Eight months on from being appointed managing director at the Warriors, Jim Doyle realises it might just be the toughest job he's taken on.
Doyle, a successful businessman and sporting administrator, admits he walked into a mess when he took over at the NRL club at the start of the year.
"Whether we like it or not, we've got to make changes," said Doyle, who helped increase the annual turnover of Navman NZ from $3m to $450m between 1997 and 2006, before revitalising New Zealand Rugby League and eventually becoming the NRL's chief operating officer.
"I would say this is both the toughest challenge, but also the one with the biggest potential upside.
"People follow success. We all see everyone get behind the All Blacks. We're not the All Blacks and we never will be, but there's no reason why we can't get constant success."
The Warriors, a club stacked with talented players and boasting loyal supporters, are also known as perennial under-achievers and have been weighed down in the past by a lack of discipline and poor head coaches.
You wouldn't think it given the club's disappointing results over the past month but Doyle firmly believes he is making progress.
He's doing this by instilling some values into the club, and backing the 37-year-old Andrew McFadden as coach by revolutionising the roster.
Gone from the squad next year will be Sam Tomkins, Sam Rapira, Dominique Peyroux, David Bhana, John Palavi, Siliva Havili, Ngani Laumape, Matt Allwood, Sione Lousi, Bradley Abbey and Chad Townsend.Suaia Matagi has already departed.
Kevin Locke, Feleti Mateo, Dane Nielsen and Jayson Bukuya were shown the door last year. And on their way across the Tasman are Kiwis stars Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Issac Luke - two massive signings many are hoping will help turn the tide.
Of the players leaving Auckland, some are going for personal reasons, such as Townsend, while others were cut because they haven't been up to scratch. A few tried it on one too many times telling lies to McFadden before being caught out.
Off the field the swinging of the axe has been just as ruthless. Dean Bell became marginalised as general manager of football operations and left the club with 18 months on his contract to run. Last year's strength and conditioning coach Carl Jennings and assistant coach Ricky Henry were booted at the end of that season.
There was also a feeling the Warriors had become an old boys' club, where mates were looked after and the best candidate wasn't always the one given the job. Under Doyle, everyone is accountable.
"One of the things I've driven at any organisation I've been in is standards that you've always got to try to improve them," Doyle said.
"Without having the vision and values, it's hard to say what was good or bad. The organisation didn't have any values. Individuals had values, but you could have said to a player that it's not acceptable to pitch up late. He could say, 'well, why, because the last coach said it was OK.'
"But now we can say you're taking short cuts and that's not acceptable because it's part of our values."
The Warriors held a fans' forum at Mt Smart Stadium last Wednesday night, but in a season of disappointment the club's most ardent supporters, given the opportunity, surprisingly didn't vent.
It seems that a club celebrating 20 years of playing in the NRL but having made the finals just seven times with one minor premiership in 2002 and two grand final appearances have kept their fans' expectations firmly grounded on the cellar floor.
"One of the things I've always believed is that it doesn't matter whether you're a business, a sport or an individual, you are in one of five positions," Doyle said. "You're an under-performer, a competitor, a contender, a winner or a peak performer," he said.
"The Warriors over the last 20 years have ranged between being under-performers and contenders. Our job now is to get us up to being a winner.
"There's no reason why we shouldn't be a top four side constantly. The objective for myself and Cappy (McFadden) is to get us up to becoming a winner."
It's sometimes said that it's in the third season a coach finally gets his own squad, not one he's inherited, and that's what McFadden will have next year.
"It takes time because you've got to move the pieces," said McFadden, who took over from the sacked Matt Elliott midway through the 2014 season.
The under-fire Warriors coach talked earlier this week about his utter disbelief when he first arrived at the club and saw some players turn up to the start of a new season a staggering 10 kilos over their expected playing weight.
"When you get into an organisation you have a look at what you've got. I've been around for a while, but I've only been calling the shots for a short period.
"I have to make decisions on the roster, but Jim and I have been working very hard on the strategy and we're putting that in place."
Tony Iro can see how the Warriors are turning things around. He first started working at the club in 2005 and after a two-year stint with the NZRL, returned this season as an assistant coach.
"This year Cappy has driven a real discipline at training and we think that will improve the group as it matures," he said.
"You're always going to get some players who respond to that and some who don't or can't.
"If a player can't fit the mould of what you're trying to develop, there are going to be cuts made.
"We're not getting the results at the moment, but there is improvement in what's a young group."
The talk is positive. But only time will tell whether Doyle and his loyal assistants can pull off yet another miracle.
- Sunday Star Times
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league...-fix-warriors-but-says-its-going-to-take-time
us winning stuff ....
