Handful of wins to ensure top 8

Shaun Johnson. Photo / Getty Images

There's a lot more optimism floating around the Warriors after their last couple of wins but I'm still not sure there's enough in this team at the moment to be confident of them making the top eight.

Yes, they were good in their wins over the Titans (36-14) and Raiders (30-8) but consistency has never really been a strength of the Warriors. They need to string a handful of wins together to ensure they finish in the top eight.

They really need to qualify in the top four if they are going to do anything this season. No team has ever won the title outside the top four and, while this year's competition is incredibly tight, home ground advantage gives teams a massive head-start.

The Warriors started the weekend in seventh and, given they have the bye, should remain there. I think this is a fair reflection of how they have been playing this season.

Their big men in the middle — Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman and Simon Mannering — have been excellent at times and need to continue this form because it allows the Warriors to attack on either side of the park.

But the crucial element is halfback Shaun Johnson. He simply needs the ball in his hands.

He said earlier this season he felt like a passenger at times as play went away from him. That's not good enough and is merely an excuse.

It's not about playing on the left or right. As the playmaker, he needs to follow the ball and play a mixture of structured and ad-lib football.

Johnson is going to make some mistakes, whether it's a poor kick or bad decision. But if that amounts to between two and four mistakes among the 30-40 times he touches the ball, that's going to be insignificant.

He has the ability to spark the side and make something out of nothing.

The thing that worries me the most is the defence. There has been more steel to their defence in the last couple of weeks but their points differential is still only +13 and when they have fallen over they have capitulated.

If they can be tough, strong and disciplined on defence, then they are going to be a hard team to contain.

I would like to see coach Andrew McFadden return to the brutal honesty he displayed when he first took on the job. His words resonated with me and they would have had an effect on the players.

Now he seems more coy, less prepared to be critical of his players and I hope he wasn't told he had to stop being so blunt.

By doing this, he's projecting an image that he's happy with how things are going and it allows his players to have more of an excuse if results don't come.

With nine games remaining, seven wins should see the Warriors finish in the top four. Five or six wins should guarantee a top-eight finish.

They should be aiming for at least seven, starting with the visit of the Storm next weekend.