Warriors Bandwagon Anyone?

Finally, a foot in the door.  After eight games of trying to bang the door down it’s budged, but only a little. And I imagine many of us will be cautiously optimistic that Warriors will safely make the top eight.

The smell following them around following Matt Elliot’s departure still hangs around as Sir Owen Glen and Eric Watson keep playing handbags but the team’s management have done the right thing by the players and fans by clearly separating the on field and off field issues.

On the field the team looks to be improving each week. Big names have been producing big games with four players who have become the face of the Warriors - Shaun Johnson, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei and Konrad Hurrell - dishing out some top performances in recent weeks.

But it is the players whose names are less recognizable and who didn’t exactly rate highly at beginning of the year who have been turning in some sound shifts. Chad Townsend and Sebastine Ikahihifo have developed their game this season, thanks to minutes on the field due to injuries, and have proved their worth in recent weeks.

Then there is the glue that holds everything together. Nathan Friend.  Classic small in stature, big in heart bloke. Tackles till the cows come home, sound distribution and a model off the field. He doesn’t hold markers and challenge the defence as much as young gun Siliva Havili though for this season and probably next he will be the Warriors starting option and seems to be more than willing to take Havili under his wing. He did something similar with Elijah Taylor.

With the nine matches following this round’s bye the Warriors have a favourable last stretch and will enjoy waking up on game day in their own beds for the majority after a travel heavy start to the season.

After this rounds bye the Warriors will play Parramatta, Manly, Cronulla, Sydney Roosters and the Gold Coast Titans at Mt Smart, while heading across the ditch to play the Broncos, Raiders, Knights and Panthers.

In recent years 28 points (12 wins) has been the bare minimum required to make the playoffs, with 30 (13 wins) being a pretty safe number.

With the bye this weekend the Warriors will move from 18 to 20 points, so in theory a minimum of five wins to get them to 30 points and make the cut for the top eight.

They will surely fancy their chances with all five home matches and have defeated all of their away opponents already this season, albeit at home.

On recent form I can see them winning three maybe four of their home games and three of their away games, which would see them comfortably through on 32 points from 14 wins (plus two byes).

But hey, we all know the Warriors have a habit of making things more interesting.