Steve Deane: Unknown NRL Grand Final factor keeps us guessing

Warriors' playmaker Shaun Johnson is in fine form. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The winner of tomorrow's NRL grand final will be, er - dunno. That's not just my studied opinion, that's the prevailing sentiment from just about anyone you care to ask in Sydney.

There are too many unknowns about this Warriors team.

That they are here at all is kind of baffling. Yes, the Warriors have shown they can win games in bunches, but that loss in Brisbane was so bad it was hard to see how any team could recover to become a serious title contender.

Then again, that kind of thing has been the Warriors' go from day one. They've flattered to deceive one day, defied all predictions the next.

One thing we can be sure of is that if, somehow, the Warriors do pull it off tomorrow, it will be one of the all-time great sporting achievements by a New Zealand team.

The Warriors like to make light of their travel schedule. It's all part of the job. But it's hard enough for a Sydney club to win a finals match when all they have to do is drive to a neighbouring suburb. Chuck in an international flight or seven over three weeks and the job should become borderline impossible.

A big reason it doesn't is surely the rabid support of the Kiwi expats who set up their vociferous camps at Warriors' matches. For Kiwis living in exile on this side of the Tasman, the Warriors probably mean even more than they do to the club's hardcore fans at home.

More than any other Kiwi sports team, the Warriors encapsulate the struggle against the sporting supremacy of our big brother. Week-in week-out they battle Aussies at their own game, and the playing field is seldom level. Kiwis living abroad identify with that.

Aussies too, it must be said, love nothing more than a little battler, and this Warriors team is certainly that. There's some belief on this side of the Tasman that the widespread dislike of a Manly club perceived as a bastion of posh knobs, coupled with a strong Kiwi expat showing, could see the majority of the crowd favour the Warriors.

That would be remarkable in itself. Surely Aussies wouldn't put a local loathing ahead of mutual transtasman contempt? But if they do, and ANZ Stadium turns into a home away from home, it might just be enough to get the Warriors over the line.

Then again, it might just goad Manly into a frenzy. Really, who knows?