Last season with Shaun Johnson's season-ending injury - a bung ankle, pretty funny when you consider that it's SJ7 who is usually breaking ankles - the depth of the Warriors' halves was severely tested. Similar to the outside backs, the Warriors have bolstered their depth in the halves to the point where they have not only upgraded their starting halves situation, they have subsequently raised the level of the blokes who won't start the season in the No.6/7 jersey.

Shaun Johnson, Jeff Robson, Thomas Leuluai, Tui Lolohea, Ata Hingano, Mason Lino

Johnson is the guy, he's the guy who a large portion of the Warriors' hopes rest on and the narrative around Johnson has been the same all summer for me. Last season Johnson looked as though he was trying to do everything (control the game and razzle/dazzle) which is extremely difficult in the NRL, especially when you consider that both Grand Finalists had lethal combinations (Thurston/Morgan and Hunt/Milford), yet here we were hoping that Johnson could do it all himself.

Now Johnson has a veteran play-maker in Jeff Robson who I expect to start alongside Johnson for much of the season. Robson is limited in what he can do, which is great as he won't have to do a whole lot besides giving the ball to the right weapon at the right time, (whether it's Kata, Tuivasa-Sheck, Manu, Hoffman, Hurrell, Matulino etc ... point being there's lots of weapons) and controlling the game with accurate kicks when required.

It's hard not to think that Robson could be the perfect foil for Johnson, especially with Robson's experience. This is why I love the signing of Robson as he's been around long enough to know what his job is and how to best do it, Robson knows that Johnson is the x-factor and that his job is to ease the load on Johnson and to get Johnson the time and space he needs to work his magic.

Thomas Leuluai is a very interesting player to watch this season as he's somewhat of a forgotten man in this Warriors squad after suffering a season-ending knee injury mid-season. To keep it real, Leuluai hasn't really impressed in the halves or at hooker for the Warriors but it's his leadership and experience that should see him occupy a bench utility spot and cover for the halves. Leuluai is the perfect bloke to carry in your gameday 17 and if he's called on to do a job in the halves he'll hold things down.

Tui Lolohea, features in every backline position when discussing depth, a mark of his ability as a footy player. Should Robson or Johnson go down then Lolohea can slide into the halves and add his unique brand of spice to the Warriors attack, the test for Lolohea in the halves is whether he can execute the core roles of an NRL half first and foremost, then add his spice into the mix. This is why I'd love to see Lolohea play alongisde Robson as it's the same scenario as the Robson/Johnson combo with Robson controlling things, allow Lolohea to play as he sees fit.

Ata Hingano has been one of the most impressive Warriors players this summer, impressing in the NRL Nines and then in the trial against Gold Coast. Hingano, like Lolohea appears to have intangible natural footy instincts which when combined with a nice left-footed kicking game sees Hingano climb ahead of Mason Lino in the Warriors halves depth.

Hopefully we won't have to see Hingano or Lino get called up to first grade as this would mean something bad has happened to the starters and for the Warriors to do well this year they need Johnson and Robson on the park as much as possible. Hingano and Lino should form a solid NSW Cup halves combination and this is what the best NRL clubs have with young halves ready, waiting and putting pressure on those ahead of them.

*Funk alert*

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will obviously play fullback, however his ability chiming in to the line will see him impress many with his ball-playing ability. Tuivasa-Sheck ranked 9th in total number of assists last season, ahead of his Roosters team mate Mitchell Pearce and ahead of a gang of NRL halves. Don't expect Tuivasa-Sheck to just be a gun runner of the footy, stepping blokes and what not as he will do a lot of ball-playing in conjunction with Johnson and Robson, giving the Warriors a pretty epic triple threat.