Grant Rovelli has announced his departure from the Warriors, and has signed up with the North Queensland Cowboys for the next two years. The announcement follows the return of Stacy Jones to the Warriors, who looks set to take the halfback spot - providing he can make it through pre-season training.

Rovelli failed to set the world alight in 2008, and spent most of his time playing in the lower grades while trying to regain his form. With Nathan Fien and Michael Witt proving to be a worthy combination in the halves, Rovelli's only game time came off the bench, and those games were few and far between.

With the return of Jones, and the signing of Joel Moon and Liam Foran for 2009, it's no wonder Rovelli has decided to ply his trade elsewhere - although it's hard to see him playing at halfback for the Cowboys when you consider the firm grasp that Jonathan Thurston has on the position in Townsville.

Rovelli would be best to try and develop into a standoff where he could take over from Travis Burns, who has a knack for getting suspended. It would be a great learning curve for Rovelli playing along side Thurston.

The Cowboys' 2008 season was one they would want to forget, and it won't hurt them to bolster their halves, especially for when Thruston is off playing rep footy. Rovelli will be a fine asset for them over the next two years.

The Warriors have plenty of stock in the halves department, and will be able to move on from Rovelli quickly. Not hard, when you consider his form over the past twelve months - although in saying that he has provided plenty of great moments over the past few seasons, especially last year when he was without a doubt in his best form.

Rovelli will stay on in New Zealand for a few more weeks, as he and his wife await the arrival of their baby, before heading off to North Queensland.

The New Zealand Warriors have announced that the Little General, Stacey Jones, is coming out of retirement, and has signed a one year deal with the club.

Jones has not played for the Warriors in three years, although he did play a couple of seasons for Les Catalans in the Super League. More recently, he played in the one-off All Golds Test against the New Zealand Maori.

This decision has come completely out of the blue. To be completely honest, we thought it was a joke when we first heard it announced. The more we think about it, though, the more we think this could be a brilliant move by Ivan Cleary. It's no secret that Grant Rovelli has struggled to play consistent footy at halfback, but with someone like the Little General looking for game time, Rovelli may be forced to make a drastic improvement. Either that, or face the scrap heap.

Cleary has said that Jones is not guaranteed a starting position, and will have to prove to the coaching staff that he is capable of playing the high level of footy he is known for - but someone with the class he has should have no problem adjusting to the daily grind of the NRL.

At 32 years of age his comeback is unlikely to be a lengthy one, but with the form the Warriors showed in the back end of this season, he may only have to play one more year to gain that elusive NRL Premiership.

(The season hasn't even started, and we already think the Warriors can win...OK, maybe we're thinking too far ahead...)

No doubt many people will think he's too old to make an impact, but just remember the year that Ruben Wiki had. Sometimes age can be an advantage, especially when you've been around as long as Stacey has.

The only bad part about this news? It makes us wish the 2009 season was starting next weekend. Five months is a long time to wait...

After an incredible sixteen years playing in the NRL, veteran Ruben Wiki is finally hanging up his boots.

(Well, at least in the NRL - it's still unsure whether he'll play in the Super League).

Wiki carved out a long career playing for the Canberra Raiders, where he started out as a young center playing along side the likes of Mal Meninga and Laurie Daley. He was part of the 1994 Premiership-winning Raiders team, and went on to play 225 games for the "Green Machine", scoring 60 trys.

As he got a little older, he moved into the forwards. He played in the front and second rows (predominantly at prop towards the back end of his career), and became one of the fiercest players in the NRL, known for his hard hits and physical presence.

In 2005 Wiki finally became a Warrior after twelve years in Canberra, and over the last four years he has become a home town favourite at Mt. Smart Stadium. Wiki played 87 games for the Warriors, and surpassed the 300 game milestone this year against the Tigers - becoming the first New Zealander to do so.

His career tally - 312 NRL games and 72 trys.

Wiki also holds the record for playing the most Test matches of any player, with a total of 55.

Wiki will be best remembered for his no-nonsense kind of play. He put everything he had into every moment he was on the field, and at the age of 35 (the oldest in the NRL) he was still competing with the younger guys, who looked up to him as a player they could aspire to be like. Fair enough, too - if you're going to style your game on anyone, it might as well be one of the best.

