If Stephen Kearney is going to lead the Warriors to the promised land, success will be built on creating the strongest possible culture at the club.
He stressed today that his immediate focus is on Friday's elimination final against the Cowboys - Kearney is Broncos assistant - but he gave a brief insight into his priorities at Mt Smart.
"It is about creating an environment that helps the players realise their potential," he said. "It's about creating a culture which demands that. That will be my primary focus; a culture that demands a very high expectation, a culture that demands a high expectation on how we live, the way we train and the way we perform."
It's nothing new for a Warriors coach, as most of the previous men in charge have emphasised fixing and re-building the culture as the ultimate priority. Unfortunately, only Daniel Anderson and Ivan Cleary have succeeded. Andrew McFadden made some progress in that area, but couldn't achieve the results on the field.
Kearney will be the Warriors' 11th head coach in their 23rd season next year. Kearney is well equipped to try to bring success to a club that has underachieved. His success with the Kiwis was based on creating the strongest possible team ethos and environment, with character valued as highly as talent. He's taken a strong stand with individuals who wouldn't conform, and not been afraid to make tough selection calls. Kearney has also witnessed first hand the work of Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett and learned from a harsh NRL initiation at the Eels.
