NRL: Warriors hope long goodbye goes a bit longer

Lance Hohaia. Photo / APN

Lance Hohaia has had a long and distinguished career at the Warriors but there's something quite significant missing. At the very least he hopes he can bookend his time at Mt Smart Stadium with grand final appearances.

The 28-year-old is the only surviving member of the team that lost the 2002 grand final to the Sydney Roosters - coach Ivan Cleary played fullback that day - and is desperate to end his Warriors career with another trip to the Big Show. He was 19 in 2002, his debut season, and didn't fully appreciate the enormity of what was happening.

Hohaia is one of a handful of players who will clear out their lockers at the end of the season. It might come on Saturday night in Melbourne against the Storm; they hope it will be the following weekend in Sydney.

Hohaia said he been inspired to play well by the fact his Warriors career was almost over.

"The end is nearer but I am hoping it will be next weekend. I have had a great time at the club and this just extends that.

"That first year of mine was a rollercoaster year. I was just a young lad playing my first year of NRL. This time around I would definitely appreciate it a lot more if we get there and I would love nothing more than to finish my time at the club with a grand final win.

"The two were very different sides. That 2002 side was a lot older than this one. There are a lot of younger guys coming through and it shows where the competition is heading. It's a young man's game now."

It's part of the reason why Hohaia is heading to St Helens at the end of the season. He's signed a four-year deal with the UK Super League club and did it at an age when he could still command a good wage.

Aaron Heremaia, Joel Moon, Shaun Berrigan and Brett Seymour are also departing at the end of the season, along with Cleary who is joining Phil Gould's Penrith revolution.

Cleary refuses to get emotional about it, publicly as least, saying only: "It enters your mind ... but quite quickly goes out."

Heremaia is a little more effusive. He has come to terms with his departure and did so a number of weeks ago.

"When I fractured my hand against the Dragons I definitely thought that was my last," he said. "Straight away I thought, 'well, that's my Warriors career gone'. But fortunately I got a good prognosis and I managed to come back.

"Against the Broncos, I thought that was it and for about 77 minutes on the weekend (against the Wests Tigers) I thought it was it, too. But then Krisnan (Inu) came up with that big play. It's definitely been a rollercoaster ride waiting for my last game. Two more games hopefully and that will be the end of me."

Heremaia is one player who won't underappreciate what the Warriors have achieved this year. Three years ago he was sitting in a pub watching the Warriors get beaten by Manly 32-6 at the same stage of the competition after an unremarkable career playing in the NSW premier league and English lower leagues.

He secured a contract with the Warriors in 2009 and has gone on to make 58 NRL appearances as well as play one test for the Kiwis and will join up with Hull at the end of the season on a two-year contract.

"I'm definitely grateful for my opportunity and what the Warriors have done for me," he said.

He's hoping they can do even more.