Wiki also credits his lengthy playing days to Kava, which he drinks before every game, and has even introduced it to some of the players at the Warriors club. Hopefully that will give them`career's as long as Wiki's...

Life in the NRL won't be the same without Ruben Wiki - especially at the Warriors, where he's looked up to like the legend that he is.

We wish him all the best for his future, and thank him for the eighteen wonderful years of hard hitting rugby league he's given us.

Ruben - you're an absolute legend.

It's all over for the two biggest surprises in this year's finals.

Not many people would have picked the Sharks to make the Top 8, let-a-lone the top four - and no one EVER seems to think the Warriors can make the eight. That is, except for us here in the Attic.

A top four finish for both sides is an excellent result, and both teams are looking to build on this year's success with some decent signings for 2009.

Here's how the two teams went in 2008:

Cronulla Sharks (3rd): The Sharks have definitely been one of the NRL's biggest improver's, and have made a name for themselves with their solid defence. While their offensive game needs work, the signings of Anthony Tupou and Trent Barrett will certainly add a spark to their attacking game.

They have certainly had some serious issues, especially with Greg Bird, but the players really rallied together and continued their drive to the Top 8. They won't be happy with the way they bowed out of the finals, but overall we think they'll be pleased with how the year went.

They can definitely improve on this year's efforts, and going one step further next year isn't out of the question.

2009 Gains: Anthony Tupou (Roosters), Trent Barrett (Wigan), Corey Hughs (Bulldogs)
2009 Losses: Brett Kimmorley (Bulldogs), Issac De Gois (Knights), Lance Thompson (mid-season, retirement), Greg Bird (sacked), Adam Peek (Celtic Crusaders)



New Zealand Warriors (4th): After a terrible start to the year, the Warriors really muscled up and made a fantastic run to the finals. They certainly struggled with injuries early on, and losing Steve Price, Wade McKinnon and Manu Vatuvie didn't help. Once the team was fully fit, though, they looked in great form, and picked up wins against the Storm, Broncos and Sharks (all top four teams at the time).

Their efforts against the Storm and the Roosters in the finals were something no one could believe (although, to be fair, we did...loyal, we are), and they even made history, becoming the first eighth placed side to beat the minor premiers under the McIntyre system.

They'll be very extremely pleased with 2008, and the outlook for 2009 is equally as promising.

If they can continue to improve their defensive game, and play with the confidence they have shown over the last few weeks, then they too can make a real threat on the competition next year.

2009 Gains: Jacob Lillyman (Cowboys), Denan Kemp (Broncos), Joel Moon (Broncos), Liam Foran (Storm)
2009 Losses: Ruben Wiki (???), Wairangi Koopu (???), Logan Swann (???) - all three are yet to decide on their futures.

Stay tuned for a 2008 review of the Sea Eagles and the Storm, as we head towards the Grand Final.

The Manly Sea Eagles are off to the NRL Grand Final, after they downed the Warriors 32-6 in Sydney last night.

They put on a fantastic performance to shut out the Warriors, and now head to the final against the Melbourne Storm (a rematch from last year's final).

The Warriors didn't play badly last night, but the Sea Eagles completely controlled the game - and in doing so, didn't allow the Warriors to play the type of game that's worked for them recently.

It's simple - Manly were the better team on the night, and unfortunately for Warriors fans that's just the way the game goes sometimes.

The Sea Eagles kept the game flowing at a high speed, slowly wearing down the Warriors - who spent a lot of the game defending. And, in the end, the Sea Eagles proved too strong.

Next Sunday's Grand Final is going to be another great match-up, as both the Sea Eagles and the Storm have shown that they are by far the two best teams in the competition this year.

It's hard to pick a favourite to win, but after last night's performance we have to say that Manly head into the game as the team to beat. They controlled the game against the Warriors perfectly, whereas the Storm fed off the mistakes of the Sharks. While we can't count out the Storm, we definitely think Manly are in red hot form right now - and will probably take it out.

Manly have been playing with an intense passion since losing last years final, and it's driving them towards victory this year. They say you have to lose a final to win a final, and if that's the case the Storm had better watch out - because the Sea Eagles are flying high right now.

