Mannering, who was the co-owner of a helicopter-fishing company, resisted the temptation to retire, although he did step down as captain with Shaun Johnson taking over the armband.
Mannering played a further two seasons, and became the first Warrior to reach 300 games (ending with 332), before he joined the Boy Racer Motorsport Series.
Manu Vatuvei missed the big night, having retired a year earlier to become an NRL ambassador to add to his role as a breakfast radio host on Flava.
The Beast crossed for an incredible 202 tries in his career, behind only Billy Slater and Ken Irvine on the NRL's all-time list.
It had been a magical season in 2019. The team lost only two matches at home and had seven away wins, their most since the 2002 campaign, and enjoyed large crowds not seen since 1995.
The Warriors reached three more grand finals across the next decade. They lost to the Eels in 2021 but two years later secured their second title, a 22-14 victory over the Brisbane Bombers, the expansion team coached by Darren Lockyer.
It was a personal triumph for the 33-year-old Johnson and the team had a Kiwi core, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (30), Sam Lisone (29) and rampaging centre Ken Maumalo (29) playing big roles.
The following season, the Warriors again reached the grand final, losing to the Rabbitohs.
By 2034, the game looks very different.
There are now seven-tackle sets, tries are worth five points and the interchange has steadily decreased over the past two decades, with coaches allowed just six changes a game.
The NRL also reduced the game to 12-a-side briefly but that experiment was abandoned after one season.
Three new clubs have joined the competition (Wellington Orcas, the Bombers and Perth's West Coast Pirates) and Wests Tigers relocated to the Central Coast in 2025.
The regular season is 20 matches and the five-game State of Origin series is played in a stand-alone period, with a two-week international club challenge at the beginning of every season. The Holden Cup is unfortunately a relic of the past, abolished in 2024.
The international game has seen a significant changing of the guard, with the Kiwis winning World Cups in 2017 and 2021 and Samoa lifting the trophy in 2029.
Former Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle stepped aside in 2023, after the club's second grand final victory, succeeded by Raelene Castle. Castle's tenure lasted six years before Steve Pricereturned from Aus-tralia to run the club.
Coach Andrew McFadden lasted a record eight seasons, before being replaced by Stacey Jones.
The club is currently coached by Johnson, who gave up his full-time job with Channel Nine to return home. His assistant is Elijah Taylor, who filled similar roles with Penrith and the Kiwis.
It's been another lean period for the Warriors of late but Johnson is promising an expansive style to get the crowds back to the Owen Glenn Arena on Auckland's waterfront.
Warriors coach in 2034 Shaun Johnson.
