Warriors - 2016

The Warriors' 2016 NRL campaign was impacted by a captaincy change, injury blows, golden point heartache and midyear exits - leading to their coach's downfall.

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The Warriors’ calamitous finish to 2015 brought the club’s culture – that intangible and difficult-to-define quality so crucial to modern-day sports organisations – under intense scrutiny. The acquisition of proven winners Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Issac Luke was designed to alleviate the Warriors’ supposed culture shortfall off the paddock, as well as dramatically improving their chances on it.

Wily 33-year-old halfback Jeff Robson was recruited to take the playmaking pressure off Shaun Johnson, while Blake Ayshford and ex-Warriors NYC products Ligi Sao and James Gavet were depth additions following a stack of off-season departures. Former Warriors prop Justin Morgan returned to the club on Andrew McFadden’s coaching staff.

The Warriors faithful breathed a collective sigh of relief as Johnson made a successful return from injury in the Auckland Nines. The talisman rescued his side with a spectacular last-gasp solo try in their must-win pool game against Brisbane and steered the Warriors to the final, where Parramatta carved out a 22-4 victory. Johnson and Tuimoala Lolohea were named in the Team of the Tournament.

Simon Mannering dropped a mid-February bombshell