There will be some exciting match-ups next week - both teams have some of the best in the business. Brett Stewart vs Billy Slater, Jaime Lyon vs Greg Inglis, Matt Orford vs Cooper Cronk - we could go on and on.

This one has 'epic' written all over it, and anyone who misses next Sunday's final will regret it come Monday morning.

All the speculation over who will play fullback this weekend can now end, with Wade McKinnon getting the nod over Lance Hohia after serving his three game suspension.

McKinnon was found guilty of spitting at a touch judge in the Warriors Round 25 clash with the Panthers, and became only the second player in the NRL to be suspended for spitting.

But, thanks to the fantastic performances by the Warriors over the past three weeks, McKinnon gets a chance to redeem himself against the Sea Eagles this weekend. His return couldn't come at a better time for the Warriors, as they head into the preliminary final - with the winner going to the Grand Final in two weeks.

McKinnon's support play is among the best in the NRL, and could make the difference between the two sides - although the Sea Eagles have a pretty handy fullback in Brett Stewart, who is a try scoring machine.

Hohia has done a standout job filling in for McKinnon, but filling in is really all he can do. He'll make a big impact off the bench, where he can cover a number of positions, and get himself involved on attack a lot more.

Manly will certainly put up a tough challenge, and will definitely go into the clash as odds-on favourites to win. They can't afford to take the Warriors lightly, though, or they'll meet the same fate as the Storm and the Roosters.

Unfortunately for the Storm, they could head into their preliminary final against the Sharks without captain Cameron Smith, who has been cited for a dangerous grapple-tackle on Sam Thaiday. He'll get two weeks off if he takes an early guilty plea, and could face even longer on the sidelines if he challenges the charge.

We think the NRL judiciary need to crack down on players who continue to make these unnecessary grapple-tackles, which are ruining the game. The Storm are renowned for their grappling, and it needs to stop - it's rugby league, not wrestling.

The best way to stamp it out of the game is to come down hard on the repeat offenders, and in this case it's Smith. It doesn't matter that they're only one win away from the final - if they continue to use the grapple-tackle, then they can do so without Smith.

Jeremy Smith is also likely to miss this weekend for using the dangerous 'chicken wing' tackle during the same tackle on Sam Thaiday. Obviously, the Storm aren't getting the message.

The Sharks certainly won't mind if they don't have to worry about Cameron Smith, but it still won't be an easy task. They'll have their hands full, and with the likes of Inglis, Slater and Falou, the Storm still look good for the win.

What an absolutely brilliant comeback.

Down 13-6 at halftime, the Warriors unleashed in the second half to win 30-13, and in doing so send the Roosters packing for the 2008 season.

The Warriors were starved of quality possession in the first half, and despite scoring the opening try in the first couple of minutes, they were on the defensive for the rest of the half.

Their night wasn't looking that good, and their first half was summed up when the Roosters were awarded a penalty try. It was a lucky break for the Roosters - there's no way the video ref could say that Minichello would have definitely scored.

The Roosters looked the better of the two teams, but after half time that all changed.

The Warriors came out ready to play, and for the last forty minutes the Roosters never looked like they were in the game. It's the fifth week in a row that the Roosters have been held scoreless in the second half - a terrible stat when you're playing in the finals.

To put it nicely (like, really nicely), they were appalling.

The Warriors, on the other hand looked as good as they ever have, as they ground down the Roosters defensive line.

You could sense they were giving it all they had - Wiki's barnstorming run at Soiola was awesome, and he was literally screaming as he charged at the Roosters line.

The whole team lifted, and in the end that's what got them home.

Next up for the Warriors is a trip to the Sydney Football Stadium for a battle with the Manly Sea Eagles, which is going to be one hell of a battle.

While everyone is saying "It's just good they've got this far", we feel that bowing out one game away from the Grand Final would be hugely disappointing - and we're sure the Warriors won't be happy unless they make the Final.

They certainly have what it takes to beat the Sea Eagles, and the way the Warriors are playing at the moment - well, we wouldn't be putting money on the other team.

It's Round Two of the NRL playoffs this weekend, and it's do or die for all four teams.

On Friday night the Roosters will take on the Warriors at Mt. Smart, and this game has the makings of being a classic.

Clashes between these two teams are always something special - you only have to go back to last year's epic 31-all draw to see that there's not much between these two sides. Well - over the past few years, anyway.

After beating the Storm on Sunday, the Warriors will be heading into this game as favourites - but beware the side that takes the Roosters lightly. The Warriors cannot afford to ease up, or the Roosters will run away with the game.

The Warriors will have to shut down Mitchell Pierce, Braith Anasta, and the Roosters most lethal attacker, Anthony Tupou, if they want to win. If they can shut these three players down, they'll be well on their way.

Their defence has been improving steadily all year, and their efforts against the Storm have shown us that they can hold off the best attacking sides in the NRL.

The Roosters will have to stay composed if they want to beat the Warriors. They were in control of the Broncos last Friday, but let them back into the game in the second half - ultimately costing them a home game this week.

They need to get Tupou into the game early, and give him the ball so he can weave his magic. His ability to break the line could make the difference between the two sides, as could the kicking games of Pierce and Anasta. Last time these two teams met, we saw how important it is for the Warriors to put pressure on the two kickers.

We definitely think the Warriors can win this, and not just because we're Warriors fans. The Roosters form has been a little shaky lately, and their second half performance against the Broncos proves they still aren't playing anywhere near their best.

The Warriors home record towards the back end of the season has been impressive, and it wouldn't be a bad thing if they got a bit of rain on Friday night. It's odd, given their favoured style of play, but for some reason the Warriors play their best footy in wet conditions.

If Friday's clash is going to be exciting, then the game between the Broncos and the Storm is going to be off the charts. It's a rematch of the 2006 Grand Final, and we think the Broncos can once again upset the Storm. Or at least, we'd like them to.

The Storm will be hurting after their shock loss to the Warriors, and things won't be any easier when they face a red hot Broncos team, who will be looking to move on from their recent off-field dramas.

The Storm will need to play their natural game, and forget about what happened against the Warriors. If they try to play a different game to what they usually play, they're going to find themselves in a lot of trouble against this Broncos team.

The Broncos are playing with a lot of passion, which is being fuelled by the desire to send Wayne Bennett off on a high. The Broncos always play their best when someone influential is moving on - think, the 2006 Final, when they sent Shane Webke out on a high.

If we were the Broncos, we'd be looking at what the Warriors did to beat the Storm. Namely, getting right in their face, and trying to disrupt their flow. If they can do that, then they can come away with the win - and send the Storm packing.

Both games could easily be Grand Final matches, and we expect nothing short of that when they kickoff.

One thing's for sure - you don't want to miss this weekend's footie action.

There has been a lot of talk lately about the NRL playoff system (known as the McIntyre System), and whether or not it is the best system to use.

It can be quite confusing to those who have never seen it before, but once you know about it - it does make sense.

So, we thought we'd explain how it works.

After the 26 rounds of the regular season are finished, we're left with the top eight sides in the competition - who then move on to the finals.

The team with the most points from the regular season are the minor premiers, and therefore head into the finals in first place. For winning the minor premiership, they get to play the lowest placed of the eight sides - which meant this year the Storm had to play the Warriors.

From there, 2nd place plays 7th, 3rd plays 6th, and 4th plays 5th. Very simple.

The top four sides also get the advantage of playing at home.

After all of the the first round of the finals is complete, the two lowest placed losers are gone. In this years finals, the Raiders (6th) and the Dragons (7th) drop out, because the Warriors (8th) beat the first placed Storm.

Are you still with us?

The two highest placed WINNING sides after round one get the second week off, and move straight into the semi-finals. The Sea Eagles (2nd) and the Sharks (3rd) were the highest placed winners after the first round, and so are automatically into the semi-finals. The Storm miss out on the week off because they lost to the Warriors.

So, after the first round we have six teams left, with two of those sides getting the week off (in this case the Sea Eagles and the Sharks) - while the remaining four sides now enter do-or-die playoffs.

Of the four sides PLAYING in round two, the two sides that WON from round one get the advantage of playing at home. So the Broncos (who beat the Roosters in round one) will host the Storm (who lost to the Warriors), while the Warriors (who beat the Storm) will play the Roosters (who lost to the Sea Eagles).

It couldn't be simpler, really.

The Sea Eagles and the Sharks will face the winners from the second round in a traditional semi-final system, where the winners will go onto the Grand Final.

