New Zealand Warriors 2019 season preview

The drought was broken in 2018 but the Warriors are still yet to visit the well – making their first finals appearance in seven years but unable to convert it into a maiden premiership.

The real litmus test of their turnaround though comes now. Shaun Johnson has been unceremoniously jettisoned in pursuit of sustained success and is as bold a move as they come for the Warriors.

With little else changing aside from Simon Mannering's retirement, the club is backing Stephen Kearney to keep the game's underachievers on task – shedding that unwanted, but deserved tag.

The 2019 outlook

What's New

The No.7 jersey. And that's about it. Johnson for so long was the face of everything about the Warriors – the good, the bad, the potential – and now the club is playing the long game with regards to their scrum base.

Blake Green will take on the lion's share of the playmaking duties with local juniors Chanel Harris-Tavita, Hayze Perham (both 19) and former Panther Adam Keighran (21) jostling for a round one start.

Both Kearney and CEO Cameron George are willing to go to market for a half if and when the right option presents, but for now Harris-Tavita is believed to have the inside track leading into pre-season trials against Melbourne and Wests Tigers.

The draw

The Warriors leave the Shaky Isles just once in the first month, with Manly playing host in Christchurch in round three.

Traditionally one of the biggest movers across the Origin period, the Kiwi side again fares well throughout the rep period.

They've drawn Newcastle prior to Origin III when they will likely be without stars David Klemmer and Kalyn Ponga, and face both Melbourne (round 13) and Brisbane (round 17) when their Queensland and NSW reps will be backing up three days after an interstate clash.

The Warriors' run home is their biggest hurdle to back-to-back finals appearances. Their final month consists of the Roosters and Sharks (both away), then the Rabbitohs at home before a final round trip to Canberra.

The stat that gives you hope

The Warriors made the most of any occasion they got their arms free in 2018, averaging 77.8 metres a game (second only to Canterbury) from their average of 13 offloads each outing last year. The likes Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Adam Blair (both with 32 offloads), Jazz Tevaga (30) and Peta Hiku (29) were all particularly dangerous in the tackle, popping passes at a 94% effective rate or better.

What you need to know NRL Fantasy-wise

Tuivasa-Sheck ($654,000) is fresh from a Dally M-winning season but can get even better in attack, having notched ridiculous numbers for run metres in his final year as a Rooster in 2015, while young forwards Tevaga ($656,000) and Papali'i ($565,000) are well on the way to becoming the reliable workaholics the Warriors pack will need in the post-Mannering era. The vacant halfback spot creates a great cash cow opportunity for the likes of Harris-Tavita ($212,000) or Keighran ($212,000). – Lone Scout

The coach

Had the Warriors' 'kinda close, still so far' results continued in 2018 with another bottom-eight finish, Kearney would have been off-contract with his coaching career in genuinely dangerous territory.

Instead he and the club are steadily negotiating a long-term extension, exactly what both parties need after so much chopping and changing among his predecessors.

Kearney is heading into his third season with a roster of his own making, with salary cap room to move to boot.

It's a rosy set of circumstances which Kearney can't afford to stop and appreciate just yet.

Contract matters

Johnson's messy exit leaves the Warriors with some serious spending money, with the club willing to wait for a suitably large name to present on the market. Results may force their hand on that one, while Issac Luke, Solomone Kata and Agnatius Paasi will also be playing for their futures. Luke especially in that trio given he will be 32 in May.

The burning question

Are the Warriors happy being just finalists?

Last year's finals breakthrough was one thing. Turning it into not just another top-eight finish, but a genuine challenge for the title is the large leap that comes next.

Representative bolter

Bunty Afoa. What's not to love? The name, the hair, the kamikaze charges. Produced his strongest season to date in 2018 and backed up his flair with substance – 88 metres and 23.5 tackles a game, with the most effective tackle percentage (94.2%) of any Warrior. Could force his way into a Kiwis jumper.

The player you should follow on social media

Issac Luke. Serious musical chops, cute kids and a genuine pride in his Maori heritage – with plenty of posts in his native tongue – Luke's Twitter goes well.

The veteran hooker doesn't hold his tongue either when the moment strikes him.

The quote

"This club is going to go through a lot of good times in the future and we are going to have some tough times but this isn't a tough time, this is an exciting opportunity for us to explore what is in the market place and to reset the balance of our squad.

"People talk about who you sign but sometimes it is who moves on that can reshape the future of your club." - Warriors CEO Cameron George talking about the repercussions of Shaun Johnson's departure.

Arrows indicate players who signed after the submission of initial rosters on November 1, 2018.