"Sense of destiny": Is 2026 finally the Warriors' year?

For 31 years, the Warriors have been unable to land their hands on the Provan-Summons Trophy.

It hasn’t been from a want of trying, having come close in 2002 and 2011 but fallen short at the final hurdle.

However, in 2026, Matty Johns believes there is a sense of destiny around the side and could go on to win their first NRL title.

It’s been quite the year for Andrew Webster’s men, who have had to deal with injuries impacting their star players, particularly in the halves where the club has been forced into several different combinations.

But despite these problems, the Wahs have continued to push on and find themselves in first place with the possibility of securing their first minor premiership in 24 years now on the cards.

Speaking before their dominant win against South Sydney on Saturday, the 1997 Premiership player believes the club has mastered the game style needed to succeed when the pressure is on.

“I think the most finals-ready team are the Wahs,” Johns told SEN’s The Run Home with Joel and Fletch.

“They've just mastered their style of football, which is finals football.

“There's a sense of destiny around the Wahs, I reckon. Shaun Johnson came out; I think he said it on the coverage, he just goes, we've had great years before but this year just feels different.

“I've never been on the inside of the Warriors, but I've gotta say, from the outside, it does feel like that. I look back at the history of the Wahs, and they've always been a boom-or-bust club, even financially; the Auckland Warriors folded first, but I'm talking more on the field.

“Remember boys, you'd go and play them, and you just didn't know what you were gonna get.

“If everything clicked with their offloads, you know, and it happened that they were playing that up-tempo football and they completed, they'd have energy to bash you cos they were so physical. But other times you'd turn up there, and they were just mistake after mistake after mistake, and you'd roll through them.”

Another aspect that has Johns believing in the Warriors' chances is in the coach itself.

Since Andrew Webster was appointed to replace Nathan Brown in 2023, the 44-year-old has been a breath of fresh air for the club.

The former Tigers and Panthers assistant coach hit the ground running, managing to claim the Dally M Coach of the Year award in his first season in a head coaching position.

Having provided the club with consistency that it hasn't experienced in a fair while, Johns thinks it has helped establish a style of football capable of beating the competition's best.

“The other thing they've struggled for as far as consistency has been coaches,” he continued.

“If you go through the history of the Wahs, the amount of coaches they've had has been just ridiculous.

“There was about a 10-year period, I think they went through about nine or ten coaches in 10 years.

“(But) where Andrew Webster has arrived, he's given them coaching consistency, but mostly he's established a style of football, which is just consistent and wins big games.

“I still think with Penrith and the Roosters, as good as they are, I still reckon they're sort of tinkering with elements of their game.

“I don't think they're as ready as the Warriors.”

The Warriors head back to New Zealand where they’ll play their final two games of the season.

Their next match is against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon at Go Media Stadium.

SEN League will have live coverage of the match from 12pm AEST with Crunch Time NRL with kick-off at 2pm.