farce, Warriors coach Andrew McFadden has quietly created what I believe are the genuine smokies for this year's NRL Premiership.

They are playing a smart brand of footy and squeezing valuable possession away from the opposition as they did to the Raiders on Saturday evening. The Raiders are a good side with a coach in Ricky Stuart who knows how to set his team.

But by denying them field position and possession at critical times; the Warriors reduced them to a rabble.

McFadden has also done an outstanding job with the gradual development of Shaun Johnson, who while being the face of much of the Warriors marketing, in my opinion needed to get to another level where it counts most, and that is on the field with his team mates.

He is a brilliant talent but one that I did have concerns about because of his lack of consistency. Being a big fish in a little sea here in New Zealand has caused the demise of a number of talented young Warriors over the years.

But McFadden has demonstrated to me a great touch of man management and Johnson under his guidance will go on to become as good as there is in the game with a reputation that could match the Warriors best ever, in Stacey Jones.

I'm trying hard to keep my mind from thinking to next year when they have Issac Luke at dummy half and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck attacking from full-back. It's mouth watering.

But I truly believe the Warriors are on the edge of something special, because they have finally defeated the opponent that has been beating them for years, and that is themselves.

There is a new bench mark at the Warriors and it's been a long time coming but it will be worth it.

I know one swallow doesn't make a summer and all that stuff, and I certainly needed some convincing, but I am now convinced the Warriors could be looking at the title this year.

But while all this neat stuff has been bubbling along out at Mt Smart, to the west of Sydney the Parramatta Eels have taken dumbness to a new level.

For some insane reason Parramatta offered Kieran Foran a multi-million dollar contract with a million dollar get out clause.

As I understand it, if there was a change of coach or destabilisation at the administration level, Foran had the option to leave with the million-dollar pay-out in his pocket.

And one thing is for certain, there was always going to be destabilisation at that club. It is a club crying out for leadership and has been doing so for years.

Personally, I think the place could be fixed in five minutes but knowing them it could be more like five years.

Time (and I suspect the lawyers) will tell where Foran plays next season but one thing for sure, whichever club he goes to, they have one of the games finest. Wouldn't he look good in a Warriors jersey.