When an NRL club's off-season story is all about the departure of a long-serving star and their risky method to replace him, it usually spells trouble.
Yet Warriors coach Stephen Kearney insists he's sleeping easily, confident he has the halfback personnel to fill Shaun Johnson's boots and the team structure to make it a seamless process.
Kearney insists his players have come to grips with the November 28 bombshell announcement that a disgruntled Johnson was moving on, leaving a hole made more cavernous by the departure of understudy Mason Lino.
Simon Mannering has also retired, wiping 301 games of experience from their roster, while a host of solid performers have also exited.
Dragons front-rower Leeson Ah Mau is the only notable acquisition - effectively replacing James Gavet - in the club's most muted recruitment haul for several seasons.
By not replacing Johnson, the Warriors have oodles of room to move under the salary cap.
However, the apparent downgrading of their roster has convinced many commentators the men from Auckland won't repeat last season's drought-breaking effort to reach the finals.
The playmaking pressure on 32-year-old Blake Green will be intense, with his halves partner set to be a debutant - either Panthers reserve grade recruit Adam Keighran or Junior Kiwis star Chanel Harris-Tevita.
Kearney likes what he's seen from the pair and believes there's the proven performers around them to ensure no drop off from last year's eighth placed finish.
"These young guys aren't Shaun so it will be a different style," Kearney told AAP.
"We feel they're ready. It's been our job in the footy department to get them up to speed and put as much work into them as possible.
"The important thing is that we're not sending them out by themselves. They'll have experienced guys around them and the sort of pack to help them navigate what's going to come at them."
Issac Luke, Adam Blair and Tohu Harris provide a tough foundation but Kearney is expecting the biggest gains to be made from third and fourth-season veterans like Bunty Afoa, Isaiah Papali'i and Jazz Tevaga up front, along with hulking wingers David Fusitu'a and Ken Maumalo.
Captain and Dally M medallist Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will be more important than ever in Johnson's absence.
The metre-eating fullback set the tone in the opening minutes of the first-round win over Souths last season, making a miraculous try-saving tackle on Alex Johnston.
It ignited a five-match winning start, from which they never dropped out of the top eight.
A club record eight wins on the road and a new-found steel when defending their tryline were stand out features, attributable to mental improvement which Kearney is confident can lift again.
"In 2017, I thought we had moments where we competed really well in a number of games but it was the third or last quarter where we would just fall away a touch," he said.
"Last year we lifted our standards across the board. We've got expectations now to give ourselves a chance every week."
WARRIORS
Finishes over the past three seasons: 2018 - 8th, 2017 - 13th, 2016 - 10th
Coach: Stephen Kearney
Captain: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Key gains: Leeson Ah Mau (Dragons), Lachlan Burr (Bulldogs), Adam Keighran (Panthers).
Key losses: Shaun Johnson (Sharks), Mason Lino (Knights), James Gavet (Knights), Simon Mannering (retired)
Best team: 1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2. David Fusitu'a, 3. Peta Hiku, 4. Solomone Kata, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Adam Keighran, 7. Blake Green, 8. Bunty Afoa, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Agnatius Paasi, 11. Isaiah Papali'i, 12. Tohu Harris, 13. Adam Blair. Bench: 14. Nathaniel Roache, 15. Jazz Tevaga, 16. Leivaha Pulu, 17. Leeson Ah Mau.
Predicted finish: 15th
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