KEY POINTS:
On the cusp of reaching the grand final, the Warriors' turnaround has been extraordinary. Michael Brown looks at four reasons why:
Bristling beards
Aside from making some of them look tougher, and others the subject of ridicule, the beards haven't actually helped the Warriors win games. Few teams are going to lose because of stubble rash.
But the power and symbolism of the facial art shouldn't be underestimated.
The Warriors' run of 10 wins in 12 games began on the same weekend the players started the hirsute challenge. It was done, apparently, as a mark of respect for Ruben Wiki in his 300th first-grade match and they've kept the razors in the bathroom cabinet ever since.
It has novelty and comedy value but it's also something that creates team unity. Sometimes that's all that's needed to turn things around. It was a mark of a change in attitude.
"It was Ruben's 300th. That was a really powerful game emotionally," Cleary said. "We have just got more consistent, we've got better, worked harder and things just happened."
Hooker Ian Henderson said it went deeper than Wiki's 300th.
"The middle part of the season, the game before the Tigers game I think, we sat down and spoke to each other and said we just need an attitude adjustment," said Henderson, who flirted with danger when he shaved off his beard to leave only a moustache on Friday. "That's where it's all come from.
"There were strong words. We weren't pointing fingers at anybody, just everybody. Everyone in that 25-man squad needed to adjust their attitude at training and on the field. The results have come from that."
On the defensive
It's an old maxim, defence wins games. Few have had a better defence than the Warriors over the past 12 weeks.
Overall they have conceded 23.3 points a game this season - and it was significantly higher when they were conceding half-centuries to the Sea Eagles, Cowboys and Panthers - but since the 28-26 defeat of the Wests Tigers, that figure stands at 14.66. Only the Storm and Sea Eagles have better season averages.
There is a resoluteness about the Warriors' defence and it's tied into their improved attitudes.
They wouldn't let Melbourne breach their line without a fight and the same attitude saw them restrict the Roosters to only 13 points in the first half and none in the second.
Micheal Luck is always at the forefront and, after his 27 tackles on Friday night, is now the leading NRL tackler with 928 so far this season.
"Probably our biggest area of concern earlier in the year was defence," Cleary said. "We worked hard at that. The players took responsibility and that's what led to our start. The self-belief has grown from there."
Consistency of selection
Since that win over the Wests Tigers 12 weeks ago, the Warriors have used just 22 players. And in the past three weeks, Cleary has been able to field the same 17.
Few teams are afforded that luxury, especially at this time of the season as injuries take their toll. The Roosters, for example, were without internationals Willie Mason and Shaun Kenny-Dowall as well as hooker Riley Brown on Friday night.
Consistency of selection brings confidence to players, knowing that they will be picked each week, and also allows combinations to develop.
Cleary is likely to make one change next weekend, with volatile fullback Wade McKinnon likely to start ahead of Lance Hohaia after serving his three-week suspension, but it's an enviable situation to be in with a full squad available.
Doing things by halves
Finding a successful halves combination at the Warriors is a quest seemingly more difficult than discovering the Holy Grail. Many have been tried and failed since the retirement of Stacey Jones.
It's no coincidence the Warriors' turnaround matches Nathan Fien's move from hooker into the No 7 jersey.
He still fills in at dummy-half when Henderson goes off for a break, with Grant Rovelli shifting into halfback, but Fien's move into the halves has been a success.
The 29-year-old provides experience and composure in arguably the most important position on the park, and his kicking game has been more accurate and potent than that of Rovelli's.
Cleary has also settled on five-eighth Michael Witt, whose goalkicking has been nothing short of outstanding. This was exemplified when he landed a sideline conversion on Friday night despite the attentions of a Roosters trainer who almost crashed into him during his run-up.
Henderson continues to impress with his darts out of dummy-half and in-your-face style of play.
"I thought their little blokes were really good," said Roosters coach Brad Fittler, who was a pretty decent half in his day. "They were really fast. Every time they got the ball they looked dangerous. They played excellent."
Fien might not be the long-term answer at halfback, and the club have gone on a widespread fishing exercise and hooked Liam Foran, Aaron Heremaia and Issac John to join the ranks next season, but he is the answer at the moment.
