By Andrew Webster
One of the weirdest — and best — games of footy I’ve ever covered was the 2011 preliminary final between Melbourne and the New Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park.
The Storm, of course, were raging favourites. They were coming off the salary cap scandal of the previous year and, after claiming the minor premiership, were set on proving a lot of people wrong.
Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson wasn’t so sure. He was at his magical best in this match, orchestrating a 14-12 halftime lead before conjuring the winning try with minutes remaining when he sent Lewis Brown over.
Sitting in the press box with our noses pressed against the glass, many of us felt this was going to be the year when the Warriors finally won their maiden premiership.
Alas, Manly had them covered in the grand final a week later and it’s been a long, frustrating search for the silverware ever since.
It’s early days, sure, but with the Warriors sitting second on the ladder and starting to play the consistent football needed to be a legitimate threat, is this the year when the team from New Zealand finally breaks through?
In a bizarro season in which there are no real firm competition favourites outside of the Storm, why the hell not?
They meet the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon looking to win their fifth straight game.
It’s an important test: they have won just two of their past eight at the ground and meet a Dolphins side that’s rocks one week, diamonds the next.
Without question, coach Andrew Webster (no relation, thankfully for him) has a squad capable of reaching the grand final.
Prop James Fisher-Harris, who returns from injury this week, brings class and experience but fellow bookend Mitch Barnett is just as devastating, running into the teeth of the defence time and time again.
Halfback Luke Metcalf gets better with each match while hooker Wayde Egan is a crafty No.9 who wouldn’t look out of place in a sky-blue jumper.
A Warriors premiership is the NRL’s white whale. There have been many false dawns before but the deeper we go into this season, the more you can’t help but wonder if this is their time.
And another thing …
Bravo to Dane Gagai, who will reach the fabled 300-game mark when Newcastle hosts Parramatta on Friday night.
He might be 34 but he’s pretty much ageless. Last year, he earned a recall to the Queensland side, signed an extension with the Knights, and was named their player of the year.
He was almost lost to the game when the Broncos decided to cut him loose after six matches, but he was thrown a lifeline by Wayne Bennett during his time at Newcastle.
He’s played for Australia, Queensland, the Indigenous and Maori All-Stars teams.
He’s one of the best defensive centres in the NRL but, more than that, a decent human being.
You won’t find anyone who will say a bad word about the man —except, perhaps, for Blues supporters around Origin time.