One of the complaints we've heard about the system is that it's unfair that the Storm have to play away from home in the second week, because they're the minor premiers. But there's nothing unfair about it. They lost their playoff game, which means they lose the advantage of playing at home in round two. Why should the Broncos have to travel to Melbourne when they won their game?

The second round should be a classic, with the Storm and the Broncos going head to head at Suncorp, while the Roosters will have to travel to Auckland to take on the Warriors, who were brilliant on Sunday night in their upset win over the Storm.

We're one week closer to the Grand Final - you just gotta love September footy!

This Sunday the Warriors will face their biggest game of the year, when they take on the Minor Premiers, the Melbourne Storm.

The Warriors can't afford to lose this game - if they do, it's all over for 2008.

Beating the Storm in Melbourne is tough - very tough, in fact, and the Warriors will have to play out of their skins to progress to the second round of the finals. But, if there's one team that could cause an upset, it's the Warriors.

They are the one team no one wants to play in the finals - you just don't know which Warrior's side is going to show up. Sure, you could beat them by fifty points, but there's also a good chance the Warriors could blow you off the field.

For the Warriors to win on Sunday, they will have to shut down the Storm's best attacking machine, Billy Slater. Slater has been in the best form of his career, and if it wasn't for a one-game suspension (which cost him three player points) he would have won the Dally M award (which instead went to Manly's Matt Orford).

Slater is a dangerous runner, and can cause problems from anywhere on the field - which is why the Warriors will have to be right up on him at all times.

They'll also have to watch Greg Inglis, who is just as dangerous as Slater on attack.

But with Michael Luck, Simon Mannering and Ian Henderson in our defensive line, we should be able to shut down the Storm's attacking weapons.

The Storm definitely go into the game as red hot favourites, but don't count the Warriors out yet - they'll be wanting to send Wiki and Swann out on a high note, and what better way than by winning the Premiership?

(We know - we're being very optimistic...)

The Warriors have good experience at finals footy, playing in five out of the last eight playoffs - which is a great record, considering that only two other teams have played in more over the past eight years.

There's so much on the line, but they might just be the dark horse of the eight remaining teams...

We're right behind you boys!

The Melbourne Storm have once again claimed the NRL minor premiership, with a 42-4 thrashing of the Rabbitohs last night.

After last week's loss to the Knights, the Storm looked to have blown their chances at the minor premiership, giving the Sea Eagles a shot at the $100k bonus prize.

Their chances weren't helped by the Sea Eagles win over the Panthers on Saturday night, which meant the Storm had to win by a margin of 26 points to claim first place.

Fortunately for them, the woeful Bunnies put up no challenge - and the Storm were easily able to surpass the 26 point mark.

They will now head into round one of the playoffs against the Warriors, who beat the Eels to secure the final spot in the playoffs - who ended the Knights 2008 season by doing so.

The Warriors will need to play the game of their lives if they want to beat the Storm, but if there's one side in the playoffs that can cause a few upsets, it's definitely the Warriors. In saying that, though - they could very well find themselves on the wrong side of a fired up Storm unit.

But, that's the beauty of the Warriors - you never quite know what you're gonna get.

The Sea Eagles will be disappointed not to win the minor premiership, but at this stage of the year all that really matters is that you're in the Top 8. They'll take on the St. George/Illawara Dragons in a battle between 2nd and 7th.

What a comeback it's been for the Dragons, who were really struggling at the beginning of the year. And, whilst their chances of beating the Sea Eagles are pretty slim - stranger things have happened.

The Sharks finished the year in 3rd place, which gives them a home game against the Canberra Raiders - the surprise team in this year's competition.

The Raiders are playing fantastic footy, and pose a real threat to the other seven sides. They'll need to work on their defence, which has been lacking at times this year, but there is a real chance of an upset in this game.

The Roosters have finally returned to the NRL playoffs after a few years in the wilderness, but their form of late has been average at best - and it doesn't help that they face the Broncos, who will be looking to finish the year with one last Grand Final win under the guidance of Wayne Bennett.

With the lowest placed losers dropping out from the first round of action, it's hard to see the Warriors and Dragons progressing to the second round. Both teams will have to be at their best to knock off the Storm and Sea Eagles, but the fact that they're there means they have a chance - and that's all that matters at this stage.

