Losing to Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, while New Zealand Warriors are in preparation for Finals footy, wasn't part of the plan. The Warriors weren't terrible, below-par for sure but nothing to be worried about given what we have seen from the team recently and they still sit 4 points clear of Wests Tigers on the boundary of the top-8.

For those dramatic folk who sniff out a Warriors slide whenever they lose a game, losing to the Bulldogs is going to set you off. For those of youz who enjoyed another fabulous round of NRL footy, you would have noticed that Brisbane Broncos upset South Sydney Rabbitohs, Gold Coast Titans rallied to beat Manly Sea Eagles, Newcastle Knights defeated Penrith Panthers and Canberra Raiders were too good for Sydney Roosters.

The Raiders and Knights are bottom-8 teams who defeated top-4 teams. While the Titans came from no where to explode in the second half and put Manly away, all of which is following a late-season trend of bottom-8 teams sussing out their footy and finding some form. North Queensland Cowboys are 16th and have had a few wins recently, Parramatta Eels are 15th and they've shown some promising signs over the past month as well and there's no better example than the Bulldogs.

Before this game, I highlighted how the Dogs had beaten the Tigers and Broncos in their last four games, not it's Tigers, Broncos and Warriors in their last five games. This is a Bulldogs team that is playing their best footy at the end of the regular season and if we peep the trend of upsets this round and in previous weeks; teams like the Bulldogs are playing their best, while better teams that have sealed their Finals spots, don't quite have the same desperation, or whatever.

The trend for the Warriors has been the inability to maintain their peak performance. Against the Bulldogs, the Warriors did a lot of good things, but weren't as slick as they have been and despite being good but far from their best, they almost snatched a late win. Everything about this game revolved around Lachlan Lewis and his arrival into the NRL spotlight for the Bulldogs, maybe the result would have been different it Blake Green was still on the park to direct the Warriors through those last 10 minutes?

Maybe the result would have been different if Issac Luke had more than 2 dummy half runs for 16m. Insert any other minor detail in here, it's all the same because that's how small the margin was between a win and a loss. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to see the Warriors get the ultimate 'find a way to win' win, I'm not mad that they had to play this type of game at this stage of the season though.

As close as the ladder is - 2 points separates the Warriors in 8th and Dragons in 4th, 4 points separates the Warriors in 8th and Storm in 1st - I'm fairly content with the fact that the Warriors will likely finish in the 6-8th bracket. If results fall their way, a rapid climb up the ladder is possible, as the Warriors spiritual guru though, I'm mentally preparing myself for them to roughly stay where they are.

Again, I'm trying to be realistic here and not pump up the best-case scenario. I know there are benefits to finishing higher up the ladder and I want those benefits, I'm also content with the likeliest scenario. Which I think could be low key nice for the Warriors as they won't be on the radar as a genuine Premiership threat, no one is expecting the Warriors to win a Finals game or two from 8th. Yet we know that any team can beat any team, let alone the Warriors coming in from the shadows.

Much of that perspective stems from my belief that everything is fairly quiet at Mt Smart. This started with frustration earlier in the year as I watched all the NRL shows and noted how all these Australian shows blatantly ignored the Warriors in a variety of different ways. No dramas, given that these are Australian shows, focusing on Australian NRL teams, but that frustration quickly turned to glee.

Ponder that, then reflect on all the various dramas around the NRL. Last week was mental, with the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos situations and whether it's off-field dramas, or the weight of expectation, there is a lot of noise around the top-8.

What's coming out of Mt Smart? Nothing, just the noise of neighbours slurping buckies. Everything is settled with the Warriors, for a change and it's lovely. From the coach, to the roster, to the ownership situation to the front office staff, we are enjoying the serenity of a Warriors club that's just minding its own business.

There are a few contract things that need to be sorted, nothing out of the ordinary though. We also have the start of the Women's NRL competition approaching as well, which is offering some low key buzz as the Warriors will compete and compete bloody well based on their roster. The Warriors NRL team is solid, the women's team is gearing up to compete in the first ever WNRL, the roster is settled, there's an intriguing crop of youngsters working their way through the club and the club has assembled the best staffing roster it's ever had.

Expand this out further than the NRL bubble, where the Warriors look like they are own of the few NRL teams not living in the drama headlines and the tables have turned a bit with regards to kiwi sport. Usually it is the Warriors who don't have their shit sorted, now we are working our way through a seemingly endless journey of kiwi sporting drama; Rowing New Zealand, Cycling NZ, NZ Football and most recently Hockey NZ.

Everything looks delightful at Mt Smart, compared to other NRL teams and other kiwi sporting organisations. There is a direct relationship between steadily going about your business, ticking all those boxes and creeping under the radar. Right now it feels as though the Warriors are in their own little Mt Smart fortress, steadily going about their business as the NRL and kiwi sport commands attention. That feels right, it feels good and we've waited a long time for the Warriors to reach this point of steadiness.

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Peace and love 27.