The Warriors appear poised to rocket up the ladder into NRL finals contention in the coming weeks with stats showing the State of Origin period is their time to shine.
According to numbers provided by Fox Sports Stats, the Warriors’ winning percentage during Origin over the past five seasons has been double compared to the rest of the year.
Since 2013, the Warriors have won at 37.74 per cent before the Origin player drain sets in and at 26.67 per cent in the period post Origin III.
In the period that includes the week before Origin I up until the end of the interstate series they have won at 74.07 per cent – or 20 of 27 matches.
Their winning rate during Origin is the best in the competition, however, they are ranked 15th — only ahead of Newcastle — for pre-Origin wins and 16th for post Origin wins.
At a time of year when most sides must do without their best players, the Warriors have lost no players to Queensland or NSW duty.
On Friday night Canterbury trio Josh Jackson, Brett Morris and David Klemmer are racing the clock to back up less than 48 hours after Origin II in Sydney, to take on the Warriors in Auckland.
The Bulldogs’ only concern is five-eighth Kieran Foran, who is struggling with a quad complaint and 50-50 to face his future club.
“Over the last few years it definitely has been (the period when the Warriors make a charge) and they’re a quality team and they don’t have any guys in Origin this game,” Bulldogs prop Aiden Tolman said.
“They’re going to be full strength. It’s a bit game for both teams.
“We’re concentrating on ourselves, it’s huge for us considering and that is the where we sit on this ladder, we need to win this game.”
The Warriors have have failed to make the top eight in the past five years and gone through three head coaches in that time.
However, it shapes as a massive danger game for the Bulldogs who, after getting back in the winner’s circle with victory over St George Illawarra before the bye, will slump to two wins behind eighth place with a loss.
“I think they’ve got their set plays, as do most sides in this competition, and they have their structure they fall back on but they have a lot off offload and ab-lib footy and that is the hardest to defend in this game,” Tolman said.
“Their unstructured footy is the hardest to defend. They’re full strength, it’s going to be a big game for us, we both need this win.”
A MODEL OF INCONSISTENCY
The Warriors’ winning percentage from 2013-2017
* Pre-Origin – 53 games, 20 wins, 37.74 per cent, 15th
* During Origin – 27 games, 20 wins, 74.07 per cent, 1st
* Post-Origin – 30 games, 8 wins, 26.67 per cent, 16th