We've waited 26 rounds, sports fans, and now the real excitement begins. September footy is here!

The Warriors have always been their own worst enemy, and on Sunday they showed us why.

The Dragons are never easy to beat, and the Warrior's history at Wollongong is terrible at best, but with wins over the Storm, Broncos and Sharks in recent weeks, they should have been able to slay the Dragons.

Instead, the Warriors got handed a 34-6 thrashing, which has seen them drop out of the Top eight - although they sit on 26 points, which is the same amount as the Knights, who are in eighth spot.

They will need to beat both the Panthers (home) and the Eels (away) if they want to play finals footy - they can't afford to drop either game, especially with the Eels, Knights, Tigers and Panthers all still in the hunt for the eighth spot.

The Warriors have what it takes to make the eight, but still struggle to win away from home - which could count against them this year.

It's a very serious problem for the club, and unless they can find a way to win in Australia, they'll always struggle to compete for the Premiership.

There's no reason why they can't win on the road - about half of our players are from Australia, and have played a lot of footy for Australian clubs. There really shouldn't be any excuses.

This week we face the wounded Panthers, who we should beat - although the Panthers have been our bogey side for the past few seasons. They're also coming off some heavy defeats, and will be looking to stop the rot and get their season back on track.

The fact that we're at home this week, though, gives us a lot more confidence.

But with only two games to go, the stakes are incredibly high for the Warriors. Win, and move on to the finals. Lose, and it's all over.

No pressure, boys.

The Warriors have kept their season hopes alive, with another hard fought win on Saturday night.

The Broncos came to town looking to move into the top four, but found a Warriors side desperate to keep their good form going - and in the end, the Warriors managed to scrape through with a 16-12 win.

The Broncos arrived in Auckland without Justin Hodges, Sam Thaiday, Toni Carroll and David Stagg, but with the likes of Darren Lockyer, Karmichael Hunt and Peter Wallace on the field, they'll be disappointed not to come away with the win.

The Warriors, on the other hand, welcomed backed Wade McKinnon - who managed to play eighty minutes, and score a try on his long awaited return. Wade ran for over 150m in an impressive performance, and will only get better over the next few weeks.

Michael Witt also had an impressive return to first grade, and although his usually reliable goal kicking was off target, he tackled well and gave the Warriors good field position with his general kicking.

Ben Matulino and Witt scored the other two trys for the Warriors, while Ben Hannant and Denan Kemp scored for the Broncos.

It was great to get a look at Kemp, and to see what he'll bring to the Warriors next year. He's an exciting young player with a gift for hunting out the try line, and he certainly has the potential to make a great Warrior in the years to come.

The Warriors have to face the Sharks next week, which will be even tougher. The Sharks are sitting in the top four, and are a real chance of winning the Premiership this year.

It's do or die for the Warriors, but if they can continue their form from Auckland, there's no reason they can't beat the Sharks.

With the Warriors already picking up wins against the Storm and Broncos over the last few weeks, they have another chance to pick up top scalp.

We can't wait.

Great news for Warriors fans - Wade McKinnon is making his long awaited return after sitting out most of the season with a knee injury.

McKinnon was the Warriors best buy last year, and also proved to be our best attacking weapon.

His return has come at a crucial stage in the season, with the Warriors on the verge of making the top eight. While their loss to the Rabbitohs didn't help their cause, they can still make the playoffs - but they really can't afford to drop another game.

Lance Hohia has done an outstanding job filling in for McKinnon at fullback, but with McKinnon fit and ready to play, you just can't leave him on the sidelines. Hohia drops to the bench, where he can cover the halves, hooker and fullback.

Also returning to first grade is Michael Witt, who has been playing with the Auckland Vulcans for the past few weeks. Witt will play at halfback, which means Grant Rovelli drops out of the side.

This week the Warriors take on the Brisbane Broncos at Mt Smart, and if recent clashes between the two sides are anything to go by, then this one should be a classic.

This will be the first time that new Warrior Brent Tate will face off against his old club - he'll be looking to show his old team mates a thing or two.

It's also an opportunity for Warriors fans to check out Denan Kemp, who will be joining the club next year. The other Warriors signing, Joel Moon, will travel with the Broncos as the eighteenth man.

