Sign of the times as Warriors take patient approach
Changes are coming at Mt Smart, but fans are going to have to be patient. With a huge chunk of the roster (12 players) coming off contract at the end of 2020, the Warriors will be poised to make sweeping changes if the current group cannot turn things around immediately.
It’s make or break time, and if the results do not come recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan will finally have the chance to stamp his mark on the club.
It’s something he has done successfully before at both the Storm and Roosters, but he’s been a man under pressure since first coming into the Warriors job in early 2018.
Fans wanted, and expected, big signings from the jump.
This is a guy famous for discovering NRL superstars such as Greg Inglis, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Latrell Mitchell.
But the job is not as simple as coming in and signing a star.
There’s some roster untangling that must first be done – and in the Warriors case, a lot of it.
The Warriors haven’t made a marquee signing lately because the roster wasn’t constructed in a way that meant they could.
And even with money to spend chief executive Cameron George has been on the record stating the Warriors want ‘‘the right pieces’’ as he and O’Sullivan look to transition into having a sustainable roster.
Despite some backlash it’s a refreshing approach, given big-name signings like Sam Tomkins have burnt the team in the past.
Bad contracts, be it money or length of time, can set a club back several years.
But come 2021 the Warriors could have as many as 12 of the current top squad members without a deal.
Now it’s very unlikely that many will be without a contract by season’s end.
But what it does mean is that this coming campaign will be a crucial one for so many of the current group hoping to stay on at Mt Smart.
Improvement is required right now and if not, for the first time in a long time the club will have options.
And that’s when O’Sullivan’s true value will be tested.
He could have options to bring in not just one big piece, but several key pieces to take the established core forward.
While a lot can change between now and the end of the season players such as David Fifita, Kevin Proctor, Jai Arrow, Connor Watson, Alex Johnston and Benji Marshall are just some of the stars coming off contract at the end of the year.
The Warriors believe they have a roster that can win now, and it’s a tough to argue they don’t.
But if results don’t come and the Warriors are forced to watch finals football from the couch again, the stage will be set for O’Sullivan to leave his lasting mark on the club.
This coming campaign will be a crucial one for so many of the current group hoping to stay on at Mt Smart. Improvement is required right now.