Steve Deane: Cleary's men need temperament to match talent

Warriors coach Ivan Cleary. Photo / Greg Bowker

Side must eliminate minor blemishes which could prove costly in finals

Game-breaking halves - check.

Brilliant fullback - check.

Nasty front row rotation - check.

Balanced combination of workhorses and ball-players in the back row - check.

Lively options at hooker and a deep bench - check.

World-class finishers on the wing - check.

Specialist centres who can keep the edge defence intact and create chances for their wingers - oh well, no side has everything.

But the Warriors certainly tick most of the boxes required by NRL finals contenders. They may yet pay a hefty price for the regular-season wastefulness that cost them a top-four finish and a significantly more comfortable draw, but if they get the job done in Brisbane on Saturday night - look out.

With a bit of wind in their sails, this team undoubtedly have the potential to mount a finals surge.

Potential, though, swings both ways, and the Warriors have the potential to be their own worst enemies. Saturday night's suffocation of the Cowboys may have answered questions about whether they can match it with the big boys, but it did little to assuage concerns the team aren't clinical enough to close out tight games.

The last 90 seconds of the first half were particularly worrisome. Handed the ball in good field position, the Warriors could have rucked it to the posts and kicked a field goal; they could have run down the clock and put up a contestable kick for a winger; they could even have grubbered the ball over the sideline and trudged off up the tunnel.

Instead they kicked on an early tackle, handing the ball to the Cowboys with a full minute left on the clock. It was bone-headed, low-percentage play. Over the full 80 minutes it was just one minor blemish, but from such blemishes momentum swings are born. The Warriors came within one good Cowboys attack of undoing 39 minutes of outstanding play.

Single plays can create huge ripples in the NRL finals. Last year one botched Tigers scrum against the Roosters had a dramatic effect on three teams. Instead of resting up for a week, the Tigers were forced to play in Canberra in week two and then ran out of steam against the Dragons a week later; the Roosters survived and went all the way to the grand final; and the Warriors were eliminated.

The Warriors have the talent to do better this time, the question is whether they have the temperament.