McCready saw there was an opportunity to revolutionise the manner in which sport had been broadcast in this country.
As director of programming at TVNZ he was well aware of the Winfield Cup viewing audiences across the Tasman, and also the professionalism of their sporting productions.
Enter the second man who helped expose league to a nation of rugby watchers.
Graeme Hughes was at that time the leading rugby league commentator in Australia, calling games for Channel 10 in Sydney when they held the Winfield Cup broadcasting rights.
Hughes was a larger-than-life commentary superstar, and when John McCready attracted him to TV2, the manner in which league, or for that matter any sport, was viewed in New Zealand was changed forever.
It was a massive coup at the time for TVNZ because Hughes was being keenly chased by most networks in Australia.
As a former star player of both cricket and league at interstate level he knew what he was talking about. That he was a Bulldogs legend from arguably their greatest ever team back in 1980 also added to his credibility.
But he was also a man with little tolerance for those who'd enjoyed an unaccountable existence in the television industry and were averse to change.
They had always done it their way and certainly didn't want some Aussie coming in and setting a higher standard. Sadly, Hughes became a tall poppy, and you know what happens to tall poppies in this country.
But like McCready, Hughes was a visionary, and could see the potential of what could happen to the code of league if New Zealand had its own team in the Winfield Cup.
His commentary reshaped the image of sports broadcasting in this country. He was a consummate professional, but also brought a sense of fun to what he did.
Quite simply he set a new standard and gained an enormous audience. The public loved him and his style of broadcasting made the game even more exciting.
The Australian Rugby League supremo at the time, Ken Arthurson, was well aware of the positive groundswell this new television audience had achieved and finally gave his blessing for the Warriors' entry into the Winfield Cup in 1995.
Without Hughes and McCready it never would have happened.
There were also many others who helped with the birth of the Warriors - certainly, some from the Mt Albert Rugby League Club played a significant role.
But the dream shared by those from Fowlds Park in Mt Albert to the inner sanctum of TVNZ to the many thousands of league lovers throughout New Zealand has not been delivered yet.
The Warriors haven't won what most believe should have been won by now - the NRL Premiership.
And the more I think about it, the more I wonder. Where is the new McCready, where is the new Graeme Hughes, where are the new visionaries like those from the Mt Albert club?
But more importantly, where is our dream? Answer: it's is in the hands of today's players who wear the Warriors jersey.
They are the guardians of a dream that began long before most of them were born.
And the history of the Warriors is very much like a chain, and that chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Again only history will judge which era was the weakest link.
And history will also judge those who have made a difference. It will smile kindly on McCready and Hughes.
Former Kiwis coach Graham Lowe is founder of the Lowie Foundation - www.lowiefoundation.com
