Warriors’ critic eats humble pie

The Warriors have made one of their harshest critics across the Tasman eat a large helping of humble pie.

Prior to the start of the NRL season, not only did the Daily Telegraph’s Phil ‘‘Buzz’’ Rothfield back the Auckland outfit to finish with the wooden spoon, he also tipped Stephen Kearney to be the first coach sacked in 2018.

Rothfield, one of Australia’s most respected rugby league journalists, was far from alone. Several of his colleagues had the Warriors to run last, while six out of seven Sydney Morning Herald league experts picked them to finish between 14th and 16th.

But after watching the Warriors record their fourth consecutive victory with a clinical dismantling of premiership favourites the Roosters on Saturday, Rothfield has changed his tune. He has seen enough to believe Kearney has the team on track to break their seven-year playoff drought.

‘‘He has done a fantastic job to turn this Warriors side is a serious football team,’’ wrote Rothfield.

‘‘Wins over the Rabbitohs, Titans, Raiders and Roosters are the proof of that.

‘‘Sure, they’ve had a soft draw but the win over the Roosters on Saturday afternoon would not have been more impressive, especially as they did it without superstar halfback Shaun Johnson.

‘‘It’s early days but the Warriors look like they are heading to the finals.’’

Rothfield’s mention of the Warriors’ so-called ‘‘soft draw’’ goes against what he said at the start of the season, when he claimed a tough early run of games would set them up to fail.

He was also not overly impressed with their major offseason signings in Adam Blair, Tohu Harris and Blake Green.

Now he has Green as a frontrunner for the buy of the year with Panthers playmaker James Maloney.

The Warriors play their next three games at home but they are all formidable opponents.

First up are the Cowboys on Saturday followed by the Broncos next week before the only other unbeaten team in the NRL, the Dragons, head to Mt Smart on April 20. Then it is back on the road to face Melbourne in the traditional Anzac Day clash.