At the same time, the NRL is suffering through a drought of quality centres.
If ever there was a time to make a play for fringe All Blacks candidates, the time is now.
Ranger would be a fantastic league player. A skill set that includes the ability to beat a man by running over or around him is tailor-made for the game, and he's even got a rats-tail. The Northlander is never going to be a first-choice All Black, while even at the Blues he was inexplicably bench fodder for much of this season. In the NRL he would be a superstar.
Yes, he's got a contract with the NZRU and Northland, but since when was an existing contract a barrier to accepting a more lucrative opportunity? Money doesn't talk, it screams. Early release used to happen mainly to cricketers who dined at the wrong salad bar in India. Not any more.
Having been burned by high-priced bust Marc Ellis, the adequate-at-best John Kirwan, the indescribable Mark Carter and one-game curiosity Mark Robinson, some reluctance from the Warriors is understandable. But quality rugby midfielders tend to make very good league players. John Schuster was an instant cult hero with the Newcastle Knights, while Craig Innes enjoyed a stellar league career with Leeds and Manly.
The gaping hole at centre on the Warriors' roster can no longer be ignored. When Joel Moon and Shaun Berrigan depart at the end of the season, it will become a chasm.
Jerome Ropati's return from a season-ending knee injury will help, but the classy Kiwis international has always been a fragile asset. Even assuming Ropati returns from his ACL repair in good order, you'd get long odds on him playing an entire NRL season injury-free.
The club has excellent prospects such as Konrad Hurrell coming through, but they are likely a year or two away yet.
The theory that backrowers can do an adequate job in the centres is bang on. Adequate doesn't win NRL titles.
Saturday night's thrilling loss to the Broncos was a classic example of the importance of genuine centres.
A burst of pace allowed Justin Hodges to score the Broncos' first try, while Jack Reed expertly drew two defenders to send his winger Jharal Yow Yeh away for the second. Reed then climbed superbly to score the third himself. On the other side of the coin, Lewis Brown defended stoutly and made some powerful surges close to the ruck - but never looked like creating an opening for his winger Manu Vatuvei.
The Warriors were brilliant at times, but they lost largely because the Broncos had a huge edge in the centres. Expect that trend to continue as this season plays out.
The question is whether it will continue next season. Incoming coach Brian McClennan has stated his goal is to win the title. Time, then, to match that big talk with some big moves. Time to go and get Ranger. Or Fruean. Or make a play for the English-born Reed while he's still on a modest contract with the Broncos.
Bottom line: it's time to do something.
