Leaving egos at the door: The secrets of the New Zealand Warriors' success

The coaching dramas that have engulfed Penrith and Manly over the last week have been a perfect illustration of how not to run a league club.

They have also been a timely reminder of how rampant egos, left unchecked, can derail any chance of success.

The Panthers have all the ingredients for the ultimate success, especially with their incredible nursery, but it's hard to see how that will be achieved while Phil Gould remains in his general manager role.

He's a Penrith legend, a coaching guru of yesteryear and a media personality.

But he's also become bigger than the club, and in the long term, that never works.

And Trent Barrett's exit from Brookvale yesterday continues a messy few years for the Sea Eagles, with club patriarch Bob Fulton apparently still wielding plenty of influence at Manly.

While super-sized egos across the Tasman are wreaking havoc, the Warriors operate in a very different way.

At Mt Smart there is an emphasis on humility, which helps to explain their success so far this year.

The Warriors celebrate a try. Photo / Getty

It's also a relief, as it hasn't always been that way.

Their first chief executive (Ian Robson) was a shout from the rooftops type; he was a marketing and PR expert, but also built an organisation that emphasised style over substance.

However, probably the worst episode was during the Mick Watson years.

While he oversaw the successful period between 2001-2003, he was also at the helm for the swift decline afterwards.

Watson insisted on being front and centre – even training with the team at times – and his inability to put his ego to the side contributed to the regrettable, premature departure of Ali Lauitiiti, and probably sealed the exit of Stacey Jones.

There have also been players down the years who prioritised their individual desires over the club's needs, while former coach Matthew Elliott wasn't shy when it came to self-promotion.

That's all changed now.

Warriors CEO Cameron George prefers to do his work behind the scenes, and has delegated to a team around him.

Head trainer Alex Corvo never courts publicity and rarely does interviews.

What about Stephen Kearney?

The head coach has become an expert at deflecting praise and platitudes back towards his staff and the players.

He has said "It's not about me" so many times it could be on rotation, and his modesty helps keep the rest of the team grounded.

And assistant coach Andrew McFadden is of the unsung heroes of 2018.

His ability to park his ego and work with Kearney, after being axed at the end of the 2016 season shouldn't be underestimated.

It was a unique scenario, and takes a special kind of character, but the club is reaping the rewards now.

These approaches all filter down to the playing group.

Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is confident but never cocky, and his reluctance to talk about his Dally M prospects was typical.

The squad is full of talented, experienced professionals, who are also men of good character.

No one player is bigger than the team, with no Jarryd Hayne type scenarios at Mt Smart.

And that's the way it needs to stay.