NRL: New age Warriors

Brian McClennan. Photo / Natalie Slade

Junior league hopefuls with ambitions to join the Warriors will never get a better opportunity than while Brian McClennan is head coach.

McClennan's official takeover last week has brought with it a reassurance the club will remain focused on development. The overseas chequebook will gather dust as far he's concerned unless it's absolutely necessary.

Even in the first week of his tenure, it's worth predicting local development could be the legacy McClennan leaves. Despite the Rugby World Cup going on around it, rugby league has arguably never been healthier in New Zealand. The Kiwis are world champions, the national body is growing again after the Sparc-driven clean-up and the Warriors had three finalists out of three in the NRL premier, reserve and under-20 grades this season.

Now they just need three titles rather than one [the Toyota Cup] for the sport to reach its zenith.

For anyone who has ever talked to or watched McClennan in action, one of his hallmarks is how he treats others with respect. So it's no surprise he talks in reverential tones about predecessor Ivan Cleary and the fact local development was a key part of his vision.

Yet while it was important for Cleary it almost seems like McClennan's raison d'etre, especially with under-20s coach and renowned talent spotter John Ackland as one of his lieutenants. In a quirky twist, McClennan assisted Ackland with the Warriors under-16 side when the club first started in 1995. McClennan sees the under-20s as an untapped mine of playing resources and the main ingredient in building a recipe for a maiden NRL title.

"There's real talent in the [champion] under-20s," McClennan says. "I like what they're doing. They give us a boost; it's proof our system is working. They're coming through and full time contracts will be offered because we've got to keep the pathway open. But those boys have to work hard to take every advantage they can." McClennan aims to go somewhere near matching last year's recruitment of five under-20s players. Many are at various stages of contracts but centre Konrad Hurrell, five-eighth Carlos Tuimavave, fullback/wing Omar Slaimankhel and junior captain Ben Henry are touted by club insiders as names to make an impression.

"John Ackland and Tony Iro have worked closely with those guys," McClennan says. "They're learning plenty about footy and plenty about life."

McClennan wants to start afresh next season, thus drawing a line between eras. It is more so he does not piggyback on Cleary's success over six years. He seems careful to use "they", "them" and "their" when referring to the past and "we", "us" and "ours" when looking to the future.

"I'd be the first to acknowledge the effort this year and the momentum the side gained at the back end of the season. But next year our results will be determined by how we approach the pre-season. The players were in terrific condition this year so I want to see Craig Walker, the fitness trainer, apply a similar programme.

"The players appreciate that is what's needed. I sat in this week [for the first time] as assistant coach Tony Iro gave them their season reviews which was a good chance to see how they operate."

One area which has been deemed a problem has been centre with Joel Moon and Shaun Berrigan ending their contracts.

McClennan says younger players like Hurrell or Tuimavave could fit. He also points out Jerome Ropati will be back from his knee injury.

"Lewis [Brown] also did a good job but he deserves a chance to learn the position more in the pre-season. He was thrown in from the second row to fill an injury gap originally."

He suggests Manu Vatuvei is one option at centre.

"It's up to me, Tony [Iro] and Manu to have a chat in the off-season to see if it could work. Krisnan Inu is also more a centre now than a wing in my mind."