Cleary's thinking has filtered through the team. Earlier in the year the team identified three areas where they were overpowering teams, especially late in the game - fitness; the ability to scramble; and the time spent by the core group of players gelling over several seasons.
Much like last year, the Warriors employed a conditioning policy emphasising speed as much as brawn. The theory is aerobic fitness helps players concentrate and complete more sets so the team spends less time defending in its own territory.
That has worked again in the four wins since the second bye in round 17. They have given away just 12 points in a second half and all those were against Souths when the result was almost beyond doubt.
2011 season import Feleti Mateo says that sort of defensive record has been a core motivation: "We've been good at keeping a clean second half score sheet in recent games but you can always perfect it. Our focus now is preventing tries scored from kicks.
"The other important thing is to be in touch in the last 20 minutes. These next matches are effectively semifinal footy before the semifinals - you can't ask for more than that. It's a good test to see where you are, and whether you're worthy."
Vice-captain Micheal Luck says much of their boosted form is a result of fixing problems on the run.
"We're as ready now as we've been all season. When something goes wrong, we're not waiting for the video session after the weekend to sort it out. That's why our second half defence has improved. I'm looking forward to the next month. Playing those top sides means we'll know sooner than other teams whether we're fair dinkum. We're also likely to come up against sides that play to structured programmes rather than those playing for the hell of it who tend to cause upsets."
Luck says while they are not playing the Storm in the lead-in, he has few doubts they are the team to beat, more than a year on from their salary cap indiscretions.
"Melbourne are the benchmark. They've been the most disciplined, controlled side in the last five years and it's no different now. They showed that against the Eels the other night. Just when you think you've got them beat they explode and score four unanswered tries."
The run in
How the last month shapes up for the top eight (positions as at the start of round 22)
1. Storm: Titans (16th, away), Dragons (5th, home), Sea Eagles (2nd, away), Roosters (13th, away).
2. Sea Eagles: Eels (15th, away), Tigers (8th, away), Storm (1st, home), Broncos (5th, away).
3. Cowboys: Broncos (5th, home), Rabbitohs (11th, away), Sharks (12th, home), Warriors (6th, away).
4. Broncos: Cowboys (3rd, away), Knights (7th, away), Rabbitohs (11th, home), Manly (2nd, home).
5. Dragons: Roosters (13th, home), Storm (1st, away), Warriors (6th, home), Penrith (9th, home).
6. Warriors: Knights (7th, home), Panthers (9th, away), Dragons (5th, away), Cowboys (3rd, home).
7. Knights: Warriors (6th, away), Broncos (4th, home), Bulldogs (10th, away), Rabbitohs (11th, home).
8. Tigers: Panthers (9th, away), Eels (15th, home), Titans (16th, home), Sharks (12th, away).
