For so long, the talk when it comes to the New Zealand Warriors has been whether they can be consistent from week to week.
Scratch that.
At times, it has been half to half.
But coming into 2024, there is a breath of fresh air coming out of Auckland as Andrew Webster's Warriors strive to follow up their preliminary final appearance in 2023 by going a step further this time around.
And, with the exception of that long-held consistency dispute, there is little reason to suggest they don't have it in them to go to the next level, and New Zealand offers with bet365 could well see them have plenty of support at market level heading into the season.
The issue of course is that there is still the idea of "what if".
What if 2023 was just a flash in the pan for the Warriors? What if Shaun Johnson goes down injured early in the 2024 campaign given his enormous importance to the club while wearing the number seven jersey? What if the defence isn't as good?
But it's far better than asking the what if questions that have generally been trotted out over the last decade for the Warriors, which have skewed more towards the ideas of what if they could be consistent, and what if Shaun Johnson has a good season?
What if questions aside, the Warriors do come into the season as a team favoured to finish in the top eight, and given they haven't lost a great deal out of last year's squad, but have indeed added Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who could become the NRL's most dangerous centre if they is anywhere near his best, it's difficult to see them going backwards.
Tuivasa-Sheck is being held at centre because of how good Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was at fullback last year, while the backline has attacking weapons all the way through it. The biggest remaining question is likely to centre on who partners Johnson in the halves, with Chanel Harris-Tavita, Luke Metcalf and Te Maire Martin all in the running.
In the forwards, there is a feel that Addin Fonua-Blake may only get better in his final season with the club before relocating to Sydney - that alone could be enough drive for the Warriors, who need a forward like Fonua-Blake to be in the hunt for premiership honours.
But the pack has plenty of experience, and players who add impact. Kurt Capewell's addition is a good one, while the likes of Mitch Barnett and Bunty Afoa provide strong impact back-up for the stalwarts Tohu Harris and Fonua-Blake in the middle third.
That leaves the Warriors with a well-rounded side heading into 2024, and if they can become a big-game team, there is no reason why they couldn't go all the way this time around with the experience of last year likely to leave them better for the run.
