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The Warriors have come through their three pre-season trials with three impressive wins and without injury.
Australian bookmakers have the Melbourne Storm and North Queensland ranked more highly as title contenders but the Warriors have disposed of both of those as well as notching a 34-12 win over the Gold Coast Titans at the weekend.
The attack looks sharper than it has been in past seasons, scoring a combined 88 points to 62 against across the three trials.
The Auckland-based club has never won all its warm-up games and often doesn't win any. Trials count for nothing but early-season sharpness can set teams on a roll and there is just the one injury in the top-squad, prop Evarn Tuimavave who has a neck muscle problem that will keep him out possibly as long as six weeks.
The opening halves combination seems likely to be Nathan Fien in seven and Joel Moon in six after both produced sharp runs and the other halfback contender Stacey Jones withdrew late with a calf muscle strain. The injury is not serious but it means Fien sprints ahead in the race for the hold on the halfback starting position.
He and Moon, a left-foot kicker, each produced two 40/20 kicks during the game compared with two from the team for the whole of the 2008 NRL competition.
Centre Brent Tate sidestepped defenders to give the Warriors a lead at 10 minutes, and then Moon put in a kick for his old Broncos teammate Denan Kemp to score. After Fien's 40/20 kick, the fullback Wade McKinnon chimed into the backline for a try, then prop Sam Rapira barged over just after halftime and the 14-0 lead at the break blew out to 30-0.
It was the 59th minute before the Titans crowd of 5117 had anything to cheer and the lift from two backline tries was short-lived as the Warriors responded with McKinnon and Kemp each getting a double.
"I think when we fielded our strongest combinations we more than competed with them," said Gold Coast coach John Cartwright. But really they look lost without direction from star halfback Scott Prince, who was allowed leave to miss the game for a family reunion.
Souths beat St George 18-6 in front of a crowd of 25,871 at the annual Charity Shield game in Sydney at the weekend with Kiwis Roy Asotasi, Isaac Luke David Fa'alogo and David Kidwell prominent.
Parramatta, who are the Warriors' first opponents when the season opens in two weeks, got over Sydney Roosters 30-24, with new five-eighth Jarryd Hayne scoring two of their five tries.
The Melbourne Storm beat Brisbane 20-6, with Greg Inglis and Billy Slater in good form for the victors and Darren Lockyer rusty for the losers.
The Bulldogs beat Canberra 24-16 after leading 18-0.
Cronulla beat the Knights 14-10 but at a cost, with skipper Paul Gallen, knee, and Bulldogs buy-in Reni Maitua, ankle, suffering injuries that may keep them out some weeks.
Cowboys fullback Matt Bowen played his first game since early last season as North Queensland drew 18-all with Penrith.
* Warriors results
NZ Warriors 34: Wade McKinnon 2, Denan Kemp 2, Brent Tate, Sam Rapira, Joel Moon tries: Kemp 2 goals, Moon 2 goals.
Gold Coast Titans 12: Brad Davis, Shannon Walker tries; Walker 2 goals.
Halftime: Warriors 14-0.
Warriors U-20s 34: Kevin Locke 2, Jody Henry, Thomas Ah Van, Bill Tupou, Sione Lousi tries; Shaun Johnson 5 goals.
Titans U-20s 34: Jy Hitchcock 2, Siosaia Vave, Tim James, Jordan Rankin Fred Tila tries; Rankin 5 goals. H/T Warriors 22-6.
