Star recruits Blake Green and Tohu Harris reveal why the team are playing like champions-elect.
The Warriors are in the midst of a barely believable winning run – but coach Stephen Kearney feels they have only scratched the surface in terms of what they can deliver.
The 22-12 victory over the Cowboys on Saturday was the Warriors' fifth in succession.
It's a run which has broken records (their previous best streak to start a season was two) and smashed perceptions, as critics on both sides of the Tasman recast the 2018 Warriors.
It's been extraordinary, especially compared to their previous output.
Remember last year the team accumulated just seven wins across the entire campaign.
In 2016 the Warriors didn't achieve five wins until June and there was a similar sorry start under Matthew Elliott in 2013.
In 2014 and 2015 the team reached the 10 point mark in the second half of May, with the best recent record coming in 2011 when Ivan Cleary took the teams to five wins from their first nine games.
But Kearney thinks there is much more to come from his side.
"I guess the excitement for me comes from the fact [that] I don't think we have got even close to our potential," said Kearney on Tuesday.
"There is a lot of improvement here. But that doesn't just happen, that takes hard work. We have plenty of work to do, and we need to keep focusing towards that."
There is certainly a noticeably different feel around Warriors HQ.
The team is upbeat, full of confidence and wanting more – evidenced by a group that stayed behind to do extras in the driving rain after training on Tuesday morning.
But despite all the ground gained already in 2018, Kearney maintains that no one at Mt Smart will be getting carried away.
"If doesn't change anything in terms of what you have to do," said Kearney.
New Zealand Warriors' coach Stephen Kearney during the NRL team's training at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
"The moment you take your eye off the ball is the moment that it comes and gets you. I anticipate that that is going to happen at some stage…so it's about continually working towards improvement, filling in the gaps, making us better where we need to be better."
Kearney is also wary of going in as favourites against a wounded Broncos outfit, who have endured two close losses over the last week.
"[On Saturday] we play a determined, committed footy team with a very proud history and a very good coach," said Kearney.
"There were areas from our game on the weekend that we need to make some adjustments to."
"That's the next stage for us, getting things right at training to perform well on Saturday. We always need to look to improve ourselves, especially against the Broncos as they pose a different threat."
Warriors reaching five wins 2018 - April 7, round five. 2017 – May 27, round 12 2016 – June 4, round 12 2015 – May 16 , round 10 2014 – May 24, round 11 2013 – June 9, round 13 2012 – May 12, round 10 2011 – May 8, rounds nine
