Their search for consistency in the NRL has reached its 20th year in 2015 yet former Dragons coach Nathan Brown believes coach Andrew McFadden is the right man to solve the greatest puzzle to face the Warriors in their two-decade history.
The Warriors will mark their entry into the NRL in 1995 with a day of celebrations on Sunday at Mt Smart Stadium when they take on the Broncos, the team to whom they lost 25-22 in their maiden premiership appearance.
In their 20-year history the Warriors have had 10 different first grade coaches with their most successful seasons have come under Daniel Anderson (2001-2004) and Ivan Cleary (2006-2011) and Brown says in his column in the Round 4 issue of Big League this week that McFadden is the man to deliver similar success.
"I do believe Andrew McFadden has the capabilities to join Ivan Cleary and Daniel Anderson as coaches who have taken the Warriors to our game’s biggest day," Brown says in Big League.
"Consistency comes down to attitude and one of the first things McFadden did when taking over the first grade side last season was put a number of inconsistent players in reserve grade and he received a marked improvement off the back of that.
"No team has endured the same chequered rocks-or-diamonds run over the course of two decades and realistically, no matter how much talent a side possesses, to win a premiership you need consistency.
"Ultimately, whatever behaviours a coach rewards through selection is a major factor in what type of team you become."
Having opened up a commanding lead against the Knights in Round 1 before being run down the Warriors have notched consecutive wins over the Raiders and Eels to sit in seventh spot on the ladder.
New recruit Ryan Hoffman has scored tries in both of the Warriors' wins to date and Brown is of the opinion that the New South Wales Origin back-rower could prove to be the buy of the season.
"If you look at the success Anderson and Cleary had, they had guys like Kevin Campion and Micheal Luck under them," Brown explains.
"While they might not have been superstars, they were the kind of players who have very little change between their bad and good days.
"It’s the kind of approach that can rub off on other players and it’s exactly what Hoffman brings to the Warriors this year."
The Round 4 issue of Big League is on sale now from newsagents and at the grounds. The digital version is available at www.zinio.com.
Video courtesy of warriors.kiwi
