KEY POINTS:
With so much happening in the off season, from the resignation of the NZRL chairman and Kiwi coach and the associated fallout, to the appointment of Stephen Kearney and the saga of Wayne Bennett, it's been very busy.
But the most influential incident prior to the start of the new NRL season has been the injury sustained by Wade McKinnon. Who will fill his shoes?
There has been talk of Aidan Kirk slotting into fullback for the opening game of the season; now I admit I do not know a great deal about Kirk but are we looking at a player who can play a similar game or one who is going to be a bread and butter player?
The Warriors need to have a player similar to McKinnon, given he was a major reason why the team performed so well in 2007. He possessed the ability to break the defensive line consistently from both set and broken play and that is not easy to find in a player.
Everyone thought that there would not be a replacement for Brent Webb, but he was quickly forgotten when McKinnon stamped his mark.
My fear is that the 2008 Warriors will expect their fullback to enact 2007 plays to give them early metres, setting a platform within 60m of the opposition line as opposed to restarting 80m out. Last year the team relied heavily on McKinnon with his exceptional vision for holes in the defensive line.
However, my view is that Kirk will struggle under expectations the fans may place on him and the team and my opinion is that Ivan Cleary should look for an unknown who has a lack of fear as his main attribute.
Aidan Kirk may prove me wrong, and I hope he does, but a high-risk performer may give better returns than a solid, safety-first player. Bread and butter might pay the bills, but will it pay real dividends?