Aidan Kirk is ruled out of the game due to the injury he suffered against Souths. Kirk has been in fine form since making his debut earlier in the year, but with big Manu Vatuvei back, the Warriors are fielding a near full-strength side.

Malo Solamona will come back into the side in place of Kirk.

The Warriors are currently sitting in 12th position, but can leap into the top eight with a win this Saturday.

Go, lads!

Can the Warriors continue their march to the finals?

You better believe they can, and yesterday's hard fought win over the Storm (the reigning premiers, no less) shows they're still in with a good chance of a finals spot.

The Warriors have won four games in a row, and their recent form has been well timed as the race for the Top 8 heats up.

The Storm are never easy, and today was certainly no different - the 8-6 scoreline shows just how close this one was. Really, the fourty meter penalty from Lance Hohia was the only thing separating the two sides.

The Warriors defence has improved remarkably over the past five-six weeks, and if they can make the Top 8 they're a real chance of matching it with the top four sides in the comp.

Next up on the Warriors hunting list - the Bunnies.

In other NRL news, Bulldogs star Sonny Bill Williams has walked away from his current five year contract, after serving only one year of it. He has apparently signed a two year deal with Toulon, a French rugby side (Tana Umaga's team), for around 3.4 million dollars.

The Bulldogs bosses are looking at taking legal action, and news of the courts becoming involved has surfaced today.

NRL boss David Gallop has stated that he fully supports the Bulldogs in whatever they decide to do - and at this stage, the future isn't looking too good for Williams.

Gallop has talked about a lifetime ban from the NRL, and if they hold Williams to his contract, he won't be playing in either code.

It's just at that point with Williams, isn't it? He thinks he's bigger than the game, and unfortunately he's about to learn the hard way that once you sign a contract - you see it out.

It's a real shame to lose a star like Sonny Bill (especially for the Kiwis!), but at the end of the day, you can't let players do whatever they like, when they like. He's an employee - are other employees you know that reckless? We think not.

Time to get your priorities straight, Sonny (ha) - it's not all about the money, baby.

It looks as though Nathan Fien's time with the Warriors is coming to an end, with the club giving him permission to start looking for a new club.

The club bosses have stated that Fien is not considered in their plans after the 2009 season (when his current contract expires) and so have given him a chance to leave early if he can get a new contract - which he'll have no problem in getting.

It's a real shame that they're letting him go, as he has been a fantastic servant for the Warriors over the past four years - and this year, he's shown us he's one of our best attacking options.

Fien has made 86 appearances for the Warriors since joining in 2005 (coming from the North Queensland Cowboys), and it would be great to see him sign with another NRL club rather than move to the Super League.

However, with the Super League expanding it's competition with another two teams, the chances are very high that Fien will end up moving to Britain for the next few years.

We wish him all the best with wherever he goes.

In other Warriors news, Wade McKinnon may be back playing within a couple of weeks - fantastic news, especially as we try to make the playoffs. They certainly won't rush him back before he's ready, but he is apparently recovering ahead of schedule, so a return isn't out of the question.

Come on back, Wade...

The Warriors continue to make a charge for the top eight, with a convincing 40-22 win over the woeful Bulldogs on Saturday night. While they did fall asleep for thirty minutes of the second half (allowing the Bulldogs to creep back to 30-22 with ten minutes to go - *shudder*) the Warrior's first half display was near perfect.

They came out fired up, and completely blew the Doggies away, scoring six trys within the opening forty minutes. It was a case of everything that could go right, did go right - which was the complete opposite for the Bulldogs, who struggled to make their tackles and complete their sets.

The Dogs did manage to fight back in the second half, but were always going to struggle to haul in the massive deficit that the Warriors had set up. Hazem el Masri managed to score a double, which brought him within striking distance of Andrew Johns' record for points scoring. Hazem will be looking to overtake Joey by the end of the season - IF the Dogs can manage to score some points.

The Warriors looked like the Warriors of 2002 (when they made the Grand Final) and if they continue to play this way, there's a good chance that they can make the eight. Although, as we've mentioned before, they have one of the toughest runs home - starting with the Storm this weekend.

Rookie Malo Solamona crossed the line for a hat-trick, while Hohia, Price, Sonny Fai, Kirk and Rapira all scored in the impressive display.

Brent Tate continued his good form as he made easy work of the Bulldogs defence, which was below average. It really didn't help them that Sonny Bill didn't play.

They'll need to be on top of their game if they're to stand any chance of knocking off the Storm, but being back at home will help them.

From this point on, it's one game at a time - and realistically, they can't afford to lose due to the closeness of the NRL this year. With the Raiders and Tigers picking up wins over the weekend, the race for the top eight is shaping up to be one of the closest battles in recent years.

The Rabbitoh's season looks to be over after being mauled by the Tigers, who ended a four game losing streak. It's been an incredible turn around by the Bunnies, but the loss all but ends their chance of a top eight finish. It will take some kind of miracle for them to play in this years playoffs, but stranger things have happened...this IS the NRL.

Whatever happens, it's going to make for some great viewing over the next few weeks.

With State of Origin done and dusted for another year, we can now focus on the last nine weeks of the 2008 NRL regular season. There's still a lot of league to be played, and still plenty of teams that can make the top eight.

But for us, the most important thing is that Warriors are still in the hunt. Only just, though, and their run to the finals is not going to be easy - five of their last nine are against top eight sides.

They will need to win six or seven of their nine if they are to stand any real chance of playing in this years final series, and the way they've been playing lately it's hard to see it happening.

What they do have in their favour is five home games, which they'll need to win - although the Storm, Broncos and Sharks make up three of them, and they will be tough to beat, even at home.

Their other opponents are the Cowboys (h), Bulldogs (a), Rabbitohs (a), Dragons (a), Panthers (h) and the Eels (a).

Really, it's this weekend that will show us if we can make the top eight, with the Cowboys coming to town. The Cowboys have been by far the worst team this year, and currently sit dead last on the ladder. If the Warriors can't manage to pick up a win against them, then we can forget about making the eight this year.

It really is do or die from here on out...

It will be great to have Steve Price and Brent Tate back from Origin duty, and hopefully they can bring some of the success they had with Queensland back to the Warriors.

The top eight isn't out of the question. In fact, we're only sitting three points behind the Panthers, who are in eighth place. But the boys will have to start playing consistent footy if they want to be there come September.

The other team to watch in the buildup to the finals is the resurgent Rabbitohs (yes, we said 'watch the bunnies'), who last night beat the Bulldogs 34-30 in extra time. After struggling all year, they are finally playing to their potential - and it's been since beating the Warriors (sigh...) in round thirteen. They have now put together four wins in a row and, just like the Warriors, the top eight isn't out of the question - although they'll need a bit of luck to go their way.

So sit back and prepare yourselves for the run home, sports fans - it certainly promises to be an entertaining finish to what has already been a great year of league.

It wasn't easy to watch, but the Warriors managed to pick up their first win in three weeks - beating the West Tigers in Sydney.

With seven minutes to go, the Warriors led 28-16. But Taniela Tuiaki managed to score two trys to take the score to 28-26 (with the kick to come) but, fortunately for the Warriors, the usually reliable Brett Hodgson missed the conversion giving the [lucky, oh so damn lucky...] Warriors the win.

With Ruben Wiki playing in his 300th NRL game, it was a great way to celebrate the Kiwi legends career.

At times, the Warriors were brilliant (Lance Hohia's try was something special), but they let the Tigers back into the game with some poor defence.

BUT - it's a win, and we'll take it.

The Warriors have the bye next week, so the win puts us only two points out of the top eight. The bye will also give Steve Price and Brent Tate a good rest, after what will no doubt be an epic Origin decider this Wednesday.

The road to the finals isn't going to be easy for the Warriors, with six of their last nine against top eight sides, and needing to win 7/9. But they only need to look at last year to know that anything is possible...

We want to congratulate Wiki on his 300th game, which many people didn't think he'd get too after he was dropped earlier in the year - well done, Wiki.

Here are the other results from the weekend.

Broncos 12 - 12 Panthers
Roosters 24 - 14 Bulldogs
Titans 22 - 26 Dragons
Sea Eagles 28 - 12 Knights
Cowboys 28 - 29 Rabbitohs
Eels 24 - 22 Storm
Raiders vs Sharks (Monday